Marian is a 37-year-old lady who lives far from the hospital but came accompanied by her cousin who lives in Nairobi, especially to help with any language barrier. She is married but they have no children. Marian's husband is a small-scale farmer. Her cousin and family members decided to bring her all the way, after she has been going to hospitals in her area without much improvement. Seven years ago, Marian began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty in swallowing, neck discomfort, headache, body weakness and swelling of the neck. She shared she has taken many medications with no improvement and could not continue taking more. Her family members who are in Nairobi decided to bring her at Nazareth Hospital where an ultrasound was done. She was diagnosed with enlarged thyroid gland. If not treated, Marian will continue to experience the symptoms, the thyroid gland will continue to grow and may lead to obstruction of her airway. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Marian receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 1 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $657, and she and her family need help raising money. Through her cousin's translation, Marian said, “I have experienced many challenges with this condition, and I am happy my cousin brought me here. I hope the sponsors will consider my case. I look forward to solving this problem so that my life can be normal again.”

Mue Soe is only 21-years-old, but she has had heart problems since she was a baby. When Mue Soe was born, her mother took her to a clinic in Burma but she could not afford the testing required for a full diagnosis. As Mue Soe grew up, she was always very tired and weak and her heart palpitations prevented her from playing with other children at school. When Mue Soe was 13, she made it to a clinic in Thailand where she was diagnosed with cardiac disease and told she needed surgery. Her family was nowhere near being able to afford the procedure. Since then, Mue Soe has been in and out of health clinics due to her chronic fatigue and weakness. She is especially worried about paying for her healthcare now, since her mother passed away and she takes care of her younger brother. For $2,000, we can help Mue Soe receive cardiac surgery. This operation will allow Mue Soe to overcome the fatigue and weakness she has endured for so many years and allow her to return to school and fulfill her dreams of becoming a nurse and caring for her brother.