Nwet is 41 years old and a mother of three from Burma. She and her husband live in a refugee village in Phop Phra District, Tak Province, Thailand. They moved from Burma to Thailand in 2020 in search of better job opportunities. Nwet's daughter and two sons are studying in Burma and live with her mother-in-law. She and her husband are agricultural workers. Since January 2023, Nwet has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including swelling on her left neck. She was diagnosed with thyroid goiter. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Nwet receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 17th. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,500, and she and her family need help raising money. Nwet said, “Thank you so much to BCMF and the donors for helping me with my treatment cost.” Her husband added, “I am really grateful that my wife will receive support for her surgery costs. By ourselves, we cannot afford this. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.”

47-year-old Edgadi is a small-scale farmer living in Uganda. She and her husband have one child, and also live with Edgadi's mother, who was recently widowed. Despite facing many hardships earlier in her life, Edgadi managed to complete Senior Four. To make ends meet, she and her husband do farming on their small piece of land, where they mostly grow food crops for home consumption, while selling any surplus to earn some income. Ten years ago, Edgadi began to experience troubling symptoms, including an anterior neck swelling, headaches, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and pain when swallowing. She first sought treatment at a local hospital, but found no relief. She later visited another medical center, where she was advised to undergo surgery. As she could not raise the required funds, she returned home. She then tried local remedies, but she still couldn't find any relief. Eventually, a friend who knew someone who had been treated for a similar condition, advised her to seek help at our medical partner's care center, Karoli Lwanga Hospital Nyakibale. At the hospital, Edgadi was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck, which produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth and other bodily functions. Edgadi needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edgadi receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 10th, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and Edgadi and her family need your help to raise the funds. Edgadi says: “I have had this condition for a very long time, and even reaching this point, where I can hope for surgery, feels like a miracle. However, I am unable to raise the funds needed for the operation, and therefore, I kindly seek your support.”

Srey Touch is a 50-year-old mother of four from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, who lives with her husband, a fish farmer. They have four children: two work in factories, one works in Korea, and another is a waitress. In her free time, Srey Touch enjoys chatting with friends in her village and spending time with her family. About three years ago, Srey Touch slipped and fell in her backyard, causing a fracture of her right kneecap. After the injury, she sought treatment from a traditional Khmer healer, but the condition did not fully recover. Although she was initially able to walk with only mild discomfort, her knee pain has gradually worsened over time. She now experiences increasing pain and difficulty walking, which affects her mobility and makes daily activities more challenging. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On June 2nd, Srey Touch will undergo a fracture repair procedure. Surgeons will perform a partial patellectomy or tension band wiring to repair the fractured kneecap and improve knee function. This procedure is expected to reduce pain, improve walking ability, and help her regain greater independence in her daily activities. She can contribute $100, but needs help raising $500 more to fund her procedure and care. Srey Touch said, “I hope this surgery will relieve my knee pain and help me walk comfortably again so I can return to my normal daily activities.”