Mary is a 58-year-old mother of six from Kenya. She spent years working hard to support herself by selling clothes in the market. Although her children are now grown and caring for families of their own, Mary continues to navigate many challenges. Mary first noticed a painful boil in her vulva area in October 2025. After seeking treatment at a nearby hospital, she found no relief. Instead, her condition worsened. By time Mary arrived at our facility in February 2026, tests revealed she had vulva cancer. The swelling made it difficult for her to carry out daily activities. More than anything, Mary longed for healing, relief from the pain, and the chance to regain her strength and dignity. Thanks to your support, Mary successfully underwent mass excision surgery to remove the infected and cancerous tissue. Since then, she has been healing well, with the pain and burning sensation greatly improved. She now requires skin graft surgery to properly cover and protect the affected area. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Mary receive treatment. On May 18th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to continue her journey toward recovery. Now, Mary needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Mary says, “I was so afraid the disease would keep spreading. Now I have hope again, and I pray this next surgery will help me heal completely and regain my strength.”

Srey is a 56-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. She is married and lives in Kampot Province with her husband, who also works as a construction worker. They have four children, three of whom are already married. In her free time, she enjoys growing vegetables around her home. On May 29, 2026, Srey was involved in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture of her right ankle. She initially received traditional Khmer medicine for approximately three months. However, her condition did not improve, and follow-up X-rays at a private clinic confirmed that the fracture had not healed properly. Her right ankle is deformed and painful, and she experiences numbness over the top of her foot. She currently relies on a walking frame to move around, making it difficult for her to walk normally, perform daily activities, and continue working as a construction worker. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On August 10th, Srey will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will help improve the alignment and stability of her right ankle. Hopefully, it will reduce her pain and numbness, improve her ability to walk, and allow her to return to her daily activities and work more comfortably. She can contribute $50, but needs help raising $550 more for her procedure and care. Srey said, “I hope the treatment will help my ankle heal properly, reduce my pain, and allow me to walk more comfortably again. I want to return to my work and daily activities so I can continue supporting my family.”

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."