Give the gift of healthcare

Jane is a 63-year-old farmer and single mother of two children who both completed secondary school, and both now work at a saloon and as a mechanic respectively. Jane is a small-scale farmer but depends on her two children to sustain her. For five months, Jane has experienced post-menopausal bleeding. She has been diagnosed with cancer of the uterus. If not treated, the cancer may spread to other parts of the body and may lead to death. She needs a total hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $755 to fund Jane's surgery. On September 6th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Jane will be able to resume her daily activities and live her life free of pain. “I am scared of what the doctor has told me and hope I can get help and be operated on soon. I am the only hope for my children and wish to remain there and be strong for them. I kindly seek your consideration,” said Jane looking very concerned.

Rose is a 55-year-old woman from Kiambu County, Kenya. She is married with three grown-up children. Rose and her husband make a living by doing whatever odd jobs they can find in their neighborhood. However, there are times when work is scarce, leaving them without enough to eat. For the past month, Rose has been experiencing severe heartburn, regurgitation, and epigastric pains that sometimes become unbearable. She sought help at several health centers, but unfortunately, the relief was elusive. Rose walked 8 kilometers to seek treatment at Nazareth's Comprehensive Care Clinic. At the Care Clinic, Rose and her husband reported her health issue to the nurses, who promptly referred her to a doctor. Following an abdominal scan, she was diagnosed with Cholelithiasis. Cholelithiasis, or gallstones, are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in your gallbladder. If left untreated, Rose's condition will continue to cause her suffering, and she may face complications like bile duct obstruction and pancreatitis. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Rose. AMH's doctors recommended Rose undergo a laparotomy treatment surgery to alleviate her pain. On August 3rd, AMH's doctors will perform a laparotomy on Rose. However, given their financial struggles, Rose and her family are in dire need of assistance to afford the necessary treatment. AMH is now asking for $788 to help fund this procedure. Rose says “I have no one to turn to. My husband is the only one struggling at least to get casual work so that we can put food on the table. I need your help to run my everyday life well and at least assist my husband in running our family."

Paw, who is 50 years old, lives with her husband, two daughters, and four sons in an internally displaced people (IDP) camp in Karen State in Burma. They have no source of income and rely on the food support they receive from donors every month. In her free time, Paw enjoys weaving traditional Karen shirts and foraging for vegetables in the forest. In 2021, Paw started to experience pain in her lower abdomen and back. At first, she thought the pain would go away on its own; instead, it only intensified. Last year, she felt a mass in her lower abdomen, but she could not afford to seek treatment at a hospital. After Paw and her family fled to the IDP camp in December 2022, she went to the clinic in the camp, where she could access free, basic health care. Paw was referred to Mae Sariang Hospital for evaluation. At the hospital, she had an ultrasound and was diagnosed with bilateral ovarian tumors. The doctor told her that she needs surgery to remove her uterus and both of her ovaries. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Paw's surgery, which is scheduled to take place on April 23rd at Mae Sariang Hospital. After she has recovered from this procedure, Paw will no longer experience pain in her abdomen and back. "When the doctor told me I need to have the tumors removed, I felt happy that I will be free from this pain. I also feel very happy that your organization [BCMF] will help me pay for my treatment cost. I hope that I will recover soon, and that I will be able to work again. I want to say thank you so much to all the donors for their help. May they be blessed more and be prosperous,” said Paw.

Keth is a 38-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. Her husband is also a rice farmer, and they have two sons: a twelve-year-old boy in 6th grade and a five-year-old boy who is not in school just yet. Keth's free time is spent keeping her house clean, cooking for her family, and helping her children with homework. Eight months ago, a mass appeared on the right side of Keth's neck. It did not bother her until it became very itchy. Keth could not afford to visit a hospital and saw a Khmer healer for assistance. The mass has continued to grow and has become infected, causing her to experience irritation, feel sick, and have difficulty farming or caring for her family. Keth traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 14th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Now, Keth needs help to raise $273 to fund this procedure. Keth contributed $80 to her care. Keth said: "I hope the doctors can remove this mass, and it will not be infected anymore."

Rose is a 62-year-old widow with two fully grown children. She lost her husband four years ago. Rose owns a small business where she sells sand and also performs garden maintenance for a small fee. Rose gets support from both children, who are married with children themselves now. She lives with her second-born child in a three-bedroom house without water and electricity. Rose likes doing house chores and enjoys eating nsima, a culinary tradition of Malawi, made from maize flour with vegetables. In 2014, Rose started experiencing pain when she swallowed. She visited the hospital near her home, where she was treated. The treatment worked for awhile until December of last year when her daughter noticed that Rose's neck was swollen on the right side. In March, Rose noticed that the swelling was getting larger and also causing consistent pain. Rose decided it was time to visit Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi where a scan revealed her mass had grown substantially and was stemming from the right thyroid lobe. Her doctor diagnosed her with a goiter and determined that surgery would be needed. Due to her financial challenges, Rose could not afford the surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Rose met with a surgeon who confirmed her diagnosis and the need for surgical intervention called a thyroidectomy, which removes part or all of the thyroid gland. Rose believes the surgery will help her to get better and prevent her symptoms from impacting her day to day life, and allow her to focus on how good her life is. She was able to contribute $10 toward her care and is grateful to all to help her raise the $1,015 needed. Rose said, “Thank you donors for supporting me, I want to live my normal life.”

