34-year-old Beatrice lives with her husband and four children in Malawi. Beatrice uses the income from the saloon that she owns to take care of the needs of her children. Her husband, who is a businessman, uses his income to take care of their home, a three-bedroom house that has neither running water nor electricity. In 2020, some of Beatrice's friends noticed a swelling in her neck. Beatrice- who was pregnant at the time- went to the hospital to be evaluated. She was told that the swelling might be related to her pregnancy and that she should come back after giving birth if the swelling hadn't subsided. The swelling continued to grow; ultimately, Beatrice was diagnosed with a goiter- a swelling of the thyroid gland- and told that she would need to have her thyroid surgically removed. Beatrice's surgery continued to be postponed, but her symptoms of breathlessness and coughing- which often kept her from going to work- continued to worsen. Finally, her sister suggested that she visit Partners in Hope Medical Center, where doctors scheduled her for surgery on January 31st. As Beatrice is unable to cover the costs of her treatment, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,015 to fund Beatrice's thyroidectomy. Beatrice believes the removal of her thyroid will help her to return to her home in Blantyre, and to rejoin her family in good health. She believes her children are the reason why she lives, and she knows that she has to be healthy in order to continue supporting them. Beatrice said: “I am looking forward to getting back to normal.”

Lay is a 74-year-old grandfather from Kampong Cham province. He has been married for many years and has two daughters who are both married, and four grandchildren. Before Lay retired, he was a rice farmer with his wife. They are now supported by their daughters, who live nearby. At home, he likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio and visit with his grandchildren. Three years ago, Lay developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision and pain. He is unable to go outside in the bright sun or travel far from home due to poor vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Lay learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for five and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 6th, doctors will perform phacoemulsification cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Lay shared: "I am hoping after surgery I can finally see better and take care of myself."

Kanchana is a happy four-year-old. She lives with her parents in Kandal province; her mother is a teacher and her father is a chef in a local restaurant. She has just started to attend school and is excited to learn about Khmer subjects. At home, she likes to draw pictures, and have fried pork, soup, and milk for meals. Kanchana has strabismus in both eyes. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye caused by injury or dysfunction in the associated nerves and muscles. Kanchana's eyes turn outward and it is difficult for her to focus. She often complains of headaches. If this condition is left untreated, her eye may face outwards continually, and she could lose her ability to see with both eyes. Kanchana will have much more difficulty with large amounts of reading and writing as she gets older. Kanchana traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to align her eyes. Now, Kanchana needs help to raise $331 to fund this procedure. Kanchana's mother said: "I hope her eye looks like other kids after this surgery."