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.”

Mao is a 56-year-old truck driver from Cambodia. He and his wife have three children. His wife works in a factory, and all of his children are in school. In his spare time, Mao enjoys watching the news and boxing matches on his phone. In late September 2026, Mao slipped and fell in the bathroom, fracturing the neck of his left femur and the upper part of his thigh bone that connects to the hip joint. Since the accident, Mao has had persistent hip pain and difficulty walking, using a crutch to help him get around. His injury has made everyday activities more challenging and prevents him from comfortably carrying out his work as a truck driver. Mao needs to undergo a hip hemiarthroplasty to address his fracture and heal. A hip hemiarthroplasty is a partial hip replacement that involves replacing half of the hip joint. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner's hospital can perform this procedure on October 22nd to relieve Mao of his pain and allow him to walk more easily. Mao contributed $100 to his care and needs help raising $612 to fund his treatment. Mao said, “I hope the surgery will help reduce my hip pain and allow me to walk more comfortably and independently again. As a driver, I want to regain my mobility so I can return to my daily activities and get back to work when I have recovered enough."

Vortey is a 20-month-old girl from Cambodia. She is an only child and lives with her parents in Kompot Province. Her father works at a bank, while her mother runs a small coffee shop. She enjoys eating caramelized pork and grilled fish. On January 14, 2026, Vortey was burned by hot water, injuring her left hand. She received treatment and regular follow-up at a hospital near their home, but the burn healed with scar tissue that later caused contractures in several fingers and the web spaces. The burn scars have tightened around her left middle, ring, and little fingers and the spaces between them. This limits her finger movement and makes it harder for her to use her left hand normally. When Vortey learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled four hours to seek treatment. On September 17th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to loosen the tight scar tissue and improve movement in her left fingers and hand, helping her use her hand more comfortably as she grows. Now, she needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Vortey's father said, “Seeing her fingers become tight after the burn has been difficult for us as parents. I hope this treatment will give her better movement in her hand so she can play with her sister, learn as she grows, and use her hand more comfortably.”