Lea is a 46-year-old small-scale businesswoman from Malawi. She has two children aged 15 and 10. Lea sells tomatoes, while her husband is a primary school teacher. Seven years ago, Lea began to experience troubling symptoms, including breathlessness during sleep, walking, and climbing stairs, and was unable to carry items on her head. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an 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. This January, things worsened when Lea started experiencing frequent choking after eating. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lea receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 8th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. Lea said, "Kindly help me get out of this mess; I am in trouble, and I am not ready to choke to death one day and leave my children alone."

Rin is a 25-year-old chef from Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia. She lives with her sister. Her parents passed away one year ago, and her six siblings are all married and living with their own families. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music. At the age of nine, Rin had a knee abscess in her right knee that was treated at a private clinic. Over time, the infection led to lasting joint damage, and she has since developed osteoarthritis of the right knee. She experiences persistent pain, swelling, and difficulty walking, making it hard to manage her work as a chef and daily activities such as using stairs. Fortunately, on May 7th, Rin will undergo knee fusion surgery with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. Rin can contribute $100, but needs help raising an additional $500 to fund her surgery and care. This procedure will help stabilize the joint, reduce her pain, and improve her mobility. Rin said, "After the surgery, I hope that my pain and swelling will be relieved, and that I will be able to move my right knee more comfortably. I also hope to regain better mobility and improve my ability to carry out daily activities without difficulty."

Mann Ya is a 14-year-old girl who lives with her parents and siblings in Battambang Province in Cambodia. Her father works as an army officer at the Thai border, while her mother manages the household. Mann Ya is the youngest of three children, and is currently in Grade 8. In February this year, Mann Ya was involved in a motorcycle traffic accident that caused fractures on her left leg. She underwent initial surgical treatment in Battambang Province, which included internal fixation of the left femur, and external fixation of the left tibia. Despite this treatment, she developed a persistent infected wound on her affected leg, which has failed to heal properly, and which remains open. This condition has significantly affected Mann Ya's daily life. She has difficulty walking, and has been unable to attend school regularly, which has disrupted her education and normal childhood activities. Mann Ya was later referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, for further management. She is now scheduled to undergo free flap surgery on June 17th at Kien Khlang National Rehabilitation Centre, to close the open wound, and to improve soft tissue coverage. The procedure will also help control infection, protect underlying structures, reduce complications, and promote optimal healing and functional recovery of the left leg. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is seeking $859 to fund Mann Ya's procedure, which should enable her to return to the life that she knew, prior to the accident. Mann Ya's mother said: “As a mother, I worry every day when I see my daughter struggling to walk and unable to attend school like other children. I hope this treatment will finally help her heal, so she can return to her studies, regain her independence, and look forward to a brighter future.”