ChhunHuor is a 40-year-old father of two. He is married, and he and his wife run a small grocery store in Kampong Cham province with their 16-year-old daughter. Their younger daughter studies in grade two. The grocery store keeps them busy in their village, but when he has free time, he likes to make desserts for his family. For many years, ChhunHuor had a recurring ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in his right ear to perforate. For this reason, ChhunHuor experiences frequent ear infections with foul-smelling discharge, headaches and poor hearing. It is difficult for him to communicate with others and work with the public because of his chronic ear discharge and hearing loss. A relative referred him to Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) to determine the problem and try to fix his hearing. ChhunHuor traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 4th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. ChhunHuor said, "I hope the doctors can fix my hearing and stop the pain, so I can help my wife in our store."

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.”

Sochhin is a 22-year-old farmer who lives with his grandparents, sister and brother in Banteay Meanchey province, where his family grows rice. Rice cultivation has been a tradition in Cambodia for thousands of years, and Sochhin's family has farmed the same land for generations. In his free time and before his injury, he liked playing football and volleyball with his friends. However in 2020, Sochhin was in a motorcycle collision, and fractured his left femur. He went to the local provincial hospital, where doctors performed an open reduction-internal fixation of hardware, to heal his fracture. Now the fracture has healed, and the presence of the hardware is causing Sochhin discomfort and pain, irritating the surrounding soft tissues and tendons. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On July 14th, Sochhin will undergo a hardware removal procedure at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, which will cost $304. Socchin needs your help to fund this procedure, which will greatly improve the quality of his life. Sochhin said: "After surgery, I hope I won't worry about my leg anymore and I can be strong again."

Christina is a 56-year-old mother of five children. She and her husband- both farmers- live in Malawi. In addition to farming, Christina also does some piecework to earn additional money. In 2015, Christina started to experience pains in her neck, where she also noted a small swelling. She didn't bother going to the hospital, as her discomfort was very mild. In 2020, however, she began to experience chest pains, neck heaviness, and a hoarse voice. She also found it difficult to carry heavy items on her head. She visited the hospital and was diagnosed with a goiter. She continued on, living with her various symptoms until March 2023, when she developed breathlessness. On April 17th, 2023, Christina met with the surgeon at Partners In Hope Medical Center, who told her that her condition requires surgical intervention. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,015 to cover the cost of the thyroidectomy that Christina needs. During this procedure- which is scheduled for May 19th at Partners in Hope Medical Center- surgeons will remove part or all of Christina's thyroid gland. Christina is hoping to get better after surgery, so she can continue supporting her family as a caring mother. Christina said: "Thank you sponsors, I have hope that I will be well after surgery."

Norah is a 70 year old small-scale farmer, and mother of five children. One of her two sons is a teacher, while the other is a casual laborer. Her three daughters are married. Currently, Norah and her husband - who suffered a stroke - live with one of their daughters. For the past twenty years, Norah has had troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling. It was never painful, but recently she started experiencing shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, pain when swallowing, and sweating at night. She was diagnosed with a cystic goiter, and surgery is necessary to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Norah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 4th at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland during this procedure, which will cost $252. Norah and her family need your help to raise this money. Norah says: “Surgery is the only hope I am left with to get better. Without your support, I won’t be able to attain it because I don’t have the money needed. I kindly ask you for support.”

Kanha is a 21-year-old woman from Cambodia who lives with her family. She has three brothers and two sisters who also still live at home with their parents. Because of an unknown birth condition, she does not speak, so she has never attended school. She occasionally helps out her family by harvesting fruit from local orchards to earn extra income. On March 4th, Kanha fell from a mango tree while collecting fruit and injured her back. She experiences severe pain in her neck and back and is unable to walk. Her family took her to a local provincial hospital, but they could not pay for her care. Instead, the doctors recommended that the family drive four hours to the capital city of Phnom Penh for treatment. She has been diagnosed with a fractured spin and requires surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Kanha receive treatment. On March 10th, doctors at CSC will perform a spinal laminectomy with metal implants to stabilize her spinal column. A laminectomy enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Now, Kanha and her family need help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. The cost includes hospitalization, surgery, implants, physical therapy, and medications. After recovery, Kanha's pain should improve significantly, and she should have full mobility after four to eight weeks. Kanha's mother shared, "we hope after surgery, my daughter will no longer be in pain and will be able to walk."

Joshua is a 21-year-old man who works as a motorbike taxi driver. His parents are small-scale farmers. Joshua is the second of seven children and has just finished form four in school. Joshua had a traffic accident last month and severely injured his leg. He was taken to the hospital where he had popliteal bypass surgery—a surgical procedure used to treat damaged leg arteries above or below the knee and used to salvage limbs that are at risk of amputation. Fasciotomy—the cutting of tissue on his leg—was also necessary. Following that procedure, Joshua had surgery for external fixation to align his leg bones because his doctor identified that he had a drop foot. Joshua has been in the hospital for over a month and is doing well, but he has open wounds where fasciotomy was performed. He now needs skin grafting to close his open wounds, replace lost skin and improve the appearance of the damaged skin. He is appealing for help so that he may quickly heal and be able to go home. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Joshua with his medical needs. Joshua needs your help funding this $1,089 procedure. Joshua says, "To this point, I thank God and everyone who took part in making all this happen. I am looking forward to getting well so that I may walk again and be able to carry out some work. Please help me.”

Wideline is a 27 year old woman from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her sister and her sister's family. She has not been working because of her illness, but would like to return to school to study business once she is able. Wideline has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. Wideline was born with two holes in her heart, one between the upper chambers and another between the lower chambers. Blood leaks through these holes without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. It is extremely rare for someone to live to Wideline's age with this untreated condition. Because the care that she needs is not available in Haiti, Wideline will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On March 1st, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use patches to close the holes so that blood can no longer leak through them. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $15,000 to help pay for surgery. Wideline's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Wideline overseas. Wideline shared: "I am so excited to finally be able to live a more normal life!"

Riyaq is an 18-month-old baby from Kenya. She is the last born in a family of four children. Her mother is a housewife while her father sells water to the community. Riyaq has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Riyaq has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Her family was referred to Bethany Kids where an examination was done and surgery recommended. Without treatment, Riyaq will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Riyaq that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 8th and will drain the excess fluid from Riyaq's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Riyaq will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Riyaq’s aunt says, “We have never seen such a condition. We did not know what to do and have given up but coming here has changed us, and we hope that all will be well in the end.”

Olosirian is a 13-month-old baby boy from Tanzania and the youngest child in a family of four children. His parents are from a small remote town. They breed and sell cattle to make a living, but unfortunately drought conditions have made their work difficult and they have lost most of their cattle. Olosirian has clubfoot of both feet, a condition in which his feet are twisted out of shape. In the future, this may cause him difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Olosirian receive treatment. On January 20th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery at AMH's care center. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Now, he and his family need help raising $935 to fund his procedure and care. Olosirian’s mother shared, "our lack of knowledge is what kept us from seeking treatment. I hope it is not too late."