Mary is a 53-year-old who has been a widow since 2010 raising her two kids with challenges. Her older son has autism and requires full time attention. Her last-born daughter recently graduated from college and does not have a source of income yet. Mary lives in her ancestral home. She has not been able to pay her monthly insurance medical premiums so does not have coverage and has been relying on her relatives to support her medical bills. Mary feels in pain and uncomfortable. She has been having stomach pains for the last six months. She went to a local government hospital in central Kenya and was treated for amoeba and stomach pains. She was relieved for a short while, but the pains recurred. Almost a month later the pain increased and was accompanied by vomiting. She opted to visit Kijabe Hospital, where she was reviewed and the pain was controlled. She was requested to do a colonoscopy and other tests to get a detailed diagnosis. Since she was feeling better after the review, she did not follow up on the plan due to financial constraints. However, six months later the symptoms recurred and she came back in January. Her tests and a biopsy revealed cancer in the colon that needs urgent attention as it is life threatening. Mary has now been scheduled for a right hemicolectomy procedure. One side of the infected colon (large intestine) will be removed to avoid metastasis. Sadly, she is financially constrained. Her friends at home have requested time, two months, to be able to find the required amount for the surgery. This is a long period considering the case is cancerous. She appeals for support so she can undergo treatment now. Our medical partner is requesting $1,074 to fund her surgery and help her fight the cancer. Mary says, “I have been in pain for over six months now. I thought it would be relieved, but the diagnosis is now shockingly cancer. I need this surgery to stop the disease.”

Chrissie is a 50-year-old single mother and primary school teacher. She enjoys spending time with her three adult children who live with her. Chrissie has been experiencing abdominal pain, back pain, and other worrying symptoms. After an ultrasound, she was found to have uterine fibroids or abnormal growths that develop in the uterus. Her condition has affected her daily activities and her work as a teacher. Chrissie needs to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy to address the pain, other symptoms, and future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, will perform the surgery at Partners in Hope (PIH) Medical Center on March 2nd. They are requesting $1,363 for the treatment. After the surgery, it is expected that Chrissie will no longer be in pain, enabling her to perform her daily functions and go back to teaching. Chrissie said, “I am very happy to be seen at PIH and hope that the surgery will help me get better.”

Yabsra is a 7-year-old student from Ethiopia. He is outgoing, intelligent, active, and excels in school and football. Yabsra is an only child and lives with his mother. She farms a small piece of land and sells tea to make ends meet but shared that her income is insufficient to meet her family’s expenses and medical bills. Yabsra was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction and the future risk of infertility. Due to financial constraints, his mother was unable to afford surgery for Yabsra before now, which caused her great sadness and distress. She continued to visit various hospitals and learned about our medical partner. Nervous about the journey, Yabsra and his mother were able to travel with three other patients to our medical partner’s hospital. Fortunately, our medical partner is able to help Yabsra receive treatment. On February 13th, he will undergo corrective surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Yabsra’s mom said, “I hope he will heal, become educated, and lead a good and quality life. When I ask him, ‘What do you want to be?’ the answer is a doctor. When I ask him why, he says: ‘I want to heal people who are sick.’ I wish to see that his dreams come true.”