Meet Grace! She is a 46-year-old rice and maize farmer who lives in Malawi. Grace is a widow with five children. Two of her children are married, while the youngest is still in school. The other two children left school due to a lack of the necessary fees, and are now fishermen. For five months now, Grace has been experiencing abdominal pains, backache, and an abnormal vaginal discharge. She first went for her cervical screening, which indicated the presence of suspicious lesions. Grace was referred for additional testing and evaluation, and a biopsy confirmed the presence of potentially cancerous lesions. Grace will need to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, as a result of her diagnosis. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,363 to fund Grace's surgery. On September 28th, doctors will perform the hysterectomy, which should allow Grace to resume her life, free of pain. Grace said: ”I am grateful for the opportunity to have good health. I am looking forward to your support, and to regaining my health again, which will enable me to concentrate on my farm work, and to continue supporting my children.”

Gift is a 36-year-old man from Malawi. He maintains a livelihood by farming vegetables such as mustard and tomatoes. He lives with his two children. His wife had left them and moved back to her parents' home. On May 30th, while tending to the livestock, he was pushed by one of the goats as it made its way into the shelter. Gift fell and injured his leg. He was rushed to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, by his sister and brother-in-law and doctors confirmed Gift had fractured his leg. He is in pain and unable to walk. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On June 4th, Gift will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $636. This procedure will relieve him of the pain and help him walk easily again. Gift says,” I would be very grateful if this surgery takes place. My livelihood depends on my ability to move, and I look forward to doing that again soon.”

John is a quiet 11-year-old boy from Kenya. John's story is a journey of compassion and the unwavering support of a dedicated well-wisher. His origin is drawn back in Tanzania, where he faced the disturbing reality of being disowned by his real parents due to his disability on his feet. John was left helpless in the unfamiliar surroundings of central Kenya. For the past seven years his guardian has stood by his side, offering not just a shelter but also a sense of belonging. John’s chapter started to change when a team of AIC Cure International doctors visited his neighborhood for a mobile clinic. He was reviewed and scheduled for surgery and underwent a successful surgery on his left foot and his left foot has healed well. John still has clubfoot of right foot. He is currently in the hospital to undergo right foot treatment, which involves serial casting to adjust the position of his foot to achieve the desired correction. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Surgeons from our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital are scheduled to now perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 19th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund John's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Once he heals, John aspires to go back to school and study and one day achieve his dream of becoming a doctor in future. John told us: “I am looking forward to seeing my foot corrected, walking properly, playing football with my friends and continuing with my studies like other children, and achieving my dream of becoming a doctor in future to also impact lives of children born like me."

Daniel is a handsome 4-year-old boy. He is the third born in a family of three children. His father does not work because he has been sick, while the mother is a hawker of fruits, and her income is the sole income to sustain their family. Daniel is in pre-school and they hope he can feel better soon. Daniel’s mother has been struggling with him for three years, taking him to different hospitals without much relief. He has been having chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis with symptoms like pain, fever, difficulty breathing and eating, sometimes coughing and vomiting with swollen tonsils. This has even affected his schooling. The mother decided to bring him to Nazareth Hospital where the Ear Nose Throat Surgeon ordered an Adenotonsillectomy to remove the tonsils and adenoids. Due to the socio-economic status of Daniel's family, they cannot meet the cost of this critical treatment. If not treated, Daniel will continue to have the pains and other symptoms and may develop complications like tonsillar abscess, middle ear infection, or rheumatic fever. “I am the sole breadwinner from my little income. At the same time, I feel bad to see my child suffering. I plead for help so that he can be treated and be well to grow up normally,” shared Daniel's mother.

Annet is a confident, social and interactive woman. She is a mother to two daughters and lives in southwestern Uganda. Growing up, she had an ambition of being a teacher but was unable to achieve this dream. Her husband died in 1990, and she raised her daughters independently. She farms for a living and mostly grows enough to feed her family and then sells off the surplus to generate income. She lives in a two roomed house with two of her grandchildren. For over 2 years, Annet has been experiencing lower abdominal pain, bleeding, and persistent backache. She has been diagnosed with premalignant cervical lesion, which if left untreated could turn into cancer. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. When symptoms became severe, she was seen by a doctor and was recommended for a total abdominal hysterectomy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $219 to fund Annet's surgery. On February 20th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Once recovered, Annet will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. She says, “I have faith that when given your support, I will be worked on, will be able to regain my health and continue farming in good health.”

Borey is a 28-year-old father who lives alongside his wife in Takeo province. They recently celebrated the arrival of their daughter, now a delightful 10-month-old. They both work as wait staff in a local restaurant and take turns caring for their daughter. When not working or caring for his precious daughter, Borey likes to play basketball with his friends. On and off for the last 11 years, Borey has had an ear infection. He bought medicine at the local pharmacy, but the infection always returned. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in the right ear to perforate, which has caused hearing loss and tinnitus. His ear pain makes it hard for Borey to sleep at night, and his hearing loss makes it difficult to hear others speak at work. Borey worries he will not hear his daughter if she cries. Borey traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 5th, he will undergo a myringoplasty in his right ear. During this operation, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Borey said: "I hope this operation will stop the ear infections and I can hear better than before."