Lea is a 46-year-old small-scale businesswoman from Malawi. She has two children aged 15 and 10. Lea sells tomatoes, while her husband is a primary school teacher. Seven years ago, Lea began to experience troubling symptoms, including breathlessness during sleep, walking, and climbing stairs, and was unable to carry items on her head. She 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 functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. This January, things worsened when Lea started experiencing frequent choking after eating. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lea receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 8th at our medical partner's care center. 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. Lea said, "Kindly help me get out of this mess; I am in trouble, and I am not ready to choke to death one day and leave my children alone."

Noosokon is a 34-year-old mother of four from Kenya. She and her husband own two cows, relying on livestock farming for their family's livelihood. A few days ago, Noosokon was milking one of the cows, as was her daily routine, when the cow suddenly struck her on the right side of her jaw, pushing her against a sharp object that severely injured her face. She began bleeding and was in severe pain. She was rushed to a nearby health center before being referred to a hospital for further management. At the hospital, she received first aid treatment, including stitches to the open wound, and was given pain medication before being referred to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, for specialized care. Scans at the hospital revealed that her jaw had been fractured during the incident. Unfortunately, she has not been able to undergo treatment because her family is not able to raise the amount required for surgery. Her jaw remains swollen, and she has been unable to eat due to the pain and swelling; she can only take milk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 3rd, Noosokon will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help relieve her pain, help her heal and go back to her daily life. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,115 to fund this procedure. Noosokon says, “I am in pain. I am unable to sleep due to the swelling.”

Fredy is a three-month-old boy from Tanzania, and the fourth-born child in his family. His parents are hardworking livestock keepers and small-scale farmers who depend on animal husbandry and crop cultivation to meet their family’s basic needs. Their hope is to provide a better future for their children. Fredy has clubfoot on both feet, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual and this causes mobility challenges. Without treatment, clubfoot can limit a child’s ability to participate fully in daily activities as they grow. For Fredy’s parents, the diagnosis was challenging, but they remained hopeful and were determined to seek early medical care to give their son the best possible start in life. Like any parents, they dream of seeing Fredy grow into a healthy, active, and independent young boy. They hope he will one day run, play, attend school, and contribute to family activities, including caring for livestock alongside his siblings. To achieve this, Fredy will need to undergo a series of corrective casts designed to gradually align his feet, followed by a tenotomy procedure to improve foot positioning. Afterward, he will wear a Foot Abduction Brace (FAB) until the age of five to prevent relapse and support proper development. Fortunately, Fredy's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House, where doctors will begin clubfoot treatment on June 23rd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341 to fund Fredy's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Fredy has an excellent opportunity to walk confidently and live an active life. This intervention will not only transform his future but also help him reach his full potential and contribute meaningfully to his family and community. Fredy’s mother says, "My wish is that my child will walk without difficulty, so he can be able to take care of cattle when he grows up.”