Lea is a 46-year-old small-scale businesswoman from Malawi. She has two children aged 15 and 10. Lea sells tomatoes, while her husband is a primary school teacher. Seven years ago, Lea began to experience troubling symptoms, including breathlessness during sleep, walking, and climbing stairs, and was unable to carry items on her head. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. 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. This January, things worsened when Lea started experiencing frequent choking after eating. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lea receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 8th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. Lea said, "Kindly help me get out of this mess; I am in trouble, and I am not ready to choke to death one day and leave my children alone."

Nuwamanya is a 51-year-old widow and mother of eight children from Uganda. She is the firstborn of fifteen children. She never had the opportunity to attend school and has relied on small-scale farming to support her family. For the past two months ago, Nuwamanya began to experience troubling symptoms, including persistent lower abdominal pain. She was given painkillers, but the pain persisted and has significantly affected her daily life. She is unable to work on her farm or eat comfortably, as eating tends to worsen the pain. She also experiences difficulty sleeping, particularly when lying on one side, and has been having persistent episodes of fever. Concerned about her worsening condition, her daughter advised her to seek further medical attention at our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital. She was diagnosed with a splenic cyst and a splenic echogenic mass. Physicians recommend surgery to open up the abdominal cavity to treat her condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Nuwamanya's surgery. On November 3rd, she will undergo surgery, and once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve her quality of life. Nuwamanya says, "The pain is too much, but I trust that the treatment will help me, and I will be able to work again. Thank you for the support."

Huoy is a 56-year-old single woman from Kandal province. She previously worked as a rice farmer but has stopped farming. Huoy currently lives with her niece, who works as a tailor. She likes to participate in ceremonies and visit the pagoda. About two years ago, Huoy developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Huoy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On July 9th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Huoy said, "I hope that after my surgery, my eyesight will improve so that I can go out more easily, help my niece care for her children, and do household chores independently. I also hope to live without worrying about my eye condition anymore."