Ashan is a 64-year-old small-scale farmer from Malawi. He is married with six children; five of them married, and one who is a secondary school student. Ashan lives with his wife, their last born child and four grandchildren. To support his family, he cultivates maize and beans, and also rears domestic animals like goats and chicken. Three months ago, Ashan started experiencing trouble with urination and bowel movements. He decided to visit our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, where a catheter was placed. The solution worked for some time but later on, he started experiencing pain at the catheter site, and it became increasingly difficult for him to walk long distances and engage in his farming activities. He went back to the hospital where he was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as enlarged prostate. Surgery was recommended, but Ashan could not afford the cost of the procedure. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare is helping Ashan receive treatment. On April 16th, Ashan will undergo a prostatectomy, a surgical procedure for the partial or complete removal of the prostate. The surgery will help treat his condition and improve his quality of life after recovery. Ashan and his family are able to contribute $87 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $530 more to fund the operation. Ashan says,” I am looking forward to feeling better after the treatment.”

Chelangat is the youngest of 6 children in her family and is currently in 1st grade. Her mother is a local roadside vendor selling vegetables and other seasonal groceries in her small village to meet her children’s basic needs. Her father is a young farmer growing maize and beans which are seasonal crops. Her siblings are all currently in primary school. Chelangat was brought into Kapsowar Hospital by her mother and her cousin with complaints of pain in her right elbow, and progressive swelling. Chelangat's mother reports that on January 31st, 2024, Chelangat fell at school, injuring her elbow. She was then taken to a nearby health center twice where she was given painkillers and both times was discharged back home, although the pain kept persisting. Her family decided to come to Kapsowar Hospital for further treatment. An X-ray was done which revealed that she had a displaced upper arm fracture and developed compartment syndrome, which causes pain and could cause nerve damage. She was then put in a skin traction and the arm was elevated to help decrease the swelling as she awaits surgery. Chelangat needs to undergo surgery on her elbow so that she can be able to go back to school and continue with her studies. The surgery costs $679 and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting funds to support this surgery. Chelangat's mother says, “My daughter is in a lot of pain, please help her so that she gets better and joins her classmates to continue with her studies.”

Thi Ha is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother and an older sister in a village in Karen State, Burma. His mother is a stay-at-home parent, and his sister goes to school. His father works in Bangkok, Thailand, as a cleaner in a market to support his family. When Thi Ha was born, his mother noticed a mass at the bottom of Thi Ha’s spine. As he grew older, the mass grew larger and started causing him pain, even if something soft touched it. Thi Ha and his mother visited our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, where the doctors wanted Thi Ha to undergo an MRI to diagnose his condition and prepare an appropriate treatment plan for Thi Ha. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Thi Ha’s MRI and care, scheduled for February 13. His mother said, “Sometimes his friends do not care and ignore him because of his disease. Then Thi Ha feels embarrassed and upset with his friends.”