Prudence is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She studied up to primary school when she was young, but then dropped out due to a lack of financial support from her family. She now lives with her husband together with their five children. Her firstborn is a twenty-year-old carpenter, the second born is 18 years old and a cyclist, the third born is twelve years old in 5th grade, her fourth born is in fourth grade, and her youngest is in the first grade. Education is very important to her for her children’s future. Their family lives in a three-room mud house for shelter. She used to practice farming but currently she is unable due to her illness.
Twenty years ago, Prudence began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling that has grown in size over the years. Currently, it involves mild pain and affects her airway when breathing. She visited Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice where she was diagnosed with a goiter, but cannot afford the surgery costs. However, she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Prudence receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 17th 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.
Prudence says, “I believe the surgery will be successful and when I am well and recovered, I will be able to go back to my farming to be able to support my family.”
