Wadaje is an 18-year-old girl from Ethiopia. She is a college student who lives with her older sister. Two months ago, Wadaje started to experience an itchy infection on her right finger. The wound developed into a contracture, causing significant difficulty with movement. Following her initial treatment at a local small clinic, she developed a severe hand contracture that has left her hand stiff and difficult to use. This has significantly disrupted her studies and daily life. The resulting loss of independence is deeply distressing, as she now depends on her sister for almost everything, which creates a difficult situation for them both. When Wadaje learned about our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, she traveled for one week seeking treatment. On June 3rd, surgeons will perform a contracture release surgery to gradually restore movement to the right finger. This will make it easier to handle schoolwork and help with household duties comfortably, while also decreasing the frequency and cost of hospital visits. Now, she needs help to fund this $500 procedure. Wadaje said, "I hope to regain the health and skills required to perform my academic and daily tasks with ease, which is vital for my success as a college student."

Sineth is a 13-year-old 8th grade student from Kampong Cham Province in Cambodia. She lives with her parents and younger sister, who is in Grade 4. Her parents are rice farmers and work hard to support their family. Sineth enjoys studying Khmer literature, which is her favorite subject at school, and hopes to become a doctor in the future. In her free time, she likes listening to music and chatting with her friends. Her favorite food is fried pork with ginger. Sineth has scoliosis, a condition in which the spine curves abnormally to one side, often resembling a "C" or "S" shape. Her spinal curve has gradually worsened over the past three years and is now approximately 50 degrees in the thoracolumbar region. Although she does not currently experience pain, the increasing curvature affects her posture and makes it difficult for her to sit comfortably for long periods. This can make it harder for her to stay comfortable and concentrate during class, and the curvature may continue to worsen as she grows. Sineth's family was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), by another hospital. They traveled approximately four hours from Kampong Cham to seek specialized care. On August 17th, surgeons at CSC plan to perform posterior spinal fusion to help straighten and stabilize her spine and prevent the curvature from worsening. She needs $1,500 in support to cover the cost of her surgery and related medical care. This treatment will help support her spinal health as she continues to grow and allow her to remain active and continue her education. Sineth's parents said, “We hope that this surgery will help straighten and stabilize our daughter’s spine and prevent her scoliosis from getting worse. We wish for her to grow well, stay active, and continue her studies and daily activities with confidence and comfort.”

Mcdonald is a 66-year-old father and grandfather from Malawi. He and his wife live in a small village, where they depend on farming maize and groundnuts for their livelihood. Farming has always been an important part of their lives, but his illness has gradually made it difficult for him to continue working in the fields. Six years ago, Mcdonald started experiencing uncomfortable symptoms, and a reliance on the catheter. As his health progressively worsened, he could no longer work on the farm, leaving his younger sister to help with the farming. McDonald and his family decided to seek a lasting solution for his condition. He was advised to seek care at Nkhoma Mission Hospital, a journey that took 5 hours. At the hospital, Mcdonald was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Physicians at Nkhoma Hospital determined that Mcdonald should undergo a prostatectomy, a surgery to remove part or all of the prostate. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $530 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place at Nkhoma Hospital on September 9th and, once completed, it will hopefully improve Mcdonald's quality of life. McDonald said, “I am hoping that with the surgery treatment, I can finally be free from the catheter and return to the life I had before. I want to go back to my farm, work again with my wife, and enjoy my family without constantly worrying about my health.”