Marife is a loving wife and mother from the Philippines. She previously worked as a janitor at Makati Medical Center but had to quit to give more time to her daughter, who has difficulty breathing with asthma. Marife occasionally does freelance work, but their family mostly depends on the income her husband makes as a janitor. Marife and her family reside in a Housing Relocation Site provided by the National Housing Authority. One year ago, Marife began to experience troubling symptoms, including vomiting and extreme abdominal pain. She described it as even worse pain than when she gave birth. For a year, she tried various medications and home remedies to help ease the pain, but to no avail. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Marife was diagnosed with cholelithiasis, or gallstones. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Marife is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) on October 21st. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Marife's surgery and care. Marife says, "This surgery will be a great help for me and my family as it will regain my confidence. I have been through depression since I first felt my symptoms. This illness sacrificed my supervision and parenting time with my daughter. I had come to the point of being hopeless but thanks to this hospital and the donors I will fight and continue my life. I hope they can help more people like me who need an operation. Thank you very much."

Im is a 71-year-old loving grandfather from Cambodia, where he lives on the outskirts of Phnom Penh province with his wife. They have three daughters, four sons, and 23 grandchildren. When he was younger, Im worked in construction, but now he and his wife are retired. They are supported by their children, some of whom are farmers, while others are construction workers. Two years ago, Im developed cataracts in both of his eyes, probably as a result of the many years of working outside, when his eyes were being regularly exposed to the UV rays from the sun. Im's vision is impaired, making it difficult for him to see clearly. Im sought help from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On September 1st, doctors at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Center will perform bilateral small incision cataract surgery, and implant intraocular lenses in both of his eyes. Now Im needs your help to fund this $443 procedure. Im said: "I hope after surgery I can see better and recognize the faces of my family. I hope to go to the pagoda with my wife to join the ceremonies."

Amina is a 48-year-old woman who works as a nanny. She accounts for only one family relative, a cousin. The rest of her family, including her grandparents and her mother, who was also an only child, have unfortunately passed away. Amina became really tearful when she started sharing her story. From a young age, her menses have been heavy and painful. This condition has intensified over the past year. She explained that she has struggled with her condition for so long to the extent of giving up on getting any treatment. Amina has been experiencing severe bleeding, lower abdominal pains, dizziness and headache. She has also been treated for anemia and depression. She has been diagnosed with multiple fibroids and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus to finally help her heal. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) is requesting $755 to fund Amina's surgery scheduled for July 26th. Once recovered, Amina will be able to live her lifer free of pain. “I am so desperate and alone. I kindly plead for support so that at least my health can be back to normal, and I can resume my job and support myself,” said Amina.

Dennis is a hardworking tricycle driver from the Philippines. He lives with his wife, Marecar, and their three-year-old child. Despite his hard work and dedication, Dennis's income is just enough for his family's basic needs but not for his needed surgical treatment. In October 2022, Dennis began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain and bleeding in a sensitive area. He sought medical consultation and was advised to undergo a colonoscopy. He was prescribed medicines to relieve the pain, but unfortunately, it has continued. He was then forced to have another medical checkup and was diagnosed with bleeding internal hemorrhoids, which gives him discomfort and pain, and hinders him from working to support his family. He needs surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Dennis receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a hemorrhoidectomy on June 20th at WSFP's care center. The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is supporting a portion of the cost of his treatment, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,285 to cover the cost of Dennis's procedure and care. Dennis shared, "I am very thankful to Watsi, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, and those helping us get this surgery done. It is such a big help for me and my family."

Deniss, who is six months old, is the firstborn child in his family. He and his parents- who are farmers- live in a house without water or electricity in Malawi. Deniss was healthy at birth. However, when he was about one month old, his parents noted that he had a swollen scrotum. They visited Bua, the nearest hospital, and were referred to Nkhotakota district hospital in Malawi for further assistance. At Nkhotakota, Deniss was assessed and diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia. Deniss' parents were told that he was too young for surgery and they brought him home. Because of ongoing swelling at the hernia site, however, Deniss and his parents have had to make multiple visits to the hospital, taking time away from Deniss' parents' time to work and negatively impacting their income. On May 2nd, Deniss will undergo hernia repair surgery at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, and Deniss' parents are looking to you to help raise $575 to fund Deniss' treatment and care. Deniss' parents are looking forward to being able to return to work and seeing smiles on Deniss' face. Deniss' mother joyfully said: “I can’t wait to see my son well again; thank you sponsors for considering my child Deniss.”

