Oscar is a 28-year-old married man from a village in Lilongwe District in Malawi. He has a young child who is not yet of school age, and relies on small-scale farming to support the family by growing maize, groundnuts, and keeping livestock. One year ago, Oscar noticed an itch in his throat and a slight hoarseness in his voice, initially thinking he was developing a cough. However, he later discovered a small painful swelling that has been gradually getting larger. He did not seek medical help as he had no funds to pay for treatment until his mother heard about a care program when she visited our medical partner care center, Nkhoma Hospital. Oscar was diagnosed with goiter, and was scheduled to undergo thyroidectomy surgery. The condition has negatively affected his life as the swelling is painful and sometimes, he experiences shortness of breath. Treatment will relieve him of these symptoms, improving the quality of his life. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is helping Oscar receive treatment at their care center. On March 7th surgeons will perform thyroid surgery so he can regain his health. Now, he needs help to fund this $491 procedure. Oscar says, “Thank you for this opportunity, I am looking forward to treatment and recovery.”

Noelanie is a playful preschooler from Haiti who loves music and dancing. She lives with her parents and two older siblings in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; Noelanie has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels near her heart; blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. The care Noelanie needs is not available within Haiti so she will travel to the United States to receive treatment. On February 9th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use a device attached to the end of a catheter to fill the hole. Another organization, Gift of Life New York, is contributing $4000 towards her surgery. Noelanie's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep, travel, and follow up medical care. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Noelanie's family overseas. Noelanie's mother says, "Our family has been praying for years that Noelanie's heart would be fixed one day, and we are so happy to know it is happening."

Caleb is the youngest of three children. His father is a farmer and a boda-boda rider who is working hard to provide for the entire family. Caleb's mother stays at home to take care of the children. Sometimes, she does the laundry of their neighbors in the village so she can help support her family. On April 9th, Caleb fell from a stool while playing with his siblings. He sustained an injury to his right arm. A nearby health facility gave Caleb medication for the pain and was referred to our medical partner's treatment center for further management. Caleb's x-ray showed a fracture in his upper right arm and needs surgery to facilitate its healing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, will perform a closed reduction percutaneous pinning on Caleb's arm on April 12th and is requesting $679 for the procedure. Caleb’s father says, “My youngest son is currently suffering and is in pain. Please help my son as he has always been the joy of our family. School will start soon and we hope that he will have fully recovered so he can continue with his studies.”