Mary is ten years old and hails from Kayole in Nairobi County. She is the 3rd and last born in her family. She is in the fifth grade and she likes playing netball. Her mother says that she is very social when she is not in pain. Her mother works doing casual jobs washing clothes for her neighbors while her father stays at their rural home doing small-scale farming. For about three years now, Mary has been having recurrent tonsillitis accompanied by swelling of the tonsils, pain, fever, and chest congestion. Her condition has affected her studies since she misses school whenever she is sick, visiting different hospitals in search of treatment. Her mother decided to come and try Nazareth Hospital, where after a close follow-up, the ENT surgeon advised her to have a Tonsillectomy to solve the problem. Unfortunately, her parents are not in a position to raise the funds for this treatment, and they need support. If not treated, Mary will continue to experience adverse symptoms and may have complications like peritonsillar abscess and difficulty breathing. With surgery now scheduled for February 23rd, they are hopeful she will soon feel better. “I have gone up and down to different health facilities and her condition reoccurs. I ask for help and hope the operation will be successful so that she can have peace of mind and continue with her education. I will appreciate it,” said Mary’s mother.

Bridget is a 25-year-old small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married with two children. Her husband runs a retail shop around their village. Their oldest child is four and in the top junior class, and their youngest is almost two years old. For a year, Bridget has had a supra-umbilical hernia that causes her to experience intermittent swelling. Her condition is deteriorating, and without treatment, she worries it will lead to gut obstruction or intestinal perforation. The doctors recommend she undergo hernia repair surgery, and Bridget is scheduled to undergo treatment on April 8th. Once completed, this procedure will allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $170 to fund this procedure. Bridget says, “After treatment, I will thank God and will live an improved quality of life.”

Thida is a 43-year-old tailor who resides in Tbong Kmoum province, approximately four hours away from the capital city of Phnom Penh, along with her husband and two daughters. Her husband works as a tailor, while her daughters pursue their education. To support their diet, she cultivates vegetables on their modest plot of land, providing nourishing food for her family. Twenty-eight years ago, Thida had an ear infection. This infection caused the ear drum in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Thida still experiences frequent fevers, infections, ear discharge and hearing loss. Despite having undergone surgery in the past, she has had a persistent return of symptoms. These health issues affect her ability to work regularly, or communicate effectively with others, causing embarrassment when she struggles to comprehend her family or colleagues. Thida traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On January 2nd, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation in her ear drum. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Thida said: "I hope after surgery, I will stop having the ear infections and can have easy communication with others."