Salorn is 44 years old and a mother of two from Cambodia. Her husband is a construction worker. Their oldest child is married, and the youngest is in Grade 5. In her free time, she enjoys watching the news on her phone and doing household chores. In 2018, Salorn developed right calcaneum osteomyelitis, a condition where bacteria penetrate the bone tissue and bone marrow, often involving the surrounding soft tissues. She experiences constant pain, discharge, and difficulty walking, requiring a crutch to maintain balance. Her condition has limited her mobility and ability to work. She visited a hospital in Vietnam, where doctors recommended surgery, but she could not afford the cost. Salorn was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where she underwent several surgeries in 2020. For a time, she was able to walk and move more comfortably again. However, a year ago, the pain returned, and her condition worsened. Again, Salorn traveled to CSC for four hours seeking treatment. On March 18th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to relieve pain, remove infected tissue, and restore her ability to walk and return to work. Now, Salorn needs help to fund this $412 procedure. Salorn said, “After the surgery, I truly hope that I can finally walk without pain again, regain my strength, and return to work so I can better support my family and give my youngest child a brighter future.”

Simon is a 69-year-old jovial man from Western Kenya, but currently living in the central region of Kenya. Simon and his wife are separated, and he takes care of their only child, a daughter who is now 17 years old and recently completed secondary school. Simon earns a small income through casual work such as cleaning and weeding flower gardens at a neighbor’s home, which helps him support himself and his daughter. He says that his parents died when he was very young, and as a result, he never received a formal education. Three months ago, Simon began experiencing pain and intermittent swelling on the right side of his inguinal region. Due to lack of finances, he was unable to seek medical care until the pain became unbearable, prompting him to visit the outpatient surgical clinic at Nazareth Hospital. He was referred to undergo an ultrasound that revealed an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue bulges through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall into the groin. Simon needs surgery to treat the condition, but he's unable to raise the required funds. If left untreated, he will continue to experience pain and may develop complications such as strangulation. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Simon receive treatment. On January 20th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Now, Simon needs help to fund this $517 procedure. "I have no one to turn to; my daughter fully depends on me. I hope to get help so that I can undergo this surgery. I am looking forward to being treated and back to my job, so that I can help my girl, maybe even take her to college," said Simon.

47-year-old Edgadi is a small-scale farmer living in Uganda. She and her husband have one child, and also live with Edgadi's mother, who was recently widowed. Despite facing many hardships earlier in her life, Edgadi managed to complete Senior Four. To make ends meet, she and her husband do farming on their small piece of land, where they mostly grow food crops for home consumption, while selling any surplus to earn some income. Ten years ago, Edgadi began to experience troubling symptoms, including an anterior neck swelling, headaches, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and pain when swallowing. She first sought treatment at a local hospital, but found no relief. She later visited another medical center, where she was advised to undergo surgery. As she could not raise the required funds, she returned home. She then tried local remedies, but she still couldn't find any relief. Eventually, a friend who knew someone who had been treated for a similar condition, advised her to seek help at our medical partner's care center, Karoli Lwanga Hospital Nyakibale. At the hospital, Edgadi was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck, which produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth and other bodily functions. Edgadi needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edgadi receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 10th, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and Edgadi and her family need your help to raise the funds. Edgadi says: “I have had this condition for a very long time, and even reaching this point, where I can hope for surgery, feels like a miracle. However, I am unable to raise the funds needed for the operation, and therefore, I kindly seek your support.”