Lek is a 27-year-old teacher from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Thom province with her five-year old daughter, who attends school near their home. Lek is a primary school teacher, and her husband works in a factory in South Korea and sends money home to help support the family. In her free time, Lek enjoys planting vegetables around her home. On February 1, 2024, Lek was in a motorbike accident on her way to work and collided with the road divider. This accident caused severe damage to the nerve network in her arm. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. As a result of the injury, Lek has significant weakness in her left arm and cannot move her hand. She struggles to perform daily tasks independently, which affects her ability to work, and care for herself and her child. Lek traveled to our medical partner's care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Lek with her surgery. On November 18th, she will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, she will have the chance to regain function in her left hand and arm, allowing her to perform daily activities more easily and return to work with greater independence. Lek can contribute $100, but needs help to raise $637 more to fund her procedure and care. Lek said: “After the surgery, I hope that I will be able to use my arm and hand again so I can do more at work and at home.”

Susan is a 44-year-old small-scale farmer living in Malawi. Two years ago, she relocated from Mozambique with her children, to be closer to her relatives. She now lives with her sister in a small one-bedroom, grass-thatched house in Dedza district, where life is simple but often uncertain. For three years, Susan has lived with pain in her right breast. At first, she endured it quietly, hoping it would pass. In March 2025, when the pain became unbearable, she made her first visit to the hospital. By then, a tumour had developed. After an initial procedure to remove part of it, the wound did not heal. Instead, it became a bleeding site. Blood often soaked through her clothes, forcing her to wrap herself in a shawl whenever she stepped outside. The physical pain was matched by the emotional weight of shame and fear. As months passed without proper treatment, Susan’s condition worsened. On the 5th of December, she made the difficult decision to travel to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Mission Hospital. There, doctors performed a biopsy. When the results came back, Susan was told she had breast cancer. The words were hard to accept. She thought of her children, their dependence on her, and the future she feared might be taken away. Despite the shock, Susan was encouraged that treatment was possible. Doctors have recommended that she undergo a right modified radical mastectomy (MRM), a surgical procedure that removes the entire affected breast along with nearby lymph nodes to stop the cancer from spreading and to give her the best chance of recovery. Susan wants to live. She wants to be present for her children. But her reality is harsh. She is the sole provider for her household, with no steady income beyond her small farm. Her brother in Mozambique managed to send her one hundred thousand Kwacha to contribute toward her care, but it is far from enough. The remaining costs are beyond anything she can raise on her own. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Susan receive treatment. On January 7th, she will undergo an MRM procedure, to give her a chance to heal. Now, Susan needs help to fund this $567 procedure. She is still hopeful, not only for herself but for her children, who still need their mother. She says: “I dream of a time when I will wake up without pain, return to my farm, and watch my children grow, knowing that their mother survived and is still here for them.”

Francis is a 3-month-old from Kenya who needs to undergo surgery to treat hydrocephalus. His father left following his birth, and his mother is working hard on her own to provide for herself and her two children through her job as a caterer for a high school. Francis was diagnosed at birth with a large frontal encephalocele, a neural tube defect, and was referred to BethanyKids, our medical partner's hospital. Upon arrival, the medical team assessed Francis and immediately scheduled him for plastic surgery to address the encephalocele. Francis recovered well following the surgery. However, follow-up scans revealed a buildup of fluid in his brain that was unable to drain naturally, leading to a diagnosis of hydrocephalus. He subsequently underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) insertion. Unfortunately, the shunt malfunctioned just a few days later. Francis is now scheduled for another VP shunt insertion, but his mother is unable to afford the surgery. She shared her disbelief and heartbreak that her son has had to go through these challenges at such an early age. Despite the hardships, the doctors have assured her that they will do everything possible to ensure the best outcome for Francis. Francis has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Francis has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Francis will experience severe physical and developmental delays. On January 7th, he will undergo surgery to drain the excess fluid from his brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Francis will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $719 to cover the cost of surgery to treat the hydrocephalus. Francis's mother said, "I am doing everything I can as a mother, but this surgery is beyond my means. My only prayer is that God touches a kind heart to help my child survive."

Yi is a 67-year-old woman from Bruma who lives in a monastery with 40 other monks, nuns, and villagers. Although she does not have an income, all of her basic needs are met by the monastery. Yi enjoys spending most of her time reading religious books. Over 15 years ago, Yi's vision in her right eye became blurred, but she did not seek treatment because she thought it was simply something that was destined to occur due to her aging process. However, she eventually sought medical care at a hospital with the support of donors because her vision progressively worsened. There, she was diagnosed with a cataract and was scheduled to undergo repair surgery. On the day she was supposed to receive treatment, her son unfortunately passed away, so she did not return to the hospital for the procedure. Over the next couple of years, Yi began to also experience blurred vision in her left eye. The vision in both of her eyes deteriorated to the point where she could no longer recognize people. Fortunately, she was able to undergo cataract surgery of her left eye two months ago with the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Now, she is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery on August 10th. During this procedure, surgeons will perform a lens replacement on her right eye. BCMF is requesting $769 to cover the total cost of Yi's procedure and care. Yi shares, "As long as I am alive, I want to see and I do not want to depend on others to help me. I felt so happy when I learned that donors will pay for the cost of my surgery. Thank you so much to all the donors.”

