Anthony is an 18-month-old toddler who lives with his parents and an older sibling in Uganda. Anthony's parents are small-scale farmers, primarily growing food crops for sustenance. Since he was born, Anthony has had inguinal hernia, a condition in which soft tissue bulges through a weak point in the abdominal muscles. According to his mother, the swelling had worsened in pain in the last six months, causing Anthony to experience more discomfort when he cried, which was also very worrisome for her. She had previously not sought treatment due to lack of funds. However, as the condition worsened, she decided to take him to hospital where upon review, surgery was recommended. If left untreated, the condition may lead to strangulation, cutting off blood flow to the tissue that is trapped, which could be life threatening. Despite their farming efforts, Anthony's family is unable to afford the medical bills required for their son's surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Anthony receive treatment. On April 9th, surgeons at Karoli Lwanga Hospital in Nyakibale will perform a hernia repair surgery to relieve his symptoms and allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Anthony's family needs help to fund this $230 procedure. Anthony’s mother says, “I will be grateful when my son gets this surgery done and feels comfortable, so that I can resume farming work and support our livelihood.”

Asiyatu is a married mother of two children aged 8 and 3 years. Her first child is in 3rd grade and the youngest is in nursery school. She is a homemakerwhile her husband is an Airtel money branch manager earning about $208.72 per month from his business and he takes care of all the bills at home. They live in a three-bedroomed rented house costing $29.82 per month. Asiyatu likes chatting with her children and enjoys eating chips and vegetables. Asiyatu was well until 2020 after the delivery of her second child when she noted a small lump on her left breast that was not painful. She visited a nearby hospital but did not receive help. The husband took her to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) after noting that the lump was getting bigger as time passed. She was brought to Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) for a lumpectomy which is a surgery that removes cancer from the breast through the removal of a tumor and a small rim of normal tissues around it, and a sample was sent for histology. In September, she reported back to PIH for histology results that revealed an Invasive Breast Carcinoma requiring a mastectomy. She was then referred back to KCH for surgery since the husband could no longer manage to pay for the surgery as he did with the previous one. She was scheduled for surgery the next year. Lately, Asiyatu has been experiencing needle-pricking pain that is becoming unbearable without pain-relieving medications, affecting her household chores. As a result of her pain, her husband took her back to the hospital in November for support where she was then referred back to PIH for urgent surgery seeking support under the Watsi program. Doctors at PIH confirmed the need for a modified radical mastectomy, a surgery. Their family is able to commit $89.45 to support her care and their family is raising the remaining funds. Asiyatu believes the surgical operation will help her get back home in good condition and continue taking care of her children and her caring husband. Asiyatu said, “I am ready to live with one breast as I hope to get rid of all my pains and have my perfect life back again.”

Sambath is a cheerful six-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives with his three siblings and parents, who earn income by collecting plastic bottles for recycling. Two years ago, Sambath had an ear infection that caused the ear drums in his right and left ears to perforate. As a result, Sambath experiences ear discharge, hearing loss, and a history of snoring at night which has been exacerbated by an inflammation of the nose. His communication with others has been hampered, and he no longer attends school. Sambath and his mother traveled to our medical partner's care center to seek help for his condition. On March 20th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure to repair the eardrums on both of his ears, at Kien Khlang National Rehabilitation Centre. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $914 to cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care for the procedure. Sambath's mother says, "After surgery, I hope that Sambath will be able to speak more clearly, and that his hearing will improve. I would like for him to do well in school, and feel hopeful about the future."