Ketilina is 53 years old and a mother of eight from Malawi. She and her husband farm to support their family.
Twenty-eight years ago, Ketilina began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small swelling on her neck. At first, she thought it would go away. But the swelling got bigger over time. In 2024, she started the swelling became worse. It started to cause pain and prevented her from performing daily tasks. She was always short of breath and unable to work on the farm.
Ketilina visited our medical partner’s care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center, to seek treatment. She was diagnosed with goiter which affects the thyroid. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ketilina receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 13th where 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.
Ketilina says, “I can’t wait to see myself well again to get rid of all the physical pains and psychological ones. I have seen many getting better and I also have hope to be well after surgery.”