Lightness is a sweet, seven-month-old baby girl from Tanzania. She is the youngest of five children in her family. Her parents are small-scale farmers who depend on what they grow for the family's daily food. Her father also does casual laboring day jobs to help supplement their income. Lightness was born with a bend at her ankles and has been diagnosed with clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Her family needs financial assistance with her medical care and brought her to our medical partner's hospital. On July 5th, surgeons perform clubfoot repair surgery to help her walk easily as she grows. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $935 to fund this surgery. Lightness's mother said: "I was told through this program my baby's feet could be treated. Kindly help us if it is possible."

Ky is a 62-year-old rice farmer from Kompong Thom province. She has six sons and five grandchildren. Currently, she lives with her third son, a construction worker. Since her vision problems developed, she has not gone to work in the rice fields. Instead, she helps care for her grandchildren and, in her free time, she likes to listen to monks chanting on the radio. One year ago, Ky developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her cloudy vision and sensitivity to light. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on her own. When Ky learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On March 27th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She said, "I hope my eyesight can improve so I can work and take care of my family."

Hadassah is a sweet 3-year-old from Central Kenya. She is the youngest in her family of three children and is absolutely adored by her family. Hadassah’s mother runs a business selling curtains and bedding materials at her local shopping center to provide for her family. Hadassah was born with congenital clubfoot, a condition in which both of her feet are turned inwards. This condition can cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Hadassah’s mother was first referred to a pediatric orthopedic doctor, who explained that Hadassah could undergo serial casting as a non-surgical way to treat this condition. Hadassah started weekly serial casting; however, the condition did not improve and instead recurred. Then, at a mobile clinic in their local area, Hadassah’s mother met our medical partner’s care team. After review by the doctor, our medical partner was able to schedule clubfoot repair surgery for Hadassah on September 27th. After undergoing surgery, Hadassah will be able to walk easily, play with friends, and enroll in school without any hindrances as she continues to grow. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,286 to fund Hadassah’s surgery. Hadassah’s mother said, “I am appealing for help from well-wishers to assist my daughter in undergoing surgery so that she can walk like other children and join school.”

Mach is a 52-year-old cleaner who lives in Kandal with her husband and two daughters. Her children are in their final years of high school. Her husband works in construction while Mach looks after the house and garden. She enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. In January 2022, Mach fell off her motorbike and broke her left elbow. She went to a nearby clinic where doctors fixated hardware to heal the fracture. Now, the fracture has healed, but the hardware is uncomfortable and limits her range of motion. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On June 2nd, Mach will undergo a hardware removal procedure that will improve the function of her arm and make her daily activities easier. Mach and her family need your help to raise $304 for this treatment. She shared, "I want to fix my arm so I can go home and be able to help my family more easily."

Thida is a friendly 2-year-old toddler. She has three older siblings, 17- and 14-year-old sisters and a 9-year-old brother. The children live with their rice farming parents in Prey Veng province. While her siblings attend school, she stays home with her mother. She enjoys fried chicken, and likes to watch cartoons on her mother's phone. In 2022 when Thida was learning to walk, she put her right hand in a fire, burning her fingers. She has developed a burn contracture scar on her wrist and fourth and fifth fingers. Children are often at increased risk for serious burn injuries because they have thinner skin than adults. Because of her scars, Thida is not able to use her two fingers or hold anything in her hand. When Thida's parents learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled 2 hours seeking treatment. On August 14th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve her grasp in that hand. Thida's parents are able to contribute towards the cost of the surgery and need help raising $495 to fully fund the procedure. Her mother said, "After surgery, I hope that Thida can hold things and her fingers will look normal."

Lay is a 29-year-old mother from Thailand. She lives with her husband, son, uncle, aunt and two cousins in a refugee camp. Originally from Karen State, Burma, they fled to the refugee camp in March 2023 due to airstrikes in their village. Lay is a homemaker; her husband, uncle and aunt are unemployed, while her son is in preschool. One of her cousins is a teacher, while the other one is a student. During her free time, Lay enjoys weaving Karen shirts and bags for her family, as well as occasionally to sell. She also enjoys raising chickens and pigs and foraging vegetables in the forest. Lay is currently expecting her second child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section (C-section) because she gave birth previously through a C-section. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is helping Lay undergo a C-section scheduled on August 11th. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Lay and BCMF are asking for your support to fund the surgery. Lay shared, "I want to stay in the refugee camp. If I have the opportunity to do so, I would love to be resettled in another country.”

Sea is a 61-year-old rice farmer from Kompong Cham province. She lives in a village near her best friend- her younger sister. In her free time, she is a volunteer cleaner at her local pagoda. About three years ago, Sea developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her photophobia, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on her own. When Sea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 20th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and place 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 after surgery I can do my work more easily and recognize people."