Sarin is a 63-year-old woman with a large, loving family: three daughters, four sons, and many grandchildren. Sarin lives with her youngest son, who goes to school and works part-time to help support the family. She is a potato seller at the local market but has been unable to do her work due to her declining vision, as she can no longer recognize faces and count money. In her free time, Sarin likes to listen to the news and the monks praying on the radio. Two years ago, Sarin developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her cloudy vision. Additionally, she cannot see well in low light or go outside in bright sunlight. As a result, she has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking. When Sarin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On March 7th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $229 to help fund this procedure. Sarin shared, "After surgery, I hope my eye can see well again. I want to go outside on my own and return to the market to sell food to support my son."

Joseph is a 17-year-old student who likes music and playing table tennis. He's the youngest of four children in his family. Joseph's father passed away when Joseph was only two years old and his mother currently works with physically impaired children at a local Catholic institution. Joseph was born with bilateral club feet, a condition that causes him discomfort and pain when he walks. Joseph previously underwent corrective surgery on his left foot at our medical partner's care center, Cure International Hospital. Joseph is now in need of corrective surgery on his right foot. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare is helping Joseph's family raise the $1,224 needed to cover this corrective surgery so that can walk pain free and do all the things he wants to enjoy like playing football with his friends. Our medical partners shared that this surgery will be very impactful for Joseph allowing him to walk more easily and continue with his education. Joseph says, "I'd like to have my foot corrected so that I can keep going to school without difficulties."

William is a cheerful, fun-loving boy. He's a hardworking student in class four at school and enjoys reading and playing football. He is the fourth-born child in his family, and they live together in a two-room mud house in their village. William's parents work as farmers. William was born with clubfoot of his left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. As a result, he has difficulty playing football (his favorite sport!), walking, wearing shoes, and it has impacted him going to school. Fortunately, William traveled to the care center of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). On January 10th, surgeons at AMH will perform clubfoot repair surgery. After treatment, William will be able to walk easily, wear shoes, and play without any difficulty. AMH is requesting $1,286 to fund William's surgery. William shared, "I would be very happy to go to the field and play football without any problem and as well as continue with my studies."

Somaly is a 27-year-old woman who is married and lives in Banteay Mean Chey Province in Cambodia. Her husband is a construction worker, and they have two active sons. The first is 10 years old and in grade 5, and their second is 2 years old. When she is not cooking or cleaning for the family, she likes to watch TV and listen to the radio. When Somaly was 14, she noticed a small tumor on her face that has now grown. She has had surgery twice, and was scheduled for a mandible resection, but did not have the money. It has continued to grow and she now has an abscess that is causing more symptoms. In March 2021 she went to a government hospital and fortunately, they referred her to our Medical Partner Children's Surgical Centre. Doctors diagnosed her with ameloblastoma of the mandible and left maxilla. She feels very poorly most of the time. She experiences pain, has discharge from her mouth, and cannot eat. When Somaly learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for ten hours seeking treatment. On November 30th, surgeons at CSC will perform a mandibulectomy and maxillectomy to to allow her face to return to finally heal, and have no more pain or embarrassment. Now, she needs help to fund this $657 procedure. Somaly shared, "I hope the tumor will be removed, and I won't have to hide from people and be ashamed of how I look."

Greyson is a 2-week-old baby boy. Greyson’s mother is a stay-at-home mother, and his father is a salesman employed in a small motorcycle spare shop. Greyson was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Greyson is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,015 to cover the cost of Greyson's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 29th. This procedure will hopefully spare Greyson from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Greyson’s mother says, “Please help us save our child’s life. I have never seen a child with spina bifida before and I am scared for my son. Please help us.”

Kyomukama is 50-year-old small scale farmer and a mother to three sons, all whom are still studying in school. She proudly shared that one is at the university in his third year, another one in his first year, and the last one has just completed senior four in school. All of their schooling has been supported by their uncle, who adopted them, as Kyomukama's husband passed away in 2004. Kyomukama first felt pain on her lower abdomen a while ago, but was not overly concerned at the time. She went to a clinic and was given some supportive treatment, which did not completely relieve her of her condition. As her condition got worse, Kyomukama began experiencing other troubling symptoms including pain and discomfort. Due to excessive bleeding, she often felt fatigued or experiences brain fog temporarily. Upon visiting our medical partner's care center, Kyomukama was diagnosed with a uterine myoma, also known as a non-cancerous tumor. 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 Kyomukama's surgery. On May 25th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Kyomukama will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Kyomukama shared, “I hope that once I have undergone operation, my health problem will be solved and I will be able to get back to my activities like my farming with ease.”

Nasasira is a 3-year-old and his parents brought him to Nyakibale Hospital seeking treatment for a concerning inguinal swelling that has caused him pain for the past 6 months. His parents are farmers who grow food for their family to eat and sell the rest to make ends meet. On May 11th, surgeons will remove his mass, which will free Nasasira of his pain and discomfort so he can grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Nasasira's mother shared, “I only hope it will be possible for my son to continue to grow properly after the healing process."

