Yohane is a 36-year-old father of two from Malawi. He does casual work in town, while his wife takes care of their home and family. About 11 years ago, Yohane began experiencing on-and-off swelling in his inguinal region. At first, he ignored it, thinking it was nothing serious, but it did not go away. Yohane sought medical attention from a hospital, where he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. If left untreated, inguinal hernias can lead to complications, such as strangulation, which cuts off the blood flow to the intestine, and can be life-threatening. He was scheduled for surgery at the public hospital, but the surgery date kept being postponed. Recently, the pain got much more intense, accompanied by much discomfort. Yohane learnt about our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Center, and went there to seek treatment. He has been scheduled for surgery on July 1st, and is seeking to raise $575 for the procedure. Yohana hopes to resume work after recovery, so he can continue supporting his family, including his parents back in the village. He says: "I have been hearing about the surgical support program at PiH, but I didn't believe it. Today, I am grateful about this program that has saved Malawians like me. Kindly help me to regain my health, and to continue supporting my family after recovery."

Gregory is a 44-year-old husband and devoted father of five children from Malawi. As the family's sole breadwinner, he carries the immense responsibility of supporting his wife and children. His eldest child is currently a second-year university student, while his other children are in Form 4, Form 3, and Form 1, all relying on him for school fees, food, and daily necessities. The youngest is still an infant and depends entirely on his care and support. Gregory earns a living as a small-scale farmer, growing maize, Irish potatoes, vegetables, and rearing a few chickens. For many years, farming has been the foundation of his family's survival. Through hard work and determination, he has managed to provide food for his household and keep his children in school despite the many challenges of rural life. His health problems began when he noticed a small swelling in the upper part of his abdomen after carrying heavy metal objects. Initially, the swelling caused little concern, and he responded by avoiding heavy lifting. However, over time, the swelling became progressively larger and more painful, especially when performing strenuous farm work. Seeking medical attention, Gregory visited several healthcare facilities where he was diagnosed with an epigastric hernia, which is a bulge occurring in the upper abdomen, caused by tissue pushing through weak abdominal muscles. Although surgery was recommended, repeated delays and busy surgical schedules at the public hospital meant that he never received the operation he needed. As the years passed, the hernia continued to worsen, causing increasing pain and limiting his ability to work. While still waiting for treatment, Gregory developed another problem two years ago. A soft swelling appeared on his back and rapidly increased in size. Doctors later identified it as a lipoma, a slow-growing fatty tumor located between the skin and muscle layer. Unfortunately, the mass has continued to grow and has now become so large that it interferes with the movement of his arm, making farming activities increasingly difficult and painful. Today, Gregory lives with constant discomfort from both conditions. The painful abdominal hernia affects him whenever he bends, lifts, coughs, strains, or works in the fields. At the same time, the large lipoma limits his mobility and makes routine farming tasks exhausting. Determined to find help, Gregory came to PIH after hearing that patients could receive timely surgical treatment. He hoped that surgery would finally free him from years of pain and allow him to resume caring for his family without limitation. Gregory was evaluated by the surgical team at PIH who confirmed that he required two surgical procedures, which could be done in the same operation: an Epigastric Hernia Repair and a Major Mass Excision (Removal of the Large Lipoma). If left untreated, the hernia could place him at risk of complications such as incarceration or strangulation. The large lipoma would also impact his daily activities. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Gregory receive treatment. On August 19th, he will undergo the two procedures to relieve years of pain, restore his ability to earn a living, and give him the chance to continue supporting his family. Gregory is contributing to his care, but needs help to raise an additional $575 for his treatment. He says: "Your support will be highly appreciated, to restore my health and help me focus on my farm work."

Srey Nich is an 18-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives with her grandmother, a retired rice farmer, and her younger sister, who is in Grade 2. Her parents divorced five years ago, and her mother works as a factory worker to support the family. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music. She is currently studying in Grade 12 and hopes to continue her education. Srey Nich was born with distal arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that causes stiffness and deformities in the joints of her hands and feet. She previously underwent surgery on her left hand at our medical partner's care center, the Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), to improve its function. Although the surgery helped, the remaining hardware now causes occasional pain and needs to be removed. On August 6th, Srey Nich will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will help improve the stability and comfort as she uses her hand. It will allow her to use her hands more easily for studying and everyday activities. Her family can contribute $10, but needs help raising $368 more to fund her procedure and care. Srey Nich said, “I hope it will feel more comfortable after the hardware is removed so I can use my hand more easily for writing, studying, and all that I do everyday.”