Oscar is a 28-year-old married man from a village in Lilongwe District in Malawi. He has a young child who is not yet of school age, and relies on small-scale farming to support the family by growing maize, groundnuts, and keeping livestock. One year ago, Oscar noticed an itch in his throat and a slight hoarseness in his voice, initially thinking he was developing a cough. However, he later discovered a small painful swelling that has been gradually getting larger. He did not seek medical help as he had no funds to pay for treatment until his mother heard about a care program when she visited our medical partner care center, Nkhoma Hospital. Oscar was diagnosed with goiter, and was scheduled to undergo thyroidectomy surgery. The condition has negatively affected his life as the swelling is painful and sometimes, he experiences shortness of breath. Treatment will relieve him of these symptoms, improving the quality of his life. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is helping Oscar receive treatment at their care center. On March 7th surgeons will perform thyroid surgery so he can regain his health. Now, he needs help to fund this $491 procedure. Oscar says, “Thank you for this opportunity, I am looking forward to treatment and recovery.”

Sokneang lives with her husband and her two children. Her husband is a construction worker, and her son and daughter both attend local schools. She works in the home, cleaning, and cooking, and in her free time she enjoys watching Khmer dramas. Since 2019, Sokneang has had discharge from a small hole in front of her ear, called a pre-auricular sinus. These are common congenital abnormalities adjacent to the external ear. However, this condition makes her prone to chronic ear infections. Germs can enter the ear canal and cause an infection, resulting in swelling, soreness, and redness. For the past three months, Sokneang has had ear pain and discharge on both sides. Medications from the local pharmacy haven't helped. Frequent infections prevent her from being able to care for her family. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. Sokneang and her family need $297 to cover the cost of the surgery, which will take place on February 20th. This will cover surgery, medications, and post-operative care. Sokneang says, "I hope that my ear will stop discharge, and I will not have any infections."

Sandi is a young monk from Burma. He lives alongside his fellow novices and monks in a monastery. As a novice, Sandi does not have a personal income, but his family support him and the monastery provides him with food and shelter. In his free time, Sandi enjoys listening to the Dhamma. In February 2022, Sandi began experiencing blurred vision in both eyes. A CT scan revealed a cystic lesion in his brain, indicating a fluid-filled tumor, craniopharyngioma. Sandi experiences significant blurred vision in both eyes, occasional headaches and dizziness, and pain at the nape of his neck. Due to his poor vision, he cannot read books and cannot walk without assistance. Sandi sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. He is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on January 10th. Our partner is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Sandi said, "I want to express my gratitude to BCMF and donors for helping me. I would love to request continued assistance throughout my entire treatment. My desire is to fully recover my vision. Once I recover, I aspire to dedicate myself to studying and trying to become a monk."