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."

Thea is a 55-year-old father of four from Cambodia, who lives with his wife and two of his children. His two older children moved out of home to nearby towns to seek job opportunities. Both Thea and his wife work as rice farmers, and their older children occasionally send money home to help support the family. Thea likes spending time with his family, and watching Cambodian and Thai boxing. In January this year, Thea was in a motorcycle accident near his home and fractured his left shinbone. He was treated in a provincial hospital but the fracture did not heal properly and currently there is still some bone exposed. Thea is presently in chronic pain and discomfort, unable to walk or work. When Thea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours to seek treatment. On April 29th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement, skin flap, and stabilization procedure to to remove dead tissue, cover the wound, and help him walk and feel comfortable again. Thea is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and needs help raising $573 more to fund the procedure. Thea says: "I hope my leg can be fixed, so I can go back to work and support my family."

Diana and her husband Isaya just had beautiful newborn twins! Their family lives in the Arusha region of Tanzania. Diana works in the home, managing the household and caring for their children, while Isaya works diligently on their farm to provide food. In addition to farming, Isaya seeks daily work to supplement their income. Since the babies have been born the family has been working hard to try to provide them with everything they need. Diana's newborn babies were born with clubfoot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This will cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes throughout his life. Fortunately, their family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on February 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund their baby's clubfoot repair surgery. After treatment, his feet will grow straight to be able to walk easily and wear shoes. Diana Says, “I hope both my children will grow up with no disability.”