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.”

Mu is a 62-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her family in a village in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province. She works as a day laborer and housekeeper. She also collects and sells recyclable materials for additional income to support her daily needs. In September 2023, Mu accidentally fell down the stairs and fractured her hip, making it difficult for her to walk and move her legs. She is in constant pain, affecting her ability to sleep and perform her daily tasks. Fortunately, Mu learned about our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). At BCMF's care center, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Mu of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for March 1st and Mu needs help raising $1,500 to pay for this procedure. “I felt sad and depressed when I realized I needed surgery because I couldn’t afford to pay for it,” said Mu. “I am also concerned about my ability to take care of myself. I was thrilled and felt grateful to all the donors and BCMF when I learned they would help pay for my treatment. I want to take care of myself without anyone’s help. I don’t want to put anyone under unnecessary pressure. Along with that, I want to walk like I used to again.”

Sansy, who is an only child, is an active nine-year-old, living with his parents in Phnom Province in Cambodia. His father works in a factory, and his mother sells snacks from in front of their house. Sansy, who enjoys eating pizza and swimming, would like to be a translator when he grows up. For five years, Sansy has been experiencing difficulty swallowing, frequent throat infections, and snoring at night. He often misses school, and has a hard time concentrating, because he does not sleep well. Sansy was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist, and to intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Sansy, which is scheduled to take place on January 8th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. During the procedure, surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sansy of his symptoms, and helping him to live much more comfortably. Sansy's mother said: "I hope my son will get better and stop getting such frequent infections. We don't want to continue spending money on medicines that have not helped him."