Teresiah is a 56-year-old woman from Kenya. She is the sixth of ten children and has one 20-year-old child of her own. She works as a domestic house helper in neighbors' houses. A couple of months ago, Teresiah began to experience symptoms such as swelling on the right side of her neck, feeling hot, headaches, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty swallowing. She was diagnosed with an enlarged right thyroid gland and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is helping Teresiah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 27th where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. She and her family need help raising $625 to fund the surgery. Teresa shared, “I am requesting help so that I can be treated and be able to take care of myself and my child and not depend on my relatives.”

Juliet, who is 39 years old, is a small-scale farmer and mother of six living in Uganda. Her husband owns and runs a small bar. The family lives in a three-room mud house. Since 2014, Juliet has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including persistent headaches, airway obstruction, and a sense of heaviness in her shoulders. She uses painkillers for her headaches, but they continue to impact her ability to work as she has difficulty turning her head. She also struggles to breathe. Juliet was diagnosed with a non-toxic goiter, and 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 April 15th at Rushoroza Hospital, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and Juliet and her family need your help to raise the necessary funds. Juliet says: “I pray for a successful surgery. I want to look normal again and be able to live a comfortable and pain-free life once again. I will continue with farming after recovery.”

Muk is a 46-year-old woman from Cambodia. She is married and has four sons and seven grandchildren. She lives in the capital city of Phnom Penh with her husband and youngest son, who is a high school student. Muk sells pork for a living and, in her free time, likes to watch the news and check her social media. About two years ago, Muk developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. As a result, she has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going outside. When Muk learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for an hour seeking treatment. Muk needs to undergo a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. This surgery costs $225, which covers all medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. Muk will undergo surgery on August 7th. She contributed $50 to her care. Muk shared, "I hope I can have surgery and go back to my life without worrying and be able to do my job better."