Evaristo is a 57-year-old small-scale farmer from Uganda, married with eight children. Five of his children are already married, while the remaining three are currently attending school. He and his wife are small-scale farmers, mostly growing beans, maize and a few coffee trees. Eight years ago, Evaristo was involved in a road traffic accident, which resulted in a leg injury that eventually healed. Despite the healing, the area surrounding the scar remained numb. In February of this year, while riding on a motorcycle taxi, the scar was injured by the starter pedal, causing it to start hurting again. As days passed, the site developed blisters that developed into a wound. Evaristo went to local clinics for treatment but did not experience any improvement even after receiving some injections. He has continued experiencing pain on the injured leg, unable to farm or perform other daily activities. As a result, his wife has become the sole breadwinner for their family, prompting them to take out short-term loans to cover school fees and medical costs at the different clinics they visited before going to Ibanda Hospital. Evaristo decided to seek help from a surgeon and visited Ibanda Hospital. Upon arrival, he was feeling extremely weak and in severe pain, fearful of the possibility of losing his leg. Due to his inability to walk unassisted, Evaristo relies on a wheelchair to navigate the hospital premises. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Evaristo receive treatment. On March 5th, surgeons at Ibanda Hospital will perform a debridement, which is a procedure to remove infected, damaged or dead tissue so a wound can heal properly. Now, Evaristo needs our help to fund this $207 procedure. Evaristo says, ‘’I was very worried that I may lose my leg, but I thank God for the counseling I have received. I now have hope that my surgery will be successful, and I will be able to stand again and do my usual farming activities.’’

Touch devotes his life to Buddhism in Svay Rieng province and resides in a tranquil pagoda. Despite being a monk for several years, he has had to make frequent trips to Thailand to support his mother, who has been widowed since he was seven. With two older brothers married, Touch dedicates his days to religious studies, chanting, and maintaining the serenity of his pagoda. For the past decade, Touch has suffered from persistent nasal congestion and recurrent infections. Despite relying on medications from the local pharmacy and undergoing nasal surgery some years ago, his condition remains unimproved. This health challenge impedes his ability to live his day-to-day life, leaving him embarrassed when he cannot attend to the local community seeking solace at the temple. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. Ear, Nose, and Throat doctors have detected several polyps in his nose that are the cause of his illness and determined that he needs a bilateral polypectomy - a minimally invasive surgery for severe sinus conditions. Touch needs assistance with the $388 surgery cost, which includes endoscopic surgery, hospitalization, and medication. Touch said: "I hope I will get better from this illness and stop getting nose infections. I want to breathe through my nose, have my sense of smell, and be healthy again."

Sunnary is a 32-year-old father from Phnom Penh province, Cambodia. He and his wife work in a shoe factory and they have a lively 6-year-old daughter who has just started the first grade. He and his wife enjoy taking walks with their daughter, and sometimes he plays soccer after work with friends. When Sunnary was 12 years old, he fell from a tree, fracturing the bones in his left forearm. His family could not afford healthcare, and he was treated by a Khmer traditional healer. Over the past 20 years, he has developed a left wrist deformity, called distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability. He has weakness and pain in his left wrist, and increasing difficulty using his hand. After so many years of pain, a friend told him about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) where patients who cannot afford care elsewhere can receive free or low-cost care. Doctors have determined that surgery is necessary for his joint instability when nonsurgical treatment fails to restore forearm stability. Sunnary is now scheduled for an osteotomy on December 11th and needs your help raising $469, which will cover the surgery, hospitalization, and post-op physiotherapy. Sunnary shared, "I hope after surgery, I can lift heavy objects again and work hard to support my wife and daughter."