Rwibaale Hospital

Restetuta is a 48-year-old mother of seven children from Uganda. She and her husband depend on small-scale farming to provide food for their family and earn a modest income from selling any surplus produce. In addition to farming, her husband serves as a preacher, sharing the Word of God within their community. About three years ago, Restetuta began to experience troubling symptoms, including abdominal fullness, particularly in the upper left side of her abdomen. She experiences early satiety, abdominal swelling, and persistent fatigue, making it increasingly difficult to carry out her daily activities. She sought treatment at several hospitals, where she was repeatedly advised to seek specialized care at a larger facility. Eventually, she came to Rwibaale Hospital, where she was examined. She was diagnosed with massive splenomegaly, which is an extreme enlargement of the spleen. Physicians recommend a laparotomy, which is a surgery that opens up the abdominal cavity to treat her condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Restetuta's surgery. On July 7th, she will undergo surgery at Rwibaale Health Center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve her quality of life. Restatuta says, "I hope the pain will go away after treatment, and I will be able to eat comfortably without the feeling abdominal fullness."

Mercrase is a 23-year-old mother of two from Uganda. Earlier in her life, Mercrase was enrolled into technical school after Primary 6, to study hairdressing. However, financial constraints prevented her from advancing further. Presently, she and her family depend on small-scale farming for food and a modest income. Mecrase dreams of opening a hair salon in their village and is currently sourcing the capital needed to start the business. When Mecrase was 18 years old, a friend encouraged her to pierce her ears to enhance her appearance. Unfortunately, the piercing sites failed to heal properly and began to gradually swell. Over the past six years, the swellings have continued to grow into large keloids on both ears. In addition to frequent headaches, the condition has caused her significant emotional distress. She says that people often stare at her and laugh, leaving her feeling embarrassed and isolated. As a result, she has become reluctant to socialize and has even stopped attending church services on Sundays. Recently, Mecrase attended a medical outreach organized by Rwibaale Hospital at her local health center. During the outreach, she was diagnosed with bilateral ear keloids. The medical team recommended surgical excision, which offers her the opportunity to regain both her health and confidence. Mercrase traveled to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Health Center, for treatment. On July 7th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Mercrase needs help to raise $153 to fund this procedure and alleviate her symptoms. Mecrase says, "l hope to be well and continue attending church services after recovery without feeling embarrassed."

Kisembo is an 80-year-old widower and a father of nine children in Uganda. Despite his advanced age, Kisembo continues to work hard to support himself. He runs a small business and does some farming to earn a modest living. For more than 60 years, Kisembo has had a bilateral inguinal scrotal hernia, a condition where abdominal tissue protrude through a weak spot in the abdominal wall and extend down into the scrotal sac. Over the years, he sought treatment at a local hospital, where he was given medication, but his condition did not improve. Desperate for relief, he later tried various traditional herbal remedies recommended by different people, but none of them were successful. The condition has greatly affected his quality of life. It has changed the way he walks, causes persistent back and abdominal pain, and limits his daily activities. Beyond the physical discomfort, it has also taken an emotional toll. Kisembo hopes to remarry but feels embarrassed by his condition. The medical team has recommended urgent hernia repair surgery to prevent further complications and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Kisembo's surgery, which is scheduled on July 7th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Kisembo says, "I hope to be well soon, and go back to work. Thank you to the donors for saving my life."

Seleverno is a 75-year-old father and grandfather, living in Uganda. He and his wife are small scale farmers, cultivating bananas and coffee for both food and income. For six months, Seleverno has been experiencing persistent low abdominal pain. He sought treatment at his nearby hospital, where he received medication, but his condition did not improve. More recently, he developed a swelling on the right side of his groin. The pain and swelling have left him weak and unable to continue his farming activities, which are the family's primary source of livelihood. His grandchildren are deeply concerned, as he has always been a loving caregiver and an important source of support for the family. Seeking further medical care, Seleverno went to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital. He has been diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. The medical team has recommended a hernia repair surgery to relieve his pain and restore his health. Fortunately, on July 7th, Seleverno has been scheduled to undergo a hernia repair surgery at Rwibaale Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Seleverno's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Seleverno says, "I hope to be well soon, so I can resume taking good care of my children and family."

Peace is a 52-year-old mother of eight children from Uganda. She and her husband depend on small-scale farming to provide food for their family and earn a modest income from selling surplus produce. Five years ago, Peace developed a swelling on her left thigh that has continued to increase in size over time. As the swelling has grown, it has become increasingly painful and now significantly affects her daily life. She is no longer able to walk long distances, experiences pain while sleeping, and is unable to fully stretch her left leg. Because the swelling is located close to her groin, even simple activities such as bending have become difficult. Peace has always worked hard to provide for her family, but her condition has made it difficult for her to continue farming. Her husband is also elderly and physically weak, leaving the family deeply concerned about how they will sustain themselves. Although she has been relying on pain medication to manage her symptoms, the pain has become persistent and is no longer relieved by the medication. Peace traveled to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Health Center, to be evaluated. On July 7th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Peace needs help to raise $188 to fund this procedure and alleviate her symptoms. Peace says, "I am glad to receive support for surgery. I hope to be well and resume doing my work after recovery."

