Two-year-old Jimmy is the last born child in a family of five children from Lilongwe District in Malawi. Jimmy's parents are small-scale farmers, growing maize for consumption and income for the family. Jimmy has for some time been experiencing on-and-off pain and swelling on the left side of his inguinal region. Worried, his mother brought him to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital. Jimmy was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, and surgery was recommended. However, his mother expressed that the family would not be able to afford the cost of surgery. If left untreated, Jimmy will continue experiencing pain and the condition might lead to a strangulated hernia, cutting off blood flow, which can be life-threatening. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Jimmy receive treatment. On April 10th, surgeons at Nkhoma Hospital will perform a hernia repair surgery to alleviate Jimmy's pain, and prevent any potential risks and complications. Now, Jimmy's family needs help to fund this $421 procedure. Jimmy’s mother says, “It is my wish for my son to receive treatment and get well soon.”

Joselito, a 59-year-old father from the Philippines, works as a taxi driver and earns minimum wage. His income is insufficient to provide for his family of five, prompting him to take on extra jobs to make ends meet. Twenty years ago, Joselito began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe pain on the left side of his stomach, which radiated to his back. Initially, he tried drinking a lot of water to ease the pain, and it subsided. When he consulted with a doctor he was asked to take an ultrasound, but could not due to financial constraints. At the onset of an extremely painful episode, Joselito was rushed to a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with gallstones. He was advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. He was informed that if left untreated, his symptoms would continue to worsen and put him at risk of further health complications in the future. Unable to cover the cost of the necessary surgery, he was prescribed pain medication instead. Fortunately, Joselito then sought treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP). He is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 27th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Jose is seeking support for the remaining $1,128. Joselito says, "Since I started to feel the symptoms attack more often, I had to reduce my work hours and this took a toll on the family's income and expenses. While my family worries about my health, I am worried that I will not be able to give them what they need because of my condition, so I deeply appreciate the assistance I am receiving for my medical care."

Anthony is an 18-month-old toddler who lives with his parents and an older sibling in Uganda. Anthony's parents are small-scale farmers, primarily growing food crops for sustenance. Since he was born, Anthony has had inguinal hernia, a condition in which soft tissue bulges through a weak point in the abdominal muscles. According to his mother, the swelling had worsened in pain in the last six months, causing Anthony to experience more discomfort when he cried, which was also very worrisome for her. She had previously not sought treatment due to lack of funds. However, as the condition worsened, she decided to take him to hospital where upon review, surgery was recommended. If left untreated, the condition may lead to strangulation, cutting off blood flow to the tissue that is trapped, which could be life threatening. Despite their farming efforts, Anthony's family is unable to afford the medical bills required for their son's surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Anthony receive treatment. On April 9th, surgeons at Karoli Lwanga Hospital in Nyakibale will perform a hernia repair surgery to relieve his symptoms and allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Anthony's family needs help to fund this $230 procedure. Anthony’s mother says, “I will be grateful when my son gets this surgery done and feels comfortable, so that I can resume farming work and support our livelihood.”