Patricia is a small-scale farmer from Malawi. She is married and a mother of two children. Her husband also farms. They grow soya to sell and maize to eat. She likes chatting with her family and enjoys eating nsima served with beans. Twenty-three years ago, Patricia began to experience troubling symptoms, including an anterior neck swelling. The swelling started growing and became visible. Her parents never took her to the hospital since it never bothered her. This year in May, Patricia started experiencing some neck pains especially when carrying items on her head during the harvest. She reported that the pains have affected her day-to-day activities since she no longer carries anything on her head. Patricia was diagnosed with a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Patricia receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on July 3rd at Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH). Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. Patricia said, “More has been said about PIH successes, I also want to be part of those success stories and I look forward to getting my treatment from this hospital, kindly help me to get better again.”

Vety is a 12-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives with her parents and her older sister. Her parents work as food sellers while her sister is in high school. Vety is a student in grade 6, where she enjoys her math and science classes. In her free time, she loves reading and spending time with her sister. Four years ago, Vety developed a mass on her right shin and it has been gradually getting larger over time. Her parents worry that if the mass is not removed, it will continue to grow and potentially cause complications in the future. Vety traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On August 27th, doctors at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Now, Vety needs help to raise $265 to fund this procedure. Vety shared, "I feel uncomfortable because the mass keeps growing and might cause more problems if it isn't removed."

Bernadin is a playful two-year-old girl from Haiti. Bernadin has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Bernadin has been experiencing increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Bernadin will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Bernadin at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on May 9th. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from Bernadin's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment and follow-up care, Bernadin should develop into a strong, healthy young girl. The family is looking forward to Bernadin growing up happy and healthy.