Jacentah is a farmer and a mother of eight; three are married and also do small-scale farming and the rest are still in school. Jacentah and her husband are both small-scale farmers, selling the farm products to earn a living and sustain their family. Jacenta needs treatment for her medical condition but their family cannot afford to fund it. Three years ago, Jacentah began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty in breathing and swallowing, heart palpitations, and a mass on her neck. Being a farmer, the condition has greatly affected her work performance as she feels tired easily when she starts working. She was diagnosed with euthyroid goitre. Before coming to Nyakibale Hospital, Jacentah visited a national referral hospital where a diagnosis was made but she could not afford the surgery. The condition was worsening so she chose to come to our medical partner's care center after she heard about a support program there for people in need of financial support. After a few tests were run, she was scheduled for surgery, which will prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Jacentah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 28th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Jacentah says, "I was hoping that one day, I would get treatment to enable me to continue supporting my family. If you help me, I will be so grateful."

Vicheka is the eldest of two children in her family and loves her younger sister who is three years old. Their family lives in Preah Vihear near the Thai border of Cambodia. Her father is a soldier and her mother is a potato farmer. At school, she is fond of math and Khmer literature and would like to be a teacher when she is older. She likes reading books, painting, playing with her little sister, and taking walks with her parents. When Vicheka was five, she was diagnosed with scoliosis of the spine—a sideways curvature of the spine that most often is diagnosed in adolescents. She has uneven shoulders, a bump in her lower back, difficulty standing up straight, and shortness of breath. It has become difficult for her to breathe, she tires easily, and she is having difficulty walking. This can be very difficult for young girls, they are often hidden at home because other children make fun of the way they look. A neighbor told her parents about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre, so they traveled over 10 hours for a diagnosis and surgery. Surgeons plan to put in expanding rods along her spine. The expanding rods will allow her to grow and keep her spine from curving further, which could cause her more health problems if left untreated. Their family needs $1,500 for the surgery, which will cover medications, implants, and post-operative care. Vicheka said, "I hope the doctors can fix my spine so I can play with my friends and my back will be straight. I want to continue in school but it is hard for me to keep up, and I miss school."

Heng is a 31-year-old nurse at a government hospital in Cambodia. His wife works as an accountant and together they have a young son who is five-years-old. When Heng himself was five-years-old, he had a severe ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in his ear. Due to the abnormal growth, he experiences ear discharge, pain, and hearing loss. It is difficult for him to hear and communicate with others Fortunately, Heng has now traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 28th, he will undergo a procedure to surgically remove the cholesteatoma in his right ear. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $925 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Heng is excited about the prospect of hearing again, "I hope the infection will go away so I can regain hearing and my ear drum will heal."

Nan is a 70-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. Nan has two sons, five daughters, and many grandchildren. He lives with his wife who is also a farmer and all of their children are now married. Nan shared that he likes to listen the news on the radio. One year ago, Nan developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Nan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours with his daughter seeking treatment. On December 15th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Nan said, "As I get older, I want my eyes to see well so I can look after my grandchildren and support them having a good future."

Tok is a 69-year-old farmer from Cambodia. She live is Kampongthom Province, farming by herself. She has three sons and six grandchildren, but they live in other areas. Her husband passed away six years ago due to malaria. Her farm requires a lot of work, but when she has free time she also volunteers to do tasks at the local pagoda. Six years ago, Tok developed a pterygium in both eyes, causing her blurred vision, tearing, and irritation. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Tok learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four hours by taxi seeking treatment. Tok needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for June 8th. Tok said, "I live alone, so I need to have my good eyesight so I can do everything. I hope my eye surgery is successful so I can work in the fields, do housework, and go outside on my own."

Tumuramye is a farmer from Uganda. She is a widow and a mother to one who had reached senior high school but then dropped from school due to lack of funds and is at home helping with farming now. Tumuramye lost her husband 12 years ago and has struggled to bring up her child alone. She earns a living from small-scale farming and often time works in other people’s garden in case she needs urgent money to provide to her child. For some time now, Tumuramye has been experiencing severe lower abdominal pain and discomfort, abnormal per vaginal discharge and bleeding. She has been diagnosed with cervical polyp. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Tumuramye's surgery. On July 14th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Tumuramye will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Tumuramye shared: “I know once my surgery goes on well, I will regain my health and resume with farming.”

Meet Diana: a 17-year-old bright, social, and jovial girl at our partner's clinic in Voi, Kenya. Diana is the second born in a family of three children. Their family hails from Sofia village in Taita Taveta county and her single mother is a small business lady. Diana was born healthy, however, when she was seven months old, her mother noticed her condition when she started crawling. She could not stand or walk, and her left part of the body was weak. It is then that Diana's mom learned that she has a condition known as Hemiplegic CP, causing paralysis of one side of the body. Diana's left hand is greatly affected and she cannot hold things or engage in household duties like washing clothes and dishes. Her desire is to have her hand straight and functional so that she can be independent and do her own things at home and in her future. Diana's mother is unable to raise the estimated cost of $1,224 and has requested for support for her daughter's surgery. “I would like to request for support so that my hand can function well and I can help my mother at home. If my hand functioned normally, I will be happy,” Diana told us.