23-year-old Josephine and her two siblings live with their mother in Kenya and participate in small-scale farming for home consumption. Josephine has no source of income but is hoping to pursue a course in hairdressing. On April 16th, 2022, while planting corn on their farm, Josephine slipped and plunged into a hole she hadn't seen. She sustained a fracture in her right leg and surgery was performed to stabilize the bone and help the fracture heal. Two months after the surgery, Josephine started noticing pus accumulating in the affected area. She returned to the hospital and was treated, but her condition did not improve. In October 2022, doctors noted that the hardware that had been placed in Josephine's leg to stabilize the bone had actually caused an infection. Despite the removal of the hardware, the infection has persisted. Josephine has a large mid-diaphyseal sequestrum. This means that her femur bone is infected. As a result, she is unable to use her right leg to walk. If left untreated, the infection can spread, and potentially result in an amputation. With the assistance of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Josephine has been scheduled for a Right Femur Sequestrectomy and Exfix to clear the infection and strengthen the bone, allowing it to heal completely. The surgery, which will take place at AIC Kijabe Hospital on April 17th, will enable Josephine to walk easily again so that she can farm and pursue the course in hairdressing. She and her family need your help to raise the $1,500 to fund her treatment. Josephine says, “I want to go to college and do a course in hairdressing. I am unable to pursue this dream since I have a broken bone that needs to be attended to.”

Salato is a 5-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is a part of the Maasai tribe and comes from a large Maasai family with seven children. His father is a livestock keeper. Due to their remote location, the family relies on livestock and selling cattle as their main source of income to cover their expenses. Salato was diagnosed with genu valgus. His legs bow inward so that his knees knock. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Salato faces difficulty walking long distances and experiences considerable discomfort due to the abnormal gait he has developed. This condition has also limited his ability to help his father with the livestock and hampers his ability to socialize with others. During an outreach visit from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), Salato and his parents had the opportunity to attend a clinic where he received education about his condition. The church kindly assisted in facilitating his transportation to the hospital. Upon arrival, the team warmly welcomed him and conducted a thorough assessment. As a result, a plan was formulated to correct the abnormality in his right leg surgically. However, Salato and his parents are unable to afford the costs associated with his treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Salato will undergo a corrective procedure on August 2nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Salato's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. AMH is requesting $880 to cover the cost of Salato's treatment. Salato’s guardian says, “He often feels left out when he can’t socialize with his peers. We hope the treatment will help him fit in his society.”

29-year-old Salam is a construction worker from Cambodia. He is unmarried and lives with his parents, one brother, and one sister in Prey Veng province. His parents are retired, thus he is responsible for most of the financial support for the family. When he's not working, he likes to play football with his friends. In April 2021, a construction column rolled onto Salam's leg at work, fracturing several bones in his right leg. After the accident, he went to a government hospital, where he had an operation on his ankle and tibia. An external fixation was performed to keep the fractured bones stabilized and in alignment. Now that all of his fractures have healed, Salam would like to have the hardware removed from his leg. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 17th, Salam will undergo a hardware removal procedure at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, which will cost $304. This procedure will allow him to heal completely and return to his life as it was before his accident. Salam needs your help to raise the money to cover the costs of his care. Salam shared: "After surgery, I hope the wound heals quickly and I can find work again to support my family."

Nang is a 40-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and son in a camp for people who are internally displaced due to conflict in her country. Her husband is a day laborer, while she looks after their son at home. A few years ago, Nang accidentally cut off her left index and middle finger while chopping wood. Unable to afford a hospital or clinic, she wrapped her injury in a cloth and tried to treat herself with traditional medicine. Over time, the wound became infected, and the infection spread up her hand. She later had her arm amputated below her left elbow at the IDP camp clinic. However, the wound never healed fully and became re-infected. Doctors want Nang to undergo an MRI, a scan which will hopefully help doctors fully diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $814 to cover the cost of Nang's MRI and care, scheduled for March 6th. She said, “I feel sad about my condition. I am looking forward to getting treatment or surgery at the Hospital. I would like to thank the organization BCMF as I am happy to have the opportunity to receive treatment for my wound."

Chhai Ya is a friendly 6-year-old boy from Cambodia. He and his parents and older brother live in Kandal province; his parents are both construction workers. In school, he likes to hear stories from Khmer literature, and at home, he likes to play with his brother or jump rope. His favorite meal is ice cream. Chhai Ya's right foot was burned in a fire at home when he was nine months old. After the burn healed, the skin on his foot retracted and bent his toes. The joints have become partially dislocated, and it is painful, as well as very difficult for him to walk or run normally. Chhai Ya and his family traveled one and half hours to our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) to seek treatment. On February 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him walk easily and keep up with his friends. His family has contributed $75 to the cost of the surgery, but needs help raising an additional $495 to fully fund his procedure and care. His mother said, "I hope Chhai Ya's foot will look better than before and he can walk and run like other children."

Farhio is a 47-year-old mother and widow from Somalia. She lost her husband two years ago. She is now the sole breadwinner to her family of four children, aged between 8 and 16. Farhio works as a street vendor selling tea by the roadside. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and underwent chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and radiation. She thought that the cancer had subsided, but, unfortunately, it returned. She went to a hospital in her home country of Somalia where doctors recommended she undergo surgery. She preferred to come to Kijabe Hospital after relatives who live in Nairobi referred her there. Farhio has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,110 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Farhio. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 3rd. After treatment, Farhio will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Farhio says, “I thought this disease had gone. Sadly, it came back. I need to treat it before it spreads.”