Yohane is a 36-year-old father of two from Malawi. He does casual work in town, while his wife takes care of their home and family. About 11 years ago, Yohane began experiencing on-and-off swelling in his inguinal region. At first, he ignored it, thinking it was nothing serious, but it did not go away. Yohane sought medical attention from a hospital, where he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. If left untreated, inguinal hernias can lead to complications, such as strangulation, which cuts off the blood flow to the intestine, and can be life-threatening. He was scheduled for surgery at the public hospital, but the surgery date kept being postponed. Recently, the pain got much more intense, accompanied by much discomfort. Yohane learnt about our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Center, and went there to seek treatment. He has been scheduled for surgery on July 1st, and is seeking to raise $575 for the procedure. Yohana hopes to resume work after recovery, so he can continue supporting his family, including his parents back in the village. He says: "I have been hearing about the surgical support program at PiH, but I didn't believe it. Today, I am grateful about this program that has saved Malawians like me. Kindly help me to regain my health, and to continue supporting my family after recovery."

Sha is a 56-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and two sons in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Sha and one of his sons are day laborers in a village near the camp. His wife and one of his daughters are homemakers, while his other daughter is a teacher in the camp. His other son is still a student in the camp. The family has a vegetable garden around their home, and they raise chickens and pigs to sell and for their own consumption. Their combined monthly income of 5,000 THB is often not enough to cover their daily needs. They currently have a loan of 3,000 THB, money borrowed due to Sha's illness. A few days ago, Sha began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain with the pain radiating to his back and a fever. He has been diagnosed with appendicitis, and now needs surgery to prevent his condition from worsening. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Sha receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo an appendectomy, a surgery to remove the appendix when it becomes infected, on May 14th at Mae Sariang Hospital. This procedure will cost $1500, and Sha and his family need your support. Sha says, “I never experienced pain like this before. When the pain is very severe, I can’t breathe easily. I would like for this pain to stop.”

Eab is a 76-year-old woman from Cambodia. She is a widow whose husband passed away during the Khmer Rouge era. She currently lives with her granddaughter, who works as a grocery seller. She has three children, all of whom are married and live in nearby villages. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks chanting prayers and visiting the pagoda when possible. Eab developed swelling, pain, and redness of the right knee one week after undergoing a right total knee replacement in July 2025. Due to an infected knee implant, she subsequently underwent surgical debridement in September 2025. Despite treatment, the infection has recurred, and she is currently experiencing a recurrent right knee prosthetic joint infection. To address the infection and prevent further complications, the surgical team plans to remove the infected implant, perform knee fusion, and apply an external fixation frame as part of her treatment. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On June 9th, Eab will undergo surgery that will help control the infection, relieve pain, and improve the stability of her leg. This is expected to improve her ability to move more comfortably and reduce ongoing complications. Eab's family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $500 more to fund her procedure and care. Eab said, “After the surgery, I hope I can walk more comfortably without pain. I would like to be able to go to the pagoda more easily, participate in religious activities, and be more independent in my daily life.”