“l feel a lot of pain," shares 82-year-old Bonabaana. In June 2014, Bonabaana developed a painful swelling. The pain grew so severe that she could no longer perform her household tasks. In February, she was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia. She was advised to have surgery but couldn’t afford to pay for it. Bonabaana and her husband, who live in Uganda, have five children. They have no source of income, and their children do not have jobs. On November 9, Bonabaana underwent surgery at our medical partner's hospital, Holy Family Virika Hospital. $249 will fund the cost of her hernia repair. This covers all medical expenses, along with three nights in the hospital. After recovery, Bonabaana hopes to regain her strength and start trading tomatoes.

Mila is a 47-year-old mother of five. Four of her children are married, and she lives with her husband, youngest son, and four grandchildren. Mila enjoys staying at home and taking care of her grandchildren. Her husband works as a fisherman to support the family. Mila was born with cleft lip and palate. This condition causes her social difficulty. Fortunately, she is in a community served by our medical partner, International Care Ministries. On November 3, she underwent cleft lip surgery. This treatment will improve Mila's self-confidence. She needs help to pay her $322 medical bill. "I dreamed of being treated since I was young," says Mila. She adds that she is grateful for help from donors. Her husband, Carlos, shares, "My family is so thankful for having this opportunity that will make my wife's dream come true."

This is Manjit, a 68-year-old father from Nepal, living with his wife in the local village while his son works in India. Our medical partner, Possible, shares that because Manjit's wife suffers from arthritis and has since stopped working in the fields, the couple relies on their son for financial support. In the last few months, Manjit noticed “some swelling on his inguinal region and the area would hurt every time he talked for long, coughed or laughed hard.” Possible states that five years ago, Manjit had been treated for his inguinal hernia, but it seems to have developed again. “Now, he is bedridden most of the time,” and he is unable to remain mobile for long. Manjit’s bilateral hernia results from soft tissue protruding from his abdominal cavity through a weak area in his abdominal muscles. Without treatment, he will continue to remain in bed. To alleviate his pain, Manjit requires a herniorrhaphy, an open hernia repair surgery. A surgeon will make an incision and attempt to rearrange localized tissues, remove the hernia sac, close the weakened muscles with stitches, and insert synthetic material to reinforce the abdominal wall. $491 will cover all surgical and anesthesia costs, in-patient hospital rest, and laboratory work-up. “Because of my wife’s condition, it was already difficult for the two of us to run the house. My hernia has made mobility very difficult for me too--deteriorating our condition,” says Manjit. With this necessary surgery, Possible can prevent Manjit from experiencing future hernia strangulation, relieve his discomfort, and restore him to good health.