Spencer is the last born in a family of four children. His father is a fisherman, and mother stays home to care for Spencer. Shortly after birth, Spencer's stomach became swollen. He was diagnosed with Anorectal Malformation - a birth condition in which the rectum is malformed. He was scheduled for a colostomy opening surgery, but Spencer's parents did not have any money for the surgery. They went back home with some medication to help pass stool as they were looking for money. After one month, they gathered some money and underwent the surgery. Spencer is now scheduled for an anorectoplasty surgery, where the surgeon will further correct the malformation. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, will perform the surgery on February 27th and is requesting for $743 to fund the surgery. Spencer’s mother says, “As a parent, it's very painful to see your child suffering yet there’s nothing you can do to help. I hope that my child will be able to recover and live a normal life.”

Angela is a 62-year-old woman with two grown sons. During her childhood, her dream was to be a teacher however she has to stop school at Primary 6 due to financial constraints. She is married and she and her husband farm for a living. They live in a traditional mud house in southwestern Uganda. Two years ago, Angela began experiencing lower abdominal pain and backache. Due to limited finances, Angela had never seen a doctor but when symptoms became severe, she decided to seek medical help and was diagnosed with premalignant cervical lesion. She needs to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. On February 22nd, she will undergo gynecological surgery at Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $219 to fund this procedure. Once she has recovered, Angela will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. She says, “I hope for a complete recovery and I have faith that I will get better.”

Sokhom is a 49-year-old mother of four from Cambodia. She lives in a rural area around two hours from the nearest specialist clinic. Sokhom and her husband are rice farmers. They have one child, in the 6th grade, living at home with them, while the three older children live near a factory where they work. In her free time, Sokhom studies Buddhist books and farms vegetables at her house. Years ago, Sokhom had an ear infection that caused her right eardrum to perforate. For this reason, Sokhom experiences pain and frequent discharge in her ear. She has difficulty hearing and frequently feels feverish and unwell. Sokhom traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 27th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation in her ear drum. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She shared, "I hope I can stop this problem and make my hearing better so I can feel healthy and take care of my family."