Charity is a 60-year-old woman from Uganda. She grew up in a family of eight children, she is the fifth-born, with four brothers and three sisters. Her siblings all have families of their own and are farmers. After losing their father at a young age, their mother, who was also a farmer, could not afford school fees for all of them but managed to support Charity until she completed seventh grade. Charity and her husband are blessed with five sons. One works as a butcher, one works as a day labor on other people's farms, and the remaining three children are still in school. To make ends meet, Charity grows food crops for home consumption and sells the surplus to generate income for her family. Her husband works as a builder. About a year ago, Charity began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling on the front of her neck. Initially, it was painless, but she later began experiencing shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, frequent headaches, and painful swallowing. At first, she relied on painkillers, but they provided no relief. One day, while with a friend who noticed a significant increase in the size of her neck, she was advised that it could be a goiter. She then visited a hospital, but she was unable to raise the money needed for the procedure and returned home. For the past few months, she has been using traditional remedies, but none have provided any relief. While listening to a radio talk show, she learned about a surgical support program at Nyakibale Hospital that assists patients with conditions like hers. She decided to seek care there. She was diagnosed with a 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, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Charity receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on July 7th at Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Charity says, “I don’t see any where to get the money needed for my surgery, but I have hopes that with your support, my surgery will be successful and I will get better.”

Thon is 47 years old and a construction worker from Cambodia. He is married and has three children who work in a furniture factory. In his free time, Thon enjoys planting vegetables around his home. Thon sustained an open fracture of the left tibia and fibula along with a degloving injury of the left hand following a recent road traffic accident. Immediately after the accident, he received treatment at a government hospital, and his injuries were temporarily stabilized. He still needs a skin graft on both his left hand and leg to promote proper healing and restore function. He is experiencing pain, difficulty walking, and stiffness. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On April 6th, Thon will undergo a skin graft. He can contribute $25, but needs help raising $558 more to fund his procedure and care. Thon said, “I hope that with this skin graft, my hand and leg will heal properly. I want to be able to move and use them without pain, so I can return to my daily life and work.”

Phoeun is a 56-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia who lives in Siem Reap Province with her husband. They have three children, all married, who live nearby and visit occasionally. She enjoys planting vegetables around her home. Two months ago, Phoeun slipped and fell in her backyard, resulting in a fracture of her left humerus. She is experiencing pain and is unable to lift her left arm, which limits her daily activities and work on the farm. Fortunately, on April 8th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. Phoeun will undergo a fracture repair procedure that will relieve her pain and help her regain movement in her left arm, allowing her to return to her normal daily life and farming activities. She can contribute $50, but needs help raising $550 more to fund her procedure and care. Phoeun said, “I’ve been in pain for two months and can’t lift my left arm. I’m hoping this surgery will finally relieve my pain and help me regain movement so I can return to my normal daily life.”