Jane is a 46-year-old mother of seven children. Her husband is a farmer growing potatoes, peas, and carrots. Jane also runs a small home shop selling milk collected from her neighborhood. Jane came to our medical partner's care center with a chronic wound on her ankle joint and foot. The wound has persisted for over three years and has worsened over the past four months. The wound initially appeared spontaneously, developed blisters, and began discharging clear fluid. Despite seeking treatment at various hospitals, including antibiotics and wound care, there was no improvement. Three weeks ago, the swelling and pain intensified, leading her to try herbal remedies without success. Jane was diagnosed with left lower limb cellulitis and possible lymphedema. Immediate treatment included limb elevation, incision, and drainage, successfully performed with no complications. A large infected site around the ankle remains and she was started on IV antibiotics and fluids and placed on a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) to aid drainage and maintain wound cleanliness. Plans were made to remove the VAC and, if the wound is clean, to proceed with a split-thickness skin graft to promote faster healing. Jane is scheduled for skin graft surgery on August 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,183 to fund surgery, medications, supplies, and medical care. Jane says, “I have had this wound for a long, have had a lot of stigmas since I have a longstanding chronic wound, and haven’t been productive in provision for my family since I can’t perform my day-to-day activities. Please help me get this surgery so that my leg will be saved. Looking forward to getting better so that I can be able to continue with business since my children are dependent on me.”

Jimmy is a five-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the youngest in a family of five. Jimmy lives with his grandmother because his mother passed away 4 years ago after a long illness. His grandmother is a farmer, and although she works hard on the farm, they sometimes rely on the kindness of well-wishers for food. Jimmy was born with a clubfoot on his left foot, where his foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Unfortunately, he has never been taken to the hospital for treatment. He walks with discomfort and often feels pain. He cannot play football well, which he loves, and walking long distances is difficult. Through friends, Jimmy and his grandmother heard about our medical partner's care center, Cure Hospital, where children with clubfoot can get help. Jimmy has been undergoing serial casting to prepare him for clubfoot surgery. On September 24th, Jimmy will undergo clubfoot repair surgery, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund this procedure. After he recovers from this treatment, he will be able to walk, run, and enjoy his childhood like other children. Jimmy's grandmother, Francisca, shared, “My prayer is for him to receive the required treatment and be able to walk to school like other children."

Esther is a 61-year-old widow from Malawi. She has three children. Esther runs a small business selling popcorn. Esther Likes praying and enjoys eating rice served with local chicken. In 2019, Esther began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling that was hard to the touch. She went to a nearby hospital where she was diagnosed with a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. As time passed, the goiter became bigger, causing breathlessness, frequent choking, especially at night when sleeping, neck pains and heaviness, and the inability to walk long distances and carry items on her head. Esther's symptoms have impacted her daily activities and she no longer has the energy to do her business. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Esther receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 4th, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015 and she and her family need help raising money. Esther said, “I want to be healthy and I hope I will get better. I am patiently waiting for the day I receive surgery.”