Keat is a 73-year-old who has one daughter, one son, and seven grandchildren. Keat lives with her daughter who is a food seller. At home Keat enjoys listening to the radio. Five years ago, Keat developed entropion of the eyelids. This means that her eyelids turn inward, causing her eyelashes to scrape the surface of her eyes. It is difficult for her to open her eyelids and see. Keat traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On January 3rd, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to repair her eyelids. Now, Keat needs help to raise $225 to fund this procedure. Keat says, "I hope after surgery my eyes will return to normal so the itching and tearing will stop and I can see clearly again."

Somanith is a 17-year-old university student. She is the oldest child in her family and has two siblings: an 8-year-old brother in 2nd grade and a 12-year-old sister in 4th grade. Somanith is in her first year at university, where she is studying accounting. Her father works for the government, and her mother stays at home to care for her siblings. Somanith likes to read books, exercise, and meet up with friends in her free time. Six months ago, Somanith noticed swelling on the left side of her face and thought it was from her wisdom tooth. She received a biopsy at the government hospital, which revealed she has a mass called ameloblastoma. Somanith is experiencing swelling and pain and is concerned with how quickly the mass has grown. Specialty surgeons will need to perform an excision and histology to determine her future treatment. When Somanith learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled across the country for eight hours seeking treatment. On December 7th, surgeons at CSC will perform an excision to remove the mass and help Somanith feel comfortable again. CSC is requesting $657 to fund her procedure. Somanith shared that she is hopeful the tumor will be easily removed and the biopsy will be benign.

Jane is a strong 34-year-old woman from Zambezi in Kiambu County. She is married with 3 children. Jane began having abdominal pains and vomiting about four years ago. She visited various hospitals and was treated for ulcers but her symptoms persisted. At one point she was told she had an issue with her liver and was sent to a specialist. Jane had extensive lab tests done and several scans which showed she has cholelithiasis or gallstones. These are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that form in the gallbladder. She came to Nazareth Hospital and consulted the surgeon who recommended laparotomy to finally remove the gallstones. Jane’s husband, who runs a small shop to fend for his family, has registered with the national health insurance program but their coverage has not yet been approved. On seeing his wife’s worsening pain and discomfort he decided he couldn’t wait any longer and came to the hospital to find out about the estimated cost of surgery so that he can organize a community fundraiser (Harambee). The family members are not able to raise the money required on their own and need support. Jane says, “I hope to be treated and get relieved of these symptoms so that my family can stop being in a constant state of worry and uncertainty.”