Doreen is the firstborn in a family of three children, raise by a single mother. She now earns a living through tailoring, which she learned from a friend. One year ago, Doreen began to experience symptoms, including a small painless swelling on her neck, which has grown over time. Currently, she experiences airway obstruction especially while sleeping and when she walks too fast. She can no longer carry a heavy load on her head because of neck pains. In June 2023, Doreen attended a medical camp in Kabale municipal. There, she was diagnosed with a multinodular goiter, or an enlarged thyroid, and was referred to our medical partner's care center Rushoroza Hospital for surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Doreen receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 25th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Doreen says, “I want to look and feel normal again through surgery. I pray for a successful surgery. I will continue with tailoring after complete recovery.”

Jacinta is a 45-year-old woman who works as a small-scale farmer and her husband is a private primary school teacher. They have been married for 26 years and together have five children. Their oldest child is 25 years old and has completed university, and their youngest is 11 years old and in primary school. They shared that they have struggled but managed to raise school fees for their children through farming. They own a four-room old mud house where the main source of energy is firewood. Three years ago, Jacinta began experiencing troubling symptoms, including a small painless swelling on her neck. The swelling has grown and has become painful. She visited Kabale Referral Hospital and surgery was recommended but she missed a couple of appointments, got discouraged, and gave up. A friend recently referred her to Rushoroza Hospital for help. Jacinta has been diagnosed with a nodular goiter, an enlarged thyroid gland with cells that have grown into a lump. In addition to the mild pain, Jacinta also experiences periodic airway obstruction which is very concerning for her and her family. Jacinta is worried about the future if she is not treated and has been told she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Jacinta to receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 25th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Jacinta says, “I pray for a successful surgery so that I may look and feel my normal self again. I will continue with my farming once I am recovered.”

Pov is a 60-year-old loving grandmother who lives in Kampong Cham province with her husband. She has 2 daughters, 3 sons, and 7 grandchildren. Pov and her husband are rice farmers, but she has stopped working due to deteriorating vision. About 6 months ago, Pov developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, which is worrying for her. When Pov learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for 3 hours seeking treatment. On September 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Pov is able to contribute towards the cost of the surgery but needs help raising $253. She shared, "I hope I can have surgery so I can see around my house, and my family won't worry about me anymore. I also want to help my husband at work and be able to support my family."

Ren is married and has three sons, two daughters, and nine grandchildren. She and her husband are retired from farming rice and live with their youngest daughter, who works in a garment factory near their home in Kandal. After retiring from long days outside in the rice paddies, Ren enjoys visiting the local pagoda every day. Two years ago, Ren developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her to have failing vision, and difficulty seeing in bright or low lights. She can no longer walk to her local pagoda for prayers and feels lonely at home. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Ren learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On January 2nd, doctors will perform small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Ren said: "I hope after surgery I can see better. I can go to the pagoda and help my daughter do housework and cook so much more."

Mach is a widow with one daughter, and three sons, and is a loving grandmother to 13 grandchildren. Sadly, her husband passed away due to tetanus several years ago. She lives with her youngest son, a construction worker, in Phnom Penh province. For the last several decades, she earned a small living as a morning glory (water spinach) seller in the market. In her free time, she likes listening to Buddhist prayers on the radio. Two years ago, Mach developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She finds it difficult to take walks outside, so often stays alone in the house. When Mach learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 1, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She shared: "I hope I will see better so I can go shopping and go to the pagoda by myself. I don’t want my family to worry about me falling or my eyes getting worse."

Hannah is a quiet small-scale businesswoman from Kenya. She is the third born in a family of ten. Hannah has one daughter. Her medical condition has impacted her social life, causing her to separate from her spouse and bear the weight of her problems alone, only feeling comfortable sharing her experiences with a close family member. She sells vegetables at a nearby market to sustain her and her daughter’s needs. Hannah loves her job and does all she can to ensure her daughter’s education and comfort are cared for! For six years, Hannah has been experiencing irregular menstrual cycles, severe lower abdominal pain, and other worrisome symptoms. She has had several miscarriages and was treated for anemia. Over the years, Hannah has been to many hospitals and undergone scans showing fibroids increasing over time. When she visited our medical partner’s care enter, she was already losing blood and was advised to undergo surgery. Hannah’s condition was diagnosed as multiple fibroids with anemia. In order to finally heal, she needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $755 to fund Hannah’s surgery. On August 16th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at AMH’s care center. Once recovered, Hannah can resume her daily activities free of pain. Hannah shared: “This bleeding is getting out of control, and I feel it may even make me die. I seek help so that through God’s mercy, I will be operated to remove this problem and get back to my normal life. I have to be strong for the sake of my daughter.”

