Joan is a farmer and a mother from Rukungiri district in southwest Uganda. She is married and is a mother of six, with two sons, both studying in school, and four daughters, all of whom are married and small-scale farmers. She managed to complete seventh grade in primary school but never proceeded due to a lack of money for school fees. Joan and her husband do farming and grow food crops for home consumption, but often sell off the surplus to generate an income for their family. Five years ago, Joan began to experience troubling symptoms, including a lot of pain; she can’t turn her head sideways; she feels congested with difficulty breathing; she gets fatigued easily and has shortness of breath whenever she lies down to sleep. She first went to Kisiizi hospital, where she was diagnosed and was asked to first pay for her surgery, which she couldn’t raise, but when she was oriented about a surgical support program, she decided to come to see if she could be supported. She was diagnosed with a goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Joan receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 29th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Joan says, "I am really in deep pain, but I hope to get healed once I receive this surgery."

Daychai is a 52-year-old man from Thailand. He lives alone in a village where he works as a gardener, growing fruits and maintaining the garden. From his work, he earns 3,000 baht (approx. 100 USD) per month. On February 23rd, Daychai was driving home from work and, suddenly, he lost control. He ran into a post beside the road and was knocked unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he found himself admitted at a hospital with pain in his right ankle. The doctor came to see him and told him that his right ankle is fractured. He would need surgery at nearby Mae Sot Hospital for his ankle to heal properly. Currently, his right lower leg is swollen and he cannot walk without crutches. He is in severe pain though he feels better after he takes pain medication. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Daychai will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for February 25th and will cost $1,500. This surgery will help his ankle heal properly so that he can walk again and he can go back to work. He said, "I am all alone and if I do not work, then I have no income and no money to eat. I need to recover to be able to walk and work again. I will be more careful next time while driving."

Dara is a 27-year-old soldier from Cambodia. He has three older sisters, who are married, and one younger sister, who studies English literature. Dara lives at home and, when he is not working, he likes to play football with his friends. A year ago, Dara started having frequent, severe nosebleeds that caused him to feel light-headed. His family took him to a local clinic, where doctors were able to stop the nosebleed and determine that Dara has a tumor in his nose. Currently, he continues to have frequent nosebleeds and is unsure when they will happen, which can be distressing for Dara. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help Dara receive the treatment he needs. On March 9th, surgeons will remove the mass. CSC is requesting $231 to fund this procedure and his medical care. Dara shared, "I hope that the tumor will be removed quickly and easily, and I won't have to worry about having another one."