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."

Lightness is a sweet, seven-month-old baby girl from Tanzania. She is the youngest of five children in her family. Her parents are small-scale farmers who depend on what they grow for the family's daily food. Her father also does casual laboring day jobs to help supplement their income. Lightness was born with a bend at her ankles and has been diagnosed with clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Her family needs financial assistance with her medical care and brought her to our medical partner's hospital. On July 5th, surgeons perform clubfoot repair surgery to help her walk easily as she grows. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $935 to fund this surgery. Lightness's mother said: "I was told through this program my baby's feet could be treated. Kindly help us if it is possible."

Kiberian is a 3-year-old boy from Kajiado County who needs surgery to help him walk well. He comes from a large pastoralist family with many siblings. His father is a farmer/herder, while his mother takes care of their family and home. Kiberian was born with a deformity in his legs that has greatly affected his mobility. His knees bend inward, while his ankles remain apart. He cannot walk long distances and often falls while walking. Kiberian's father took him to a satellite clinic for treatment and the doctors recommend procedures that will reposition the femur and tibia of each leg into alignment. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,224 to cover the cost of the surgery, scheduled for June 20th. This treatment will be impactful to Kiberian because he will be able to walk well, play with other children, and continue with his education. Kiberian’s father shared, “The joy of a father is to see his children growing well without any challenge or deformity and I would love to see my boy walking well.”

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.”

Juliet, who is 39 years old, is a small-scale farmer and mother of six living in Uganda. Her husband owns and runs a small bar. The family lives in a three-room mud house. Since 2014, Juliet has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including persistent headaches, airway obstruction, and a sense of heaviness in her shoulders. She uses painkillers for her headaches, but they continue to impact her ability to work as she has difficulty turning her head. She also struggles to breathe. Juliet was diagnosed with a non-toxic goiter, and she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Juliet receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 15th at Rushoroza Hospital, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and Juliet and her family need your help to raise the necessary funds. Juliet says: “I pray for a successful surgery. I want to look normal again and be able to live a comfortable and pain-free life once again. I will continue with farming after recovery.”

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."

Wayen is an 8-month-old baby from Haiti. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and two older siblings in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. His mother works as a market vendor. Wayen has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, which means that a hole exists between two major blood vessels near his heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving him weak and short of breath. The surgery he needs is not available in Haiti, so Wayen will travel to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On September 13th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will insert a catheter into the hole and expand a device to plug it, so that blood can no longer leak through it. Gift of Life International is contributing $3,000 towards the cost of the surgery, and Wayen's family needs help with the remaining $1,500 to cover the cost of labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. This money will also support passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner International Cardiac Alliance who will accompany Wayen's family overseas. Wayen's mother shared, "I will be praying for everyone who is helping my son to become healthy."

Liza is a 4-year old girl who loves playing with her brother and eating fried eggs with rice. Her dad is a fisherman, and mother cares for her and her 1-year old brother at home. When she was an infant, Liza had an ear infection which caused a cholesteatoma - abnormal skin growth - to develop in the middle ear behind her ear drum. This has caused Liza to experience difficulty hearing and subsequently a speech delay. Liza's family traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, to receive treatment. On March 6th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her both ears, during which ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This support will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care for Liza. Liza's parents are constantly worried about her, and they hope that this treatment will allow her to communicate and hear when she starts school next year.

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.”