Prudence is a 34-year-old mother of three children from Uganda. She and her husband are farmers. Twelve years ago, Prudence began to experience troubling symptoms, including persistent lower abdominal pain and pain around the sides of her ribs. She frequently feels weak and has become increasingly unable to bend comfortably or carry out her daily activities and farming responsibilities as she used to. Due to financial constraints, she has been relying on traditional herbal remedies to manage the pain. Prudence was referred to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital, where an ultrasound revealed a massive splenomegaly associated with hypersplenism, an enlargement of the spleen. Physicians recommend abdominal surgery to address her symptoms and prevent other complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Prudence's surgery. On October 31st, she will undergo surgery, and once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve her quality of life. Prudence shared, "I hope to get rid of the pain and resume my duties as a farmer and take good care of my children."

Paong is a 76-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She is a widow and has three daughters and three grandchildren. Now, she lives with her second daughter, who plants potatoes. She likes to watch the news on TV and listen to monks pray on the radio. About five months ago, Paong developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Paong learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 28th, doctors will perform a small-incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Paong said, "I hope after surgery, my eye can see better. I want to be able to walk around, recognize my relatives, and go to the pagoda."

Mohamed is a five-year-old boy from Mali. He lives with his parents and two older siblings. Mohamed's problems started when he began to experience swelling and discomfort in the roof of his mouth. Over time, the swelling worsened, prompting his family to visit our medical partner's care center, Hôpital du Mali. Doctors discovered a mass on the roof of Mohamed's mouth, which was investigated and found to be a nasopalatine duct cyst. These cysts are non-cancerous, but carry several risks if not removed. If the cyst is allowed to continue to grow, it could displace Mohamed's teeth and put pressure on his nasal passage, causing difficulty eating and breathing normally. Nasopalatine duct cysts can also become infected, causing further pain. Fortunately, Mohamed is scheduled to undergo cyst removal surgery on September 8th. Our medical partner, Muso, is requesting $1,120 to cover the total cost of Mohamed's procedure and care. Mohamed's parents shared, "Once the cyst is removed, we hope that Mohamed will be able to resume his daily activities free of the uncomfortable symptoms. We hope the swelling will be gone."