Oscar is a 28-year-old married man from a village in Lilongwe District in Malawi. He has a young child who is not yet of school age, and relies on small-scale farming to support the family by growing maize, groundnuts, and keeping livestock. One year ago, Oscar noticed an itch in his throat and a slight hoarseness in his voice, initially thinking he was developing a cough. However, he later discovered a small painful swelling that has been gradually getting larger. He did not seek medical help as he had no funds to pay for treatment until his mother heard about a care program when she visited our medical partner care center, Nkhoma Hospital. Oscar was diagnosed with goiter, and was scheduled to undergo thyroidectomy surgery. The condition has negatively affected his life as the swelling is painful and sometimes, he experiences shortness of breath. Treatment will relieve him of these symptoms, improving the quality of his life. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is helping Oscar receive treatment at their care center. On March 7th surgeons will perform thyroid surgery so he can regain his health. Now, he needs help to fund this $491 procedure. Oscar says, “Thank you for this opportunity, I am looking forward to treatment and recovery.”

Maria is a one-month-old baby girl from Haiti. Maria has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Maria has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Maria will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Maria at Hospital Bernard Mevs which will treat her hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on April 12th. The doctors will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Maria's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Maria will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. The family is looking forward to having their baby grow up healthy

Samuel is a 10-month-old baby boy from Haiti. He is the first born child of his parents. Samuel has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Samuel has been experiencing increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Samuel will experience severe physical and developmental delays. On February 1st, Samuel will undergo surgery at Hospital Bernard Mevs to treat his hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available. Surgeons will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Samuel's brain, reducing intracranial pressure and greatly improving his quality of life. With proper treatment, Samuel will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of this surgery. His parents are looking forward to their child being healthy after surgery, hopeful that he can live a good life ahead.