Shinka is a 6-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the last born in a family of seven children. His father, who was the sole breadwinner of the family passed away in 2017 after a short illness. To provide for the family, the eldest son, who finished his high school studies last year, sells milk to earn some money. Sometimes the earnings are not much, and they have to rely on family members for financial support. The family does not have medical coverage and is not able to raise the money needed to pay for Shinka's surgery. In May of last year, Shinka started experiencing some difficulty when passing urine. At some point, he had stopped going to school for a few weeks. His mother shared Shinka's condition with his uncle who took him to a local health center for review. Shinka was examined and referred to our facility. When he came with his uncle for examination, doctors were able to diagnose his condition and also found a condition called cryptorchidism that first requires a bilateral orchidopexy surgery. If left untreated, Shinka has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Shinka will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 11th. AMHF is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Shinka’s uncle says, “We are very much worried as a family about Shinka’s condition. His studies are affected, and we want him to go back to school as soon as possible.”

Rachana is a 31-year-old widow from Cambodia. She lives with her parents and her 11-month-old son in Prey Veng province. Tragically, her husband passed away when they were in a motorbike accident two months ago. Her parents are rice farmers, while Rachana takes time off from the rice fields to care for her son. As a result of the motorbike accident in February 2024, Rachana sustained fractures in her left forearm and clavicle that caused paralysis of the left arm. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. She cannot lift her arm, making it difficult to carry her infant son or think about going back to work in the rice fields. Rachana traveled to Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre to receive treatment. This is the only center in the country where this treatment is available. On April 23rd, she will undergo brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, she should be able to use her arm again. Rachana's family is able to contribute $100 but requires $609 more to fund this procedure. After the surgery, Rachana hopes to be able to move her arm easily and plans to return to work eventually.

Allen is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She completed primary school but was not able to continue because her parents were unable to support her education. She is separated from her husband and raising two children. Her firstborn is 14 years old and no longer in school, and her secondborn is 13 years old and is in primary school. She lives with her parents in a three-room mud house. Ten years ago, Allen began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small painless swelling on her neck which was rapidly increasing in size. She resorted to using herbs, but they did not help her at all. Currently, the mass has enlarged excessively and has caused difficulty in swallowing. She also experiences mild airway obstruction and on-and-off episodes of severe headaches. She was diagnosed with a goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Allen receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo thyroid surgery on February 3rd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Allen says, ‘‘I pray to have a successful surgery. I hope to continue with farming after complete recovery to be able to support our family. May God bless you.’’