Abigael is a student from Kenya. She is the first born in a family of two children, and she is in secondary school. Her mother is a single parent and works as a casual laborer in a small hotel to provide for the family. Abigael has been growing well like other girls and was enthusiastic to do her secondary final examinations towards the end of this year. Unfortunately from around October last year, she started having difficulty swallowing. When her mother checked her neck she noticed there was a swelling. She took her to hospital and an ultrasound was completed showing a benign right thyroid nodule. After tests the surgeon advised a thyroidectomy but her mother is not in a position to pay. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Abigael receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 2nd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $625, and she and her family need help raising money. “I am worried for my daughter because this is her final year in secondary school. I hope she can get help so that soon she is able to go back to school and continue with her studies for her future,” said Abigael’s mother.

Bekila is an adorable three-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He loves to spend his time with his mother and to play with other children. Since birth, Bekila has had an inguinal hernia. If not treated, the hernia may result in intestinal tissue damage and death. Fortunately, on October 25, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $487 to fund Bekila's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. His father says, “We can’t pay for the surgery because we are poor farmers who strive to maintain our daily bread. Since in our area we get rain once in a year our harvest from our farm is very low. I am a student and I am studying farming and it is my hope to change my life by starting a government job.”

Zar Win is a resourceful 27-year-old woman who lives in a small village in Burma. She attended school until fourth grade but had to drop out to help support her family. Her parents work as subsistence farmers and grow enough rice to eat. When Thu Zar was 10-years-old she developed encephalocele, a sac of neural tissue that pushes outside of her skull. This condition causes her face to swell, her vision to blur, and causes her severe pain when she looks down for more than 10-15 minutes. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, tells us, "Currently, she cannot cook or do any household chores because she cannot look down for long periods of time as the pressure is too painful. She can only feed the animals on their farm or prepare food for the family." Zar Win says, “I want to be a normal girl and, when I become healthy, I would like to start sewing again. I haven’t been able to look down at the sewing machine for a long time. I want to work hard, save money, and help my parents.” With $1,500, we can make this dream a reality by funding surgery to remove the mass from Zar Win's face.