Purity is is a young lady aged 18 years who resides in in Kiambu County. She is the last born in a family of four children. Purity completed secondary school in 2022 and scored well enough to join the university. Unfortunately, she has not yet joined due to a lack of school fees. Her parents, who are farmers, are not able to raise the fee required to attend the university. This makes Purity very sad because she focused all her effort into studying, though she understands her parents’ situation and hopes she can get help soon to pursue her education. In December 2023, Purity began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling. It was Purity’s elder sister who noted her neck was swollen. She was taken to the hospital, and a scan showed a multinodular goiter. She was referred to our medical partner's care center, Nazareth Hospital, for further tests and treatment. She was diagnosed with multinodular goiter. Her surgeon advised them to have a thyroidectomy to heal her condition, but due to their low income, her parents are not in a position to pay for this treatment. If not treated, the goiter may become very big, compressing the trachea and esophagus, leading to breathing and feeding difficulties. She may also have hyperthyroidism leading to palpitations, sweating and weight loss. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Purity receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 5th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $625, and she and her family need help raising money. “I am very much worried about this condition. I pray that someone will come to my aid so that I can be treated and be ready to go to university by the time my parents will manage to pay,” said Purity.

Norn is a 37-year-old tuk tuk driver who lives with his sister and her family in Kampong Speu province. Their parents and other siblings live nearby and visit often. In his free time, Norn likes to play volleyball and watch Cambodian boxing. Around six years ago, Norn started noticing pain in his right hip. He cannot recall any trauma or injury that caused it, but the pain has gotten worse over time. He cannot walk long distances nor sleep through the night due to pain. A few years ago, he quit his previous construction job due to mobility issues. Fortunately, Norn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Norn of his pain and allow him to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for December 6th, and Norn needs help raising $1,118 to pay for this procedure. Norn shared, "I hope I can stop this pain and go back to how I was before."

Christopher, who is 12 years old, lives with his parents and three siblings in a small fishing village in southwest Haiti. As a young child, Christopher suffered from a bout of rheumatic fever, which severely damaged one of his heart valves. As a result, it is difficult for his heart to efficiently pump blood through his body. The Gift of Life International will be subsidizing Christopher's heart surgery, which is scheduled to take place on February 5th, at Welcare Hospital. During this procedure, surgeons will remove the damaged valve, and implant an artificial replacement. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund the preoperative testing that Christopher will need, his post-operative care, and the travel expenses for Christopher and his family. Christopher shared: "I am very excited to have a healthy heart after waiting for so long!"