Rose is a 62-year-old widow with two fully grown children. She lost her husband four years ago. Rose owns a small business where she sells sand and also performs garden maintenance for a small fee. Rose gets support from both children, who are married with children themselves now. She lives with her second-born child in a three-bedroom house without water and electricity. Rose likes doing house chores and enjoys eating nsima, a culinary tradition of Malawi, made from maize flour with vegetables. In 2014, Rose started experiencing pain when she swallowed. She visited the hospital near her home, where she was treated. The treatment worked for awhile until December of last year when her daughter noticed that Rose's neck was swollen on the right side. In March, Rose noticed that the swelling was getting larger and also causing consistent pain. Rose decided it was time to visit Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi where a scan revealed her mass had grown substantially and was stemming from the right thyroid lobe. Her doctor diagnosed her with a goiter and determined that surgery would be needed. Due to her financial challenges, Rose could not afford the surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Rose met with a surgeon who confirmed her diagnosis and the need for surgical intervention called a thyroidectomy, which removes part or all of the thyroid gland. Rose believes the surgery will help her to get better and prevent her symptoms from impacting her day to day life, and allow her to focus on how good her life is. She was able to contribute $10 toward her care and is grateful to all to help her raise the $1,015 needed. Rose said, “Thank you donors for supporting me, I want to live my normal life.”

Hadassah is a sweet 3-year-old from Central Kenya. She is the youngest in her family of three children and is absolutely adored by her family. Hadassah’s mother runs a business selling curtains and bedding materials at her local shopping center to provide for her family. Hadassah was born with congenital clubfoot, a condition in which both of her feet are turned inwards. This condition can cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Hadassah’s mother was first referred to a pediatric orthopedic doctor, who explained that Hadassah could undergo serial casting as a non-surgical way to treat this condition. Hadassah started weekly serial casting; however, the condition did not improve and instead recurred. Then, at a mobile clinic in their local area, Hadassah’s mother met our medical partner’s care team. After review by the doctor, our medical partner was able to schedule clubfoot repair surgery for Hadassah on September 27th. After undergoing surgery, Hadassah will be able to walk easily, play with friends, and enroll in school without any hindrances as she continues to grow. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,286 to fund Hadassah’s surgery. Hadassah’s mother said, “I am appealing for help from well-wishers to assist my daughter in undergoing surgery so that she can walk like other children and join school.”

Alex is a 50-year-old father from Uganda. He and his wife have 3 children, all of whom are married and self-employed. His wife engages in small-scale farming, primarily producing food for the family's consumption with a small surplus for sale, and Alex manages a small retail shop to support his livelihood and the entire family. For 5 years, Alex has had reducible right inguinal (groin area) hernia and right inguinal swelling. He states that it comes and goes over time and hinders his ability to walk. This has had a negative impact on his work performance in his business and has consequently resulted in a lower quality of life. If left untreated, these symptoms could persist and eventually lead to strangulation. Alex underwent a surgical procedure on the left side of his inguinal region six years ago. Unfortunately, he has now developed a similar condition on the right side. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. Alex is scheduled to undergo a hernia repair surgery at AMH's care center on August 8th. AMH is requesting $230 to fund the surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Alex says, “I cannot afford this surgery but if I get your support, I will have a restored and improved health thus able to continue with my business for a living.”