Jonah is 52 years old and a farmer from Uganda. She and her husband engage in small-scale farming to support their five children. Her husband supplements their income through brickmaking. About one year ago, Jonah began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling on the front of her neck. Over time, she began experiencing shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, pain when swallowing, and a persistent, irritating cough-like sensation. Her condition gradually worsened, reaching a point where she could no longer lie down comfortably to rest. Jonah was diagnosed with a goitre, which is an abnormal swelling 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 Jonah 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. Jonah says, “I was excited to know of your support, and I believe that with it, I will be operated on and will surely get better.”

Dina is an 18-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Cham Province with his parents, who are rice farmers. He is the second of four siblings. His older brother is a construction worker, his sister works in a garment factory, and his youngest brother is just three years old. In his free time, he helps his family with farming work in the fields. Dina was born with a unilateral incomplete cleft lip and cleft palate. He underwent surgery for his cleft lip and palate, but there is still a gap in his gums that affects his eating, speaking, and the symmetry of his face. Dina needs surgery to close the gap. Fortunately, Dina visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for further treatment. There, surgeons will perform an alveolar bone graft procedure on June 19th. This procedure will help close the gap and support proper eruption of the permanent teeth in the upper jaw. This will improve his ability to chew food more effectively, enhance speech clarity, and support better dental alignment. It will also improve facial appearance and help boost his self-confidence in social interactions and daily life. His family can contribute $50, but needs help raising $615 more to fund his procedure and care. Dina said, “I hope that with treatment, I will be able to improve my teeth and bite properly, speak more clearly, and smile with confidence without feeling shy about my appearance.”

Soem is a 76-year-old man and a retired farmer from Cambodia. He is married and has one son, five daughters, and fourteen grandchildren. He lives with his wife and his youngest daughter, who is a farmer and grows crops. In his free time, Some enjoys listening to monks chanting through his phone and the radio. About two years ago, Soem developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, similar to looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Soem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for seven hours seeking treatment. On July 7th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Soem said, "I hope that after my eye surgery, my vision will improve so that I can recognize people and objects more easily and go out with greater confidence and independence."