Sarah is a Ugandan retailer and mother of five. She has a bachelor’s degree in procurement and logistics but could not find a suitable job after graduating. She runs her family’s retail shop to provide for her family. Her husband works with Kabale municipal council in Uganda as a private auditor. Their firstborn is 13 years old and in secondary school class one, while the lastborn is 3 months old. Thirteen years ago, Sarah began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling that has increased in size progressively over time. She found out about it during her first pregnancy, when a friend noticed her neck was swollen. Initially, she attributed the swelling to the pregnancy and believed it would subside after giving birth. However, that was not the case. Eventually, she decided to visit a hospital where surgery was recommended to address the issue. Frightened by the prospect of undergoing surgery, she decided not to proceed with the operation. Over time, the swelling continued to grow in size, reaching a point where she became anxious about attending public gatherings and chose to stay home instead. Four years ago, she underwent a cancer test, which yielded negative results. Although she doesn't experience any complications, such as airway blockage, the swelling has become so prominent that it makes her feel extremely self-conscious in public. She was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Sarah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 13th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Sarah says, “I hope and believe that I can look normal again through surgery. I pray that I may be able to live a normal life once again. I will continue to run my family’s retail shop after complete recovery.”

Ally is a 4-month-old baby from a remote area of northern Tanzania. He has three siblings, and his parents practice small-scale farming. They grow agriculture crops for the family's consumption and sell the surplus harvest to cover some of their expenses. However, climate change has severely affected their livelihood; in the past three years, their harvest has been inadequate to meet the family's food needs. Ally was born with clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. On February 24th, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), will perform clubfoot repair surgery that will allow Ally to be able to walk as he grows. AMH, is requesting $935 to fund this procedure. Ally's mother says: “I hope that my son lives free from this condition. I hope this treatment will make it possible.”

Chanseth is a 23-year-old factory worker who lives with his parents and four siblings in Kampong Speu province in Cambodia. His older brother works with his parents on a rice farm; Chanseth and two of his sisters work in a local factory, and their 10-year-old sister is in grade three at the local public school. When he is not working in the factory, Chanseth helps his brother and parents on the rice farm. In August 2022, Chanseth was injured in a motorcycle accident, fracturing his left humerus (upper arm bone), and sustaining multiple superficial wounds on his arm. Originally, his arm was just splinted. Two months later, Chanseth went to a local government hospital to see if they could help with the repair of the fracture. It has now been eight months, and Chanseth's arm is still non-functional. He cannot raise his shoulder or use his arm. Chanseth was diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. Because of the damage to his tendons and nerves, Chanseth is unable to work. He will require a nerve and tendon transfer to improve his shoulder function to regain the use of his hand. Chanseth sought help at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On March 28th, he will undergo brachial plexus repair surgery at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, the only facility in the country where this treatment is available. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Chanseth said: "After surgery, I hope that they can fix my fracture and I can use my hand to go back to work."