Arham is a sweet 7-month-old baby from Tanzania. He has a twin sister. His father works as a mechanic, and his mother stays home to care for the children and household. They shared that their income supports their basic needs and request assistance with Arham’s surgery. Arham has clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Arham’s family visited our medical partner’s care center. On November 15th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery that will allow Arham to walk easily and wear shoes as he gets older. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Arham’s surgery. Arham’s mother says, “Life has been hard for us these few past months, and I can’t stop thinking about how to solve my baby’s condition. I hope my son grows to have a normal life like his twin.”

Tukwasibwe is a 45-year-old woman from Uganda and a mother to eight children. Four of her children are still in school, and the others are working. Tukwasibwe and her husband practice small-scale farming and sell their surplus produce to provide income for their family. Thirty-four years ago, Tukwasibwe began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty swallowing and breathing and an inability to speak for long periods. She visited the health center at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). The doctors diagnosed the condition as a goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. Tukwasibwe needs to undergo surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. AMH is helping Tukwasibwe receive treatment. On November 29th, she will undergo a thyroidectomy, during which the surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMH is requesting $252 to fund Tukwasibwe's surgery. Tukwasibwe shared: “I will be grateful when my condition is relieved. I have been long-suffering with this. I beg for God's mercy over this condition and support over my surgery.”

Chanthoeun is a 57-year-old rice farmer. She is a widow and lives in Kampong Cham province with her youngest daughter. She has a total of four daughters and nine precious grandchildren. She spends her days outside on the farm and caring for her grandchildren while her daughter sells soft drinks. She likes to watch Khmer dramas on TV in the evening. Twelve years ago, Chanthoeun developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her Irritation and redness. Lately, it has been much worse and she has difficulty seeing. 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. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Chanthoeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. Chanthoeun needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for February 7th. Chanthoeun said, "I hope after surgery my eye irritation will go away, and no redness. I want to help my daughter to take care of my grandchildren, go outside to help with the rice, and do housework well"