Christine is a 44-year-old mother from Uganda. She has two children, both of whom are enrolled in school. Early on in her marriage, her husband passed away. As a widow, Christine relies on subsistence farming to provide food and financial support for her family. To earn extra income, she occasionally works as a casual laborer on other farms. These additional earnings help her afford essential household necessities such as soap, salt, and other daily requirements. Christine finds joy in seeing her children pursue their education, hoping it will open doors to future professional opportunities. Five years ago, Christine began to experience troubling symptoms, notably a swelling at the front of her neck. Although initially painless, the swelling began to cause her discomfort. Over time, Christine began to experience difficulty with swallowing and breathing, shortness of breath, and palpitations after engaging in laborious tasks. Her condition limited her ability to work on her farm and carry out daily responsibilities, significantly affecting her quality of life. Due to financial constraints, Christine initially resorted to local herbs and traditional remedies to manage her condition. However, the interventions provided no relief, and she underwent screening at Nyakibale Hospital. There, Christine was diagnosed with a multinodular goiter, an abnormal swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in front of your neck and produces hormones that are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. Christine requires surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Christine receive treatment. On November 1st, Christine will undergo a thyroidectomy, where surgeons may remove all or a portion of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Christine says, “Having my surgery with your support will be a blessing. Once I am back on my feet, I am sure I will be able to keep up with farming and will continue working at my best to keep my children in school. I can’t do this on my own and kindly appeal to you for support.”

Bunnan is a 53-year-old vegetable seller from Phnom Penh. He is married and has three sons and one grandchildren. He lives with his wife who is also a vegetable seller, his first son, who unfortunately has mental challenges, and his youngest son who is a student. In his free time, Bunnan likes to go for walks. About two years ago, Bunnan developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Bunnan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for an hour seeking treatment. On October 19th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Bunnan is contributing towards the cost of his treatment, but needs help raising an additional $238 for the procedure. He says: "I hope that after surgery my eye can see better, so I can easily go back to selling vegetables, and won't have to worry about my eye anymore."

Jesus is a 12-year-old student from Colombia. He is a calm boy, and like all children, can be mischievous at times, but overall is very easygoing. He enjoys video games and playing soccer. When he grows up, he wants to be a soccer player and play in the World Cup, just like Cristiano Ronaldo. Jesus has an inguinal hernia, a protrusion of abdominal contents through the inguinal canal. Surgery has been recommended to correct it and prevent possible future complications. This condition causes pain, which worsens with physical activity and may limit his movements. Fortunately, on July 28th, Jesus will undergo repair surgery, and our medical partner, Clinica Noel, is requesting $1,005 to fund Jesus's surgery. Once completed, this procedure should allow him to live more comfortably. Jesus's parents said, "We would like to express our deepest and most sincere gratitude for the invaluable support you provided by making our son’s hernia surgery possible. Your generosity touched our lives at a time of uncertainty and worry, becoming a true act of love, solidarity, and hope."