“This bleeding is making me worried," Philis shares. "If it continues I feel like I am going to die. Please help me so that I can be safe. I have to be okay and be there for my family." Philis is a 51-year-old mother of five living in Kenya. She was healthy until she began experiencing heavy bleeding and abdominal pain few weeks ago. Philis went to the hospital at the first signs of her symptoms and was given medicine but the bleeding persisted. Philis was then referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), where she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids and anemia. "If not treated, Philis will continue to bleed which could lead to severe anemia with other cardiovascular complications," AMHF shares. For $790, Philis will receive a hysterectomy to remove her uterus and the fibroids causing pain, excessive bleeding, and anemia. This surgery will allow Philis to get back on her feet and regain her energy to work as a small scale farmer, and also a mother to five loving children.

“I have spent a lot of time thinking about treatment costs and transportation, and am willing to live with cancer rather than the burden it would impose on my family,” explains Daw Myint. “If I recover, I would like to open a shop in front of my house and sell veggies, meat and fish.” Daw Myint is a 56-year-old mother of five children, who lives with her husband and their son in Burma. When she feels well enough to cook, Daw Myint earns a meager income selling snacks. Their son works as a mechanic to pay the family’s rent and bills, and another daughter is occasionally able to send money. Because of their tight finances, Daw Myint has not been able to seek treatment for the heavy flow, dizziness and muscle cramps she has been experiencing for the past two years due to a cervical polyp. “She is extremely concerned that her condition may turn into cancer due to her age,” reports our medical partner Burma Border Projects. “She has lived with her symptoms as a secret because her family doesn’t make enough to live comfortably, and she is also concerned because if she waits longer and her symptoms get worse, she would be more of a burden to her family. If she has cancer, she is willing to live with it untreated because they can’t afford it financially.” For $1,500, we can fund surgery to remove the polyp as well as comprehensive treatment for Daw Myint as she recovers. Let’s help Daw Myint return to her husband, children and grandchildren, and to resume the activities she loves like gardening and cooking to provide for her loved ones!