Edina, a 41-year-old mother of seven, works as a vegetable seller, earning about $2.97 per day for her family's upkeep. She finds joy interacting with her customers and has a fondness for chicken and nsima, a Malawian staple porridge made from maize flour. Four years ago, Edina discovered a small, painless swelling on the right side of her neck. After seeking medical advice at a nearby hospital, she was diagnosed with goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. She was instructed to wait for an opportunity for surgery, but her condition has worsened, causing breathlessness, neck pain, and difficulty lifting heavy objects. This has affected her work capacity and resulted in a decrease in income. Inspired by a fellow community member's journey to seek help, Edina visited our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Centre, where a surgeon reconfirmed the need for a thyroidectomy, the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland. Faced with financial hardships, Edina is seeking support for her surgery treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edina receive treatment. On March 20th, surgeons at PIH will perform a thyroidectomy to relieve her symptoms and help her resume her vegetable business at full capacity. Now, Edina needs help to fund this $1,015 procedure. Edina says, “I feel so fortunate to get the opportunity for support. Thank you so much, I believe surgery will help me get back to normal life."

Visal is a 16-month-old boy from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and brother in Kep province. His father works as a construction worker, while his mother works as a grocery seller and cares for the children at home. At home, Visal enjoys playing with his older brother and taking naps. In September 2023, Visal suffered a burn injury from hot water on his right finger. Now, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the 2nd and 3rd fingers of his right hand. It is difficult for him to grab objects, and limits the function of his hand. When Visal's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On April 25th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him use his hand easily again. Visal's family is able to contribute $100 but needs help to raise $395 more to fund this procedure. Visal's father shared, "I hope my son will be able to use his hand easily again and have no problems in the future."

Christine is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married and blessed with four children aged between 17 years and 1 year who are all in school except the last one. Her husband is a builder, and they live with her parents in a two-room mud house for shelter. They combine efforts to develop and support their family. Eleven years ago, Christine began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling associated with pain, difficulty in swallowing, and loss of voice. She is also unable to carry heavy items and experiences headaches. She visited Rushoroza Hospital for treatment. She was diagnosed with a goiter and surgery was recommended to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Christine receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 24th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Christine says, ‘‘I believe and pray to have a successful surgery. I hope to continue with farming after my recovery to be able to support my husband and our family. May God bless you.’’