Tumushabe is a mother of five but separated from her husband in 2018. Her husband remained with four of her children and she is raising the youngest who is now two years old. She currently stays with her paternal aunt who supports her with the little she can. At Rushoroza Hospital, she presented with a history of severe abdominal pains; having been managed for oophoritis and on different antibiotic regimens with no improvement. If not treated through curative laparotomy, Tumushabe’s quality of life could be severely impaired due to continued pain. Tumushabe is a small-scale farmer who has been growing a variety of crops at her aunt’s fields before she became sick. She currently is not able to work due to severe pain and cannot even sit comfortably. She shared that she is feeling scared. Her Aunt and Uncle are unable to fund her surgery and they are seeking financial support. Tumushabe says, “I pray that I get well after surgery because I am in severe pain. After a successful surgery, I believe I can do any income-generating activity, including farming and be able to take care of myself and my children.”

Heang is a 70-year-old lotus farmer from Cambodia. She is married with two sons, one daughter, and 11 grandchildren. Her husband passed away four years ago from hypertension. She lives with her son who is a construction worker. Ten years ago, Heang developed a pterygium in right eye, causing her pain, headaches, irritation, burning, and discomfort. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. Her symptoms have gotten worse in the past year. When Heang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for 30 minutes by tuk tuk with her son seeking treatment. Heang needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for July 3rd. Heang shared, "I hope after surgery the irritation stops so I can go outside easily and take care of myself well."

Horn and his wife have been married for forty years, and have three daughters together. His wife works with him in the fields, while his daughters are all still in high school. He spends free time with his friends raising livestock for sale. Four months ago, Horn started feeling pain in his left hip. He had one previous surgery there, but no trauma. His pain reached the point where he can no longer walk unaided, and he had to stop working. On recommendation from one of his friends, he traveled for nearly ten hours to come to Watsi's Medical Partner CSC to receive treatment. Doctors at CSC will perform a girdlestone procedure in order to alleviate his pain. Once he recovers, he will no longer experience any pain in his hip, but his mobility will be reduced and he will use a cane. He will be able to continue working and doing the same activities he enjoyed before. Horn said, "I am glad my pain will finally be gone after my surgery. I cannot walk or do anything right now, so I am excited for the day I can finally go back to working and supporting my family."