Joselito, a 59-year-old father from the Philippines, works as a taxi driver and earns minimum wage. His income is insufficient to provide for his family of five, prompting him to take on extra jobs to make ends meet. Twenty years ago, Joselito began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe pain on the left side of his stomach, which radiated to his back. Initially, he tried drinking a lot of water to ease the pain, and it subsided. When he consulted with a doctor he was asked to take an ultrasound, but could not due to financial constraints. At the onset of an extremely painful episode, Joselito was rushed to a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with gallstones. He was advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. He was informed that if left untreated, his symptoms would continue to worsen and put him at risk of further health complications in the future. Unable to cover the cost of the necessary surgery, he was prescribed pain medication instead. Fortunately, Joselito then sought treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP). He is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 27th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Jose is seeking support for the remaining $1,128. Joselito says, "Since I started to feel the symptoms attack more often, I had to reduce my work hours and this took a toll on the family's income and expenses. While my family worries about my health, I am worried that I will not be able to give them what they need because of my condition, so I deeply appreciate the assistance I am receiving for my medical care."

Michael is a 14-year-old boy from Kenya. He is in high school and is the only child in the family. He is being raised by his single mom, who washes clothes to earn a living. Michael was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Michael has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Michael will receive assistance from our medical partner, the African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 27th. AMHF is requesting $646 to cover his procedure and care costs. Michael’s mother says, “I hope my boy will get to live his full life.”

Phanith is an 18-year-old student who lives in Takeo province in Cambodia with his parents and two siblings. His mother works in a clothing factory and his father works in construction. In December 2021, Phanith was involved in a motorcycle accident. He lost consciousness and suffered damage to his brachial piexus or the network of nerves that branch off from the spinal cord in the neck and extend down into his shoulder, arm, and hand. In addition, he fractured the lower bone of his left arm. At a local hospital in Takeo province, he underwent an open reduction and internal fixation of his left radius, to repair the fracture. However, he still suffers from weakness, loss of sensation, and paralysis in his left shoulder and arm. Phanith lives in constant pain because the hardware from his surgery has become exposed and is infected. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On April 5th, Phanith will undergo a hardware removal procedure. Phanith is able to contribute $80 but needs your help to raise another $304 to fund the procedure. The removal of the hardware will eliminate the source of the chronic infection and allow surgeons to concentrate on rehabilitation for his brachial plexus injury. Phanith shared, "I hope I will have no more infection, be able to move my left arm, and be able to return to finish school."