Chanthou is a 65-year-old saleswoman with two daughters, three sons, and two grandchildren. Chanthou lives with her husband who is a laborer in the city. She sells groceries at home and also takes care of her grandchildren. In her free time she enjoys listening to the monks preach on the radio. Five years ago, Chanthou developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her to experience itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. 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. As a result, Chanthou has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Chanthou learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for one hour with her husband seeking treatment. Chanthou 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 and will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 9th. Chanthou shared with us, "I hope after surgery my eye can get better so I can continue my work selling groceries and easily get to the pagoda by myself."

Biruk is a young boy from Ethiopia who loves to eat spaghetti and macaroni. He also enjoys doing arts and crafts, and loves to play hide and seek with his friends in his neighborhood. Biruk is the second child in his family, and he has one older sister. His dad is a teacher in primary school and his mom is a housewife. Biruk lives together with his parents and sister in a rented house. Biruk was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment and surgery, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility as he grows older. Fortunately, Biruk is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 16th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,231 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Biruk shared with us, “I want to heal well and go to school and become a pilot.”

Kayiok is a 33-year-old father from Kenya. He has four kids aged between 7 and 11 years of age. He is the sole breadwinner for his family, selling cattle in the markets around Narok to make an income. For the last three years, Kayiok has struggled with stomach pains and prolonged upsets that give him sleepless nights. It started off as a small pain in his stomach area that gradually worsened. He visited several facilities in his home area, which treated him for gastritis. The treatments were only occasionally effective at reducing the pain. In the last three months, Kayiok's condition has significantly worsened. He started having more pain in the right upper and lower quadrant of his epigastric region, with associated heartburn. The pains worsen when he is hungry, with slight relief after eating. He mainly eats porridge and milk, because his heartburn is worse with solid foods. When he came to the hospital on February 12th, doctors conducted several tests and diagnosed him with a duodenal ulcer. He needs to undergo an urgent laparotomy and gastrojejunostomy surgery to ease his stomach pains and distress. Unfortunately, Kayiok cannot afford the cost of his care. He does not have medical insurance coverage and has been paying for his medical bills with cash. Several trips to different health facilities for the last three months have depleted his small savings. He currently relies on well-wishers to buy medication. Kayiok is unable to afford the surgery and is requesting financial help. Kayiok will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo a curative laparotomy on April 23rd. African Mission Healthcare is requesting $616 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Once recovered, he will be free of pain and will be able to eat normally and go about his daily life activities as he used to. Kayiok shared, “I have been struggling with this stomach problem for years now. I have even lost a lot of weight and my condition is worsening. I need this surgery to get well.”

Su is a 16-year-old girl from Burma. She has three siblings. Su’s mother is a home maker, and her older brother works as a day labourer. Su and her youngest sister are students and this year Su is in grade seven. Her family's combined monthly income is around 200,000 kyat (approx. 200 USD) per month, which is just enough for their daily expenses, but not enough to pay for basic healthcare. When she has free time, Su loves to play football with her friends at school and she likes to be the goalkeeper. She also loves to read books and watch movies. Su plans to continue her studies as soon as she finishes her treatment. Su was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, Su still feels tired, but not as much as before she started taking her medication. When she feels more tired, her breath quickens. Su has stopped attending school since she got sick. Although she wants to go back to school, her mother worries for her as her school is a little far and she normally walks there. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Su. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 12nd and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Su's mother shared, “Su really wants to go to school but I worry that the long walking distance from our house to her school will make her tired and worsen her condition. So, I asked her to stay home for a while until she can get treated.”

Victor is a student and the oldest of six in his family who live together in a grass thatched house. His parents are farmers in the village, and they grow maize and beans for their family’s upkeep. Victor was born with a complete absence of fingers on his left hand, which has forced him to learn how to do all tasks with his right hand including cooking and laundry. On March 11th, 2021, eighteen-year-old Victor was injured in a motorcycle road traffic accident. He was a passenger when the motorcycle slid on mud and fell. He sustained an injury on his lower leg, and his leg was placed in a cast shortly after the accident. A few weeks later, his condition worsened and his wounds started having signs of infection. His parents brought him to the hospital, where doctors conducted an X-ray which revealed a left tibia-fibula fracture. Victor is in pain and unable to walk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 25th, Victor will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After healing, Victor will be able to walk again and engage in his normal activities. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,014 to fund this procedure and his family has been able to contribute $100. Victor is a diligent student, and he scheduled his surgery to begin after he sits for his final exams. He says, “I would have wished to undergo the surgery as soon as possible but I am sitting for my exams this coming week. My prayer is that I won’t be in so much pain so that I can sit for my exams comfortably.” Victor’s mother is appealing to anyone reading his son's story to help her raise money for a successful surgery.