Stephen is a nurse from Uganda. He has a certificate in nursing and is employed as a nurse at Rushoroza hospital in Uganda. He stays in the hospital staff quarters because he has not built his own house yet. He is single but has dependents especially his parents who are small scale farmers with very low income. He has one brother and six sisters. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family. Four months ago, Stephen began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pains of the right upper quadrant. He shared his complications with a doctor at Rushoroza hospital and a scan was done. He was diagnosed with gall bladder sludge and was given treatment. He thought he would feel better but this has not happened. A month later, it was discovered that the sludge had turned into gall bladder stones. He needs surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Stephen receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on May 13th at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $284, and Stephen and his family need your support. Stephen says, “My performance has been impacted because of my current medical condition. I pray that I may get well through surgery and continue with my nursing duties at Rushoroza hospital.”

Nan is a 41-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and two children. She is a homemaker and her husband is a day laborer. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut and trees and raise cows, goats and chickens. She loves to take care of her garden during her free times. Nan was referred to BCMF to treat her severe heart condition (ASD) at Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH). After she arrived at our medical partners "BCMF-B.K. Kee Patient House" on the evening of March 2nd, she felt weak and tired. She also felt dizzy, had a headache and difficulty breathing. During the night, she suffered a seizure and fell semi-conscious. BCMF staff rushed her to the emergency room at CMH. Nan underwent a CT scan of her head and was diagnosed with intracranial hemorrhage. The doctor then planned to perform surgery on her immediately. She had a seizure and is semi-conscious. Nan is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on March 3rd. Her family is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Nan’s husband said, "I am hoping for a good outcome. I hope she can get through this. Thank you for helping us. I do not know what to do right now. I am praying for her.”

Wideline is a 27 year old woman from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her sister and her sister's family. She has not been working because of her illness, but would like to return to school to study business once she is able. Wideline has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. Wideline was born with two holes in her heart, one between the upper chambers and another between the lower chambers. Blood leaks through these holes without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. It is extremely rare for someone to live to Wideline's age with this untreated condition. Because the care that she needs is not available in Haiti, Wideline will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On March 1st, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use patches to close the holes so that blood can no longer leak through them. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $15,000 to help pay for surgery. Wideline's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Wideline overseas. Wideline shared: "I am so excited to finally be able to live a more normal life!"