Faith is a 24-year-old woman from the Rift valley in Kenya who has had epilepsy since 2018. On December 15th, 2023 she had a convulsive episode and fell on an open flame in her kitchen. She sustained third degree burns on her right arm and was rushed to the nearest hospital. She was admitted for three days and received IV fluids, pain medication, and wound care before going home. Since her injuries did not improve, she went to Kapsowar Hospital and was diagnosed with third degree burns from her right elbow to her hand. She had no sensation in her forearm and fingers, no range of motion of the wrist and elbow, and was experiencing discharge and swelling. She also had exposed tendons and blood clots. Faith was scheduled for a procedure to remove the dead tissue from her arm, then for amputation of her second, third, fourth and fifth fingers in order to salvage the hand. At this point, it was determined she needed a further procedure and skin graft of her arm, along with major reconstruction in order to promote healing. Faith is the youngest in a family of six children. She could not finish her schooling due her epilepsy. Her parents are farmers working on two acres of land growing maize, beans and potatoes to provide for the needs of their children. Faith is not insured since she is over age and not covered by parents’ insurance. Her parents are unable to afford Faith's surgery and they thought she would be covered by the insurance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,089 to fund Faith's surgery. Faith said, “I have been in a lot of pain especially when having daily dressing changes, please help me so that I get well soon and be free from this pain.”

Min is a 43-year-old construction worker and father of ten from Cambodia. Min and his wife live in Koh Kong province near the Thai border with four of their ten children. The other children have moved out in search of jobs in nearby towns. While Min works in construction, his wife is busy taking care of their children. In his free time, Min enjoys watching Thai and Cambodian boxing and playing soccer in the village. On April 12th, Min was in a motorbike accident, causing an open fracture on his right forearm. He received treatment for the fracture at a provincial hospital, where the wound was dressed and closed. Unfortunately, the wound became infected. Now he experiences pain, swelling, and limited function in his arm. When Min learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove damaged and infected tissue from the wound. Now, Min needs help to fund this $324 procedure. Min shared, "I hope this will heal so I can return to work and support my family."

Naomi Tembo is a 45-year-old married woman from Malawi. She has 4 children who are all in primary school. To support the family, Naomi works as a cook at Nkhoma College of Nursing. She also practices subsistence farming where she grows maize and groundnuts. Naomi has been experiencing lower abdominal pain followed by a swelling in her abdomen. She came to Nkhoma Hospital to seek medical help and she was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia. Naomi is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on March 12th and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $500 to support the surgery. Treatment will relieve her of the pain and reduce the risks of future health complications. Naomi says, “I hope to be free from this condition that is affecting my life.”