Rechael is a 38-year-old widow and mother of three children, who works in a small grocery store. Her husband died in a traffic accident in 2018, and her life changed dramatically as a result. Her husband's family sent her away with the children, and since her mother had also died earlier, she shared with us that she had nowhere to go. Her aunt agreed to have Rachael and her children come live with her. Rechael was accompanied by her aunt and uncle when she came to Nazareth Hospital this week. She was very anxious, and when she started narrating her story she began to cry. She had become depressed, had experienced periodic upper abdominal pains, and occasional vomiting. She has been admitted at hospitals three times, and a scan showed that she had gallstones. Doctors advised that she have surgery to heal her condition. Unfortunately, she is unable to pay the $788 needed for this surgery. If not treated, Rechael will continue to experience these symptoms, and could develop complications such as pancreatitis, or obstruction of the gallbladder among others. “I am desperate and don’t know what to do. I can only depend on my family, and they are not in a position to help. I pray for help so that at least my life can be normal again for the sake of my children,” said Rechael.

Oun is a loving and caring grandmother with two sons, two daughters, and 10 beautiful grandchildren. She lives with her husband and their youngest daughter, who is a garment worker. Oun is a retired rice farmer. She now enjoys spending her time joining ceremonies at the pagoda and cooking for her grandchildren. Three years ago, Oun developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience blurry vision, light sensitivity, eye irritation, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Oun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled there hoping for treatment. On July 7th, 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. Oun says, "I hope my vision improves and I can get around easily by myself."

Agrey is a 10-day old baby boy and the first child of his young parents. Agrey's parents have been happy to welcome their firstborn. His mother takes care of their home and Agrey's father works as a truck driver at a local sand quarry. His income is not much, but helps them make ends meet. Agrey 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, Agrey 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 Agrey's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 14th. This procedure will hopefully spare Agrey from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Agrey’s mother says “The cost for my son’s surgery is too expensive for my husband to afford and our son needs this surgery, kindly help us.”

Nue Nue is a nine-year-old boy who lives in Kyaw Kay Koh Village, Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State, Burma. He lives with his parents and two younger brothers. He wants to be a soccer player when he grows up. Nue Nue is in kindergarten but stopped going to school in 2018 due to his health problems. When he was six years old, Nue Nue began to suffer from severe lower abdominal and back pain and frequent urination. In August, a medic performed an ultrasound and found a large stone in his bladder. Fortunately, Nue Nue is now scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the stone on February 12. His family needs help raising $1,500 to fund this procedure. Nue Nue's mother said “I wish for him to grow up healthy and get a job where he does not have to work as hard as me. I want him to get a good education and have a job helping people.”

Sombath is a vegetable farmer from Cambodia. She has one daughter and four grandchildren. She likes to listen to monks pray on the radio. Two years ago, Sombath developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, tearing, burning, irritation, and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Sombath learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On November 14, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification 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 $211 procedure. She says, "I hope my vision improves so I can return to work and go for walks again."

Karwemera is a 68-year-old married man from Uganda. He and his wife have 11 children and work as small-scale farmers in order to pay for school fees and family necessities. The recent drought has unfortunately affected crop yields and has placed financial strain upon Karwemera's family. For a long period of time, Karwemera has had an occasional swelling in his right inguinal region that was recently diagnosed as an inguinal hernia. Hernia repair surgery is needed in order to reduce Karwemera's pain and minimize the risk of an obstructed hernia developing. In the case of such a life-threatening hernia, the blood supply to Karwemera's intestines and surrounding tissues could be completely cut off. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to cover the cost of Karwemera's surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 27 and, once completed, will hopefully relieve Karwemera of his symptoms and of the danger of his condition worsening. “Thank you very much for helping me because I could not afford to pay for the surgery. I hope to continue farming after surgery," says Karwemera