Yan is a retired rice farmer from Cambodia. He has two sons and two daughters. His wife passed away eight years ago from stomach cancer, and Yan lives with his youngest son. Although Yan has retired, he still enjoys spending time in the rice fields and listening to monks pray on the radio. About two years ago, Yan developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Consequently, he has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is unable to go out on his own. When Yan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled to their care center seeking treatment. On February 9th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund this procedure. Yan shared: "After surgery, I hope my eye can see better, and I can go to the pagoda by myself."

Mary is a 45-year-old small-scale farmer, living in Uganda. She is a single mother of five, with her first-born 30 years old and her last-born 14. She owns a two-room mud house for shelter and grows sweet potatoes, sorghum, and cabbage on her small piece of land. Six years ago, Mary began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain and swelling in her neck. She recently visited Rushoroza Hospital after being referred by a friend and was diagnosed with a nodular goiter. The neck swelling has continued to increase in size. She experiences fatigue quickly, affecting her ability to work. Additionally, she has experienced airway obstruction and has been told that she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mary receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 9th at Rushoroza Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland, a procedure that will cost $333. Mary needs your help to raise the funds to cover the cost of her care. Mary says: “I had lost hope of living a normal life again until a well-wisher referred me to Rushoroza hospital for surgical help under the donor fund. I hope to resume farming comfortably after surgery.”

Juliet is a widowed small-scale farmer who has solely raised all four of her children, with the eldest in her senior year and the youngest having just completed primary school. In addition to farming, she does casual labor work on other people’s farms to supplement her income. A while back, Juliet began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, shortness of breath and difficulty in swallowing. She is no longer able to actively engage in farming or walk long distances because of palpitations and easy fatiguability. After receiving a thyroid test and scan, she was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Juliet receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 24th where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. She and her family need help to raise $252 to fund the procedure and care. Juliet says, “It will surely be a blessing and I will really be blessed having my health restored to normal once given a chance to undergo this surgery under your support.”