Demise is a 64-year-old farmer from Ethiopia. He and his wife work together on their farm and have twelve children. A year ago, Demise developed a cataract in his left eye and was diagnosed at a government-funded hospital. However, due to a scheduling error, Demise never received proper treatment. Now, Demise has thick, cloudy vision. He has difficulty walking on uneven ground, detecting familiar faces, and reading his Bible. Moreover, Demise finds farm work difficult and relies heavily on his family to manage his responsibilities. Fortunately, on November 4th, Demise will undergo cataract surgery with the help of our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital. Surgeons will remove and replace the clouded lens, improving Demise's blurry vision. Now, he needs help to raise $150 to fund this procedure. Demise states, "After a year of waiting, I only want to work my land again, see my family's faces clearly, and read my Bible. I want to stand on my own and not be a burden to anyone."

Hav is a 77-year-old man from Cambodia. He lives with his wife, who stays at home and helps care for their grandchildren. They have two sons, both of whom work as concrete mixer truck drivers. In his free time, he enjoys visiting the pagoda and playing with his grandchildren. About two months ago, Hav was cut by a piece of zinc while working at home. His wife cleaned the wound, but he did not seek further medical treatment. The area has since developed into an ulcerated tumor with an irregular border. The tumor causes pain and discomfort. It sometimes bleeds, making the affected area difficult to ignore during his daily activities. When Hav learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On October 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform excision of the left shoulder tumor, followed by histology examination of the removed tissue to determine its nature and address the affected area. A local flap will then be used to close the wound and support healing, to ease his discomfort and help him return to his usual activities. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $616 more to fund his procedure and care. Hav's wife said, “It is difficult to see my husband dealing with this painful tumor on his shoulder. I hope the doctors can remove it safely and find out what caused it. I want him to recover well, feel less pain, and be able to live more comfortably again.”

Mohamed is a five-year-old boy from Mali. He lives with his parents and two older siblings. Mohamed's problems started when he began to experience swelling and discomfort in the roof of his mouth. Over time, the swelling worsened, prompting his family to visit our medical partner's care center, Hôpital du Mali. Doctors discovered a mass on the roof of Mohamed's mouth, which was investigated and found to be a nasopalatine duct cyst. These cysts are non-cancerous, but carry several risks if not removed. If the cyst is allowed to continue to grow, it could displace Mohamed's teeth and put pressure on his nasal passage, causing difficulty eating and breathing normally. Nasopalatine duct cysts can also become infected, causing further pain. Fortunately, Mohamed is scheduled to undergo cyst removal surgery on September 8th. Our medical partner, Muso, is requesting $1,120 to cover the total cost of Mohamed's procedure and care. Mohamed's parents shared, "Once the cyst is removed, we hope that Mohamed will be able to resume his daily activities free of the uncomfortable symptoms. We hope the swelling will be gone."