Donozio is a 59-year-old married father of four children. His elder daughter is a teacher, and his two sons and younger daughter are still studying. Donozio completed high school but could not proceed further with education due to a lack of school fees. His passion for education drives him to make sure he educates all his children so that they may get where he never reached. He farms with his wife, but they mostly grow just enough to sustain their family due to limited land. He lives in a three-roomed muddy semi-permanent house with his wife, children, and two orphans, children of his late brother. For the last two years ago, Donozio has had a giant incisional hernia. An incisional hernia is a type of hernia that occurs at or near the site of a previous surgical incision and is characterized by the protrusion of intestine, organ, or other tissue through the weakened abdominal muscle. A giant incisional hernia extends below the midpoint of the inner thigh in the standing position. Donozio was operated on in March 2020. A few months later, he noticed a swelling around the excision site; this has now developed into a giant incisional hernia. Donozio has to limit his eating because he always feels pain after eating-- abdominal pain and constipation. Fortunately, on September 5th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Donozio's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Donozio says, “I hope that when I am given your support, I will have my surgery done and get well again.”

Beatrice is a 31-year-old woman, who lives with her husband and three young children in Kenya. She is a homemaker, while her husband works at a flower farm near their home. Three years ago, Beatrice began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling. She was diagnosed with a non-toxic, multinodular goiter, which was surgically removed about a month ago. After the mass was biopsied, however, it was determined that Beatrice has papillary thyroid carcinoma, a thyroid cancer commonly caused by genetic factors. She was informed that she would need a total thyroidectomy, to prevent further damage and other disease complications. Unfortunately, the medical insurance provided by her husband's job, won't pay for a second operation in the same year. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Beatrice to access the care that she needs. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on July 27th, at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. Surgeons will remove all of her thyroid gland, in a procedure that will cost $936. Beatrice and her family need your help to raise this money. Beatrice says: "I am so broken right now. I feel sorry for myself and my children, as they really need me. I believe I will get well to continue being there for my family.”

Rosita is a 71-year-old food vendor from Philippines and lives with her daughters and sister. Despite her diligent efforts to provide income, it is difficult to earn enough for their daily needs and expenses. Things are more difficulty now because her daughter is taking medication due to a recent accident. Four years ago, Rosita began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain and excruciating stomach discomfort. Oftentimes, her pain prevented her from working. Rosita has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms would be expected to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Rosita is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on September 8th. 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 Rosita's surgery and care. Rosita said, "This support for surgery will provide massive assistance to me because it will allow me to get better and save money that we can use to pay for my daughter's medicines so I am very grateful to all the people who made this possible for me."

Lydia finished high school last year and has dreams of attending university, but she started experiencing some pain in her abdomen last December. She experienced the pain for one month before going to the hospital for an examination. After an abdomen CT scan, Lydia was diagnosed with Cystic liver disease. She was booked for surgery after the family raised enough money through fundraising. During the surgery, Lydia experienced complications when anesthesia was being administered and the surgery had to be cancelled. She was admitted to the ICU for a few days, recovered, and was discharged, but all the money her family raised was used to pay the hospital bill, and the family had to get a loan to clear the bill. While at home, Lydia recovered well, and during the last clinic review, she was finally ready for liver surgery. Their family has completely exhausted their funds and is appealing for any financial help to facilitate their daughter's treatment, hoping that after her complete healing, she can pursue her dreams. Lydia shared, “I really want to be helpful at home and maybe get a job to help my family but I can’t. This condition is very painful. I hope I will be treated soon enough and recover well.”

Maria Gorrety is a 56-year-old single mother from Ongata Rongai near Nairobi. Maria does works washing clothes for her neighbors, work that is just enough to sustain her. Her daughter recently secured a job with a company in Nairobi as is happy to be able to get work when it is available. Their income is only sufficient to maintain them for basic needs. While working, Maria slipped while stepping on a stool to clean, and she fell and broke her leg. An x-ray showed she had a closed fracture tibia on her left leg. Her family has been unable to raise the money for treatment and needs help. She is experiencing pain and cannot use her leg. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner could help. On October 12, Maria will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Maria will no longer be in pain; she will heal and be able to use her leg and work. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. “I am used to doing my own things and caring for myself and my daughter. I am worried about my leg and kindly request help so that my leg can heal soon and I can get back on my feet,” said Maria.