Mary is a 53-year-old who has been a widow since 2010 raising her two kids with challenges. Her older son has autism and requires full time attention. Her last-born daughter recently graduated from college and does not have a source of income yet. Mary lives in her ancestral home. She has not been able to pay her monthly insurance medical premiums so does not have coverage and has been relying on her relatives to support her medical bills. Mary feels in pain and uncomfortable. She has been having stomach pains for the last six months. She went to a local government hospital in central Kenya and was treated for amoeba and stomach pains. She was relieved for a short while, but the pains recurred. Almost a month later the pain increased and was accompanied by vomiting. She opted to visit Kijabe Hospital, where she was reviewed and the pain was controlled. She was requested to do a colonoscopy and other tests to get a detailed diagnosis. Since she was feeling better after the review, she did not follow up on the plan due to financial constraints. However, six months later the symptoms recurred and she came back in January. Her tests and a biopsy revealed cancer in the colon that needs urgent attention as it is life threatening. Mary has now been scheduled for a right hemicolectomy procedure. One side of the infected colon (large intestine) will be removed to avoid metastasis. Sadly, she is financially constrained. Her friends at home have requested time, two months, to be able to find the required amount for the surgery. This is a long period considering the case is cancerous. She appeals for support so she can undergo treatment now. Our medical partner is requesting $1,074 to fund her surgery and help her fight the cancer. Mary says, “I have been in pain for over six months now. I thought it would be relieved, but the diagnosis is now shockingly cancer. I need this surgery to stop the disease.”

Racheal is a middle-aged small businesswoman from Uganda. She is the mother of one and shared that she separated from her husband due to domestic violence. She now lives with her twenty-five-year-old daughter and her grandchild. She works hard to provide for her family. Eleven years ago, Racheal began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling. It was small and painless initially but has increased in size over the years. The swelling now causes respiratory problems, worrying Racheal. A doctor examined Racheal and diagnosed a multi-nodular goiter - an enlarged thyroid gland with separate bumps (nodules) on it. Racheal needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Racheal receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 8th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and Racheal and her family need help raising money. Racheal says, “I believe with your support I will have a successful surgery with a positive outcome for my life.”

Ruhama is a beautiful two month old baby girl, who lives with her parents in Ethiopia. Both of her parents are quite young, and due to their having left school early, both work as day laborers, earning limited wages. Ruhama was born with an anorectal malformation, which is a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate her bowel dysfunction and help her grow up healthy. Ruhama is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on February 1st, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Ruhama's procedure and care. After her recovery, Ruhama will no longer experience bowel dysfunction, or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Ruhama's mother said: “I will leave her at the hands of God. I can’t say she will heal or not, but it’s all God’s will."