Rose is a 55-year-old woman from Kiambu County, Kenya. She is married with three grown-up children. Rose and her husband make a living by doing whatever odd jobs they can find in their neighborhood. However, there are times when work is scarce, leaving them without enough to eat. For the past month, Rose has been experiencing severe heartburn, regurgitation, and epigastric pains that sometimes become unbearable. She sought help at several health centers, but unfortunately, the relief was elusive. Rose walked 8 kilometers to seek treatment at Nazareth's Comprehensive Care Clinic. At the Care Clinic, Rose and her husband reported her health issue to the nurses, who promptly referred her to a doctor. Following an abdominal scan, she was diagnosed with Cholelithiasis. Cholelithiasis, or gallstones, are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in your gallbladder. If left untreated, Rose's condition will continue to cause her suffering, and she may face complications like bile duct obstruction and pancreatitis. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Rose. AMH's doctors recommended Rose undergo a laparotomy treatment surgery to alleviate her pain. On August 3rd, AMH's doctors will perform a laparotomy on Rose. However, given their financial struggles, Rose and her family are in dire need of assistance to afford the necessary treatment. AMH is now asking for $788 to help fund this procedure. Rose says “I have no one to turn to. My husband is the only one struggling at least to get casual work so that we can put food on the table. I need your help to run my everyday life well and at least assist my husband in running our family."

Saing is a 47-year-old man who resides in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. He serves as a volunteer teacher, dedicating his time to educating the children in the camp. He owns a small garden where he cultivates vegetables for his own consumption and generously shares the surplus with others. During his free time, Saing spends time reading books. Saing has suffered from a right inguinal hernia for the past 5 years. Initially, he could push the swelling back into his abdomen, but since August 2023, this has become increasingly difficult. He has also experienced severe pain in his groin since then. Saing has been diagnosed with a right irreducible inguinal hernia. Saing's doctor has scheduled him to undergo a right herniotomy with mesh repair on September 4th to repair the hernia. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) will be helping Saing access treatment and he needs help raising $1,486 to fund the procedure. Saing said, “I would like to receive surgery to recover from my condition because I feel uncomfortable and I cannot do what I want to do. After the operation, I hope my condition improves and I can continue teaching.”

Lydia finished high school last year and has dreams of attending university, but she started experiencing some pain in her abdomen last December. She experienced the pain for one month before going to the hospital for an examination. After an abdomen CT scan, Lydia was diagnosed with Cystic liver disease. She was booked for surgery after the family raised enough money through fundraising. During the surgery, Lydia experienced complications when anesthesia was being administered and the surgery had to be cancelled. She was admitted to the ICU for a few days, recovered, and was discharged, but all the money her family raised was used to pay the hospital bill, and the family had to get a loan to clear the bill. While at home, Lydia recovered well, and during the last clinic review, she was finally ready for liver surgery. Their family has completely exhausted their funds and is appealing for any financial help to facilitate their daughter's treatment, hoping that after her complete healing, she can pursue her dreams. Lydia shared, “I really want to be helpful at home and maybe get a job to help my family but I can’t. This condition is very painful. I hope I will be treated soon enough and recover well.”