Erinest is a 47-year-old man from Rwanda. He never had the opportunity to attend school. He remained at home tending cattle. Ernest lost both his parents during the war in Rwanda. He is now living as a refugee in Uganda. To provide for his family, Ernest engages in small-scale farming to produce food for home consumption. To meet other basic household needs, he works as a casual laborer in other people's gardens, often for one or two weeks at a time, depending on the available workload. For the past four years, Erinest has had a bilateral inguinoscrotal hernia. He has been living with recurrent swelling in his groin. The condition has progressively worsened, making it difficult for him to bend or carry out manual work. He describes the pain as feeling like someone is piercing him with a spear. Although he has been relying on painkillers for temporary relief, his condition has deteriorated to the point where he can no longer stand upright comfortably, and even sitting has become difficult because of the size of the swelling. Erinest heard a radio announcement about the donor program at our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital, and decided to seek medical attention. At the hospital, he was examined and underwent investigations, including an ultrasound scan, and was recommended for hernia repair surgery. Fortunately, on July 8th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Erinest's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Erinest says, "I hope that with the surgery, my pain will be reduced soon and I can resume my farming activities."

Petero, who is 74 years old, lives in Uganda. He and his wife have five children, and depend on small-scale farming to provide food for their family, and to meet their family's basic needs. For the past 15 years, Petero has had an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. It initially began as a swelling, which persisted for about two years, before a similar swelling developed on the other side. He first sought medical care at a nearby health center, where he was diagnosed, and referred to a larger hospital for surgery. However, he was asked to make a financial payment towards the operation, which he could not afford. As a result, he returned home without receiving treatment. Over the years, the condition has progressively worsened. Petero experiences persistent lower abdominal and back pain, finds it difficult to bend or work for long hours, and now struggles to sit comfortably, because the swelling has grown significantly in size. Fortunately, Petero attended a surgical outreach conducted by the team from our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital. He was examined by the doctors, and has been recommended for a herniorrhaphy to relieve his symptoms and prevent further complications. Petero is now scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery on July 8th, at Rwibaale Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Petero's surgery. After the procedure, Petero should be able to live a healthier life. He says: "I hope to recover very soon, and resume my daily activities as a farmer."

Vian is a 53-year-old farmer living in Uganda. He is the father of six children, three boys and three girls. Due to his family's financial constraints when he was growing up, Vian never had the opportunity to attend school. He and his own family now depend on small-scale farming to produce food for home consumption, and to earn a modest income from the sale of surplus produce. For more than five years, Vian has lived with a reducible right inguinoscrotal hernia, a condition where abdominal tissue protrude through a weak spot in the abdominal wall and extend down into the scrotal sac. The swelling has made it difficult for him to bend, perform manual work, or walk long distances. He experiences severe pain, and is unable to engage in strenuous activities. Seeking relief, he visited a nearby clinic, where he was given painkillers, but they did not improve his condition. A friend later advised him to seek treatment at our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital. Vian is scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery on July 8th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Vian's treatment. After this procedure, Vian should live a healthier and more comfortable life. Vian said: "I hope the pain goes away, so I can resume my duties, take good care of my children and the family."

Glorious is a 50-year-old widow and mother of eight children from Uganda. She depends on small-scale farming to provide for her family. For 20 years, Glorious has had Grade III splenomegaly and a hernia. She has been experiencing recurrent abdominal pain, which has progressively weakened her. Her condition has become so severe that she is no longer able to work, making it increasingly difficult to support her children. Glorious heard about a surgical outreach organized by our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital, in her village and attended for medical evaluation. Fortunately, on July 8th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Glorious's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. Glorious says, "l hope to get rid of pain and also resume working so that I can take good care of my family."

Justine is a 48-year-old woman and mother of five children from Uganda. She and her husband depend on small-scale farming on rented land to produce food for home consumption and sell any surplus to meet their basic needs. For the past five years, Justine has been experiencing persistent lower abdominal pain. She sought medical care from different clinics and health centres but was only given painkillers, which did not provide relief. She later tried using local herbs, but these also failed to improve her condition. Due to her ongoing suffering, abdominal fullness, and worsening symptoms, Justine consulted a friend who advised her to seek care at our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital. At the hospital, she was examined by a surgeon and underwent a scan. She has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $253 to fund Justine's surgery. On July 8th, she will undergo gynecological surgery, and once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Justine says, "I hope to get rid of pain and also be well and regain my dignity as a woman."