Scovia is 58 years old and a mother of nine from Uganda. When she was 10, she lost both of her parents within a short period, leaving her and her siblings to be raised by their grandmother. She and her husband depend on farming as the family’s main source of livelihood. They primarily grow food crops such as beans, maize, and potatoes for household consumption and sell any surplus produce to generate income for her family’s needs. Twenty years ago, Scovia began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling at the front of her neck. Because the swelling grew slowly and was not painful, she did not initially seek medical attention. However, about a month ago, she began experiencing shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and increasing breathing difficulties. Concerned about her worsening condition, she sought medical care at a nearby hospital where she was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal 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. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Scovia receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 2nd. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Scovia says, “This has never been painful, but recently, I couldn’t breathe. Am always catching my breath and can’t do anything about it because of limited finances. I kindly appeal to you for support to have my surgery so I can continue farming and keep my children in school.”

Julius is a 63-year-old husband, father, and grandfather from Uganda. He and his wife have together raised eight children, all of whom are now adults with families of their own. Throughout their marriage, the couple has worked hard to provide for their family despite limited resources. Julius is a small-scale farmer who grows crops that help feed the family, and generate a modest income. His wife serves as a church leader, and dedicates much of her time to supporting the community. Twelve years ago, Julius began to experience troubling symptoms, including persistent pain on one side of his body, severe pain in his chest and lower abdomen. He has lost his appetite, suffers from recurrent fevers, and has become so weak that even bending to perform simple daily activities is difficult. The worsening symptoms have greatly affected his ability to work on his farm, threatening the family's primary source of income. Julius sought medical attention at Rwibaale Hospital and was diagnosed with an enlarged spleen. Physicians recommend a laparotomy, which is a surgery that opens up the abdominal cavity to treat his condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Julius's surgery. On September 1st, he will undergo surgery at Rwibaale Health Center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve his quality of life. Julius says: "I hope to find relief from the pain, so I can resume my duties as a farmer, and take good care of my children."

Hser is a 43-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her two daughters and her husband in a refugee camp in Umphang District, Tak Province, Thailand. Her family is originally from Karen State, Burma, but fled to the camp due to the fighting in their homeland. In the camp, her older daughter is a teacher while her younger daughter is a student. Her husband sometimes works as agriculture day laborer outside of the camp, while she is a homemaker. In October 2025, Hser started to notice a mass on her left breast. The mass was very small, so she thought it might go away by itself. But a few weeks later, the mass was still there, prompting her to go to the clinic in the camp. She was referred to a bigger hospital, where doctors informed her she may have cancer and would need surgery to prevent the cancer from spreading. However, she did not have the financial resources to undergo surgery. In August 2026, the mass started to grow bigger and cause her pain. She visited our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital, where doctors informed her she needs to undergo a mastectomy, surgery to remove her breast. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can help. On September 1st, Hser will undergo surgery, and she needs help raising $1,500 to help cover the cost of her procedure and care. Hser said, "When I learned that I have cancer, I started to worry - and even though I receive surgery, will I recover from it? When it started to be painful, I thought I would need surgery so that it wouldn't be painful anymore. When I heard from my daughter that there is an organization that could support me with surgery costs, I feel a bit better. If not for the support from donors, I would give up on surgery and choose to suffer, as I know my family could not afford it."