Allen is a 53-year-old mother of nine. She lost her husband in 2015. Upon his passing, she received a small plot of land and managed to create a three-room mud house in order to shelter her family. While Allen did not attend school as a child, she can read and write her name. She became a small-scale farmer to provide for her family. Her children range in age from 11 years old to 35. Since 2020, Allen has been experiencing swollen knees, with consistent pain radiating toward her lower abdomen. More recently, her lower abdominal pains became persistent. She decided to visit a nearby healthcare provider, where she was informed that was developing uterine complications. She was sent home with medicine that did not help her pain at all. She resorted to using herbs but those did not help either, she shared. She often becomes very weak while walking, and can only walk slowly for short distances. She can no longer sleep comfortably and has had to stop farming due to the pain. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), diagnosed Allen with Chronic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. On April 14th, she will undergo surgery at AMH's care center. Once recovered, Allen can resume her daily activities free of pain. AMH is requesting $319 to fund the procedure. Allen says, “I have hope of living a normal and comfortable life once again through surgery. I want to continue with farming after my recovery.”

Kheng is a 55-year-old rice farmer from Kompong Speu province. She is married and has three sons, four daughters, and seven grandchildren. Kheng lives with her husband, who is a palm sugar farmer. She likes to spend time with her grandchildren and pray in her local pagoda. Three years ago, Kheng developed a pterygium in both eyes, causing her redness, irritation, and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Kheng visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she learned that she needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $225, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for February 13th. Kheng said, "I hope after surgery I will be more comfortable and can go outside more easily."

Rose is a 62-year-old widow with two fully grown children. She lost her husband four years ago. Rose owns a small business where she sells sand and also performs garden maintenance for a small fee. Rose gets support from both children, who are married with children themselves now. She lives with her second-born child in a three-bedroom house without water and electricity. Rose likes doing house chores and enjoys eating nsima, a culinary tradition of Malawi, made from maize flour with vegetables. In 2014, Rose started experiencing pain when she swallowed. She visited the hospital near her home, where she was treated. The treatment worked for awhile until December of last year when her daughter noticed that Rose's neck was swollen on the right side. In March, Rose noticed that the swelling was getting larger and also causing consistent pain. Rose decided it was time to visit Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi where a scan revealed her mass had grown substantially and was stemming from the right thyroid lobe. Her doctor diagnosed her with a goiter and determined that surgery would be needed. Due to her financial challenges, Rose could not afford the surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Rose met with a surgeon who confirmed her diagnosis and the need for surgical intervention called a thyroidectomy, which removes part or all of the thyroid gland. Rose believes the surgery will help her to get better and prevent her symptoms from impacting her day to day life, and allow her to focus on how good her life is. She was able to contribute $10 toward her care and is grateful to all to help her raise the $1,015 needed. Rose said, “Thank you donors for supporting me, I want to live my normal life.”