Vicky is a friendly 38-year-old mother to four boys aged between 2 and 12 years old. She lives in a three-room semi-permanent house with her family. Her husband is a small-scale maize farmer who works tirelessly to support his family. Vicky has a big anterior neck swelling that moves when swallowing. The swelling has been there for ten years now and has been gradually increasing in size, with pain that aggravates her when she lifts heavy things. Vicky states that she first developed goiter when she was a form two student. It was removed in 2007 in a Ugandan hospital, but reappeared three years later. Vicky began to experience troubling symptoms, including being unable to eat, drink, or sleep comfortably. She had an especially difficult time when she was expecting her children. Neighbors always help her with home chores as her children are still young and her health condition limits her physical capacity. Sometimes she has elevated blood pressure that causes angina. At our medical partner's hospital, she was diagnosed with Multinodular Thyroid Cyst. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Vicky receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 21st at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $936, and she and her family need help raising the funds. Vicky says, ”I am so stressed with what I am going through. I would love to work together with my husband in order to provide for our family, but my health status cannot allow me. Please help me because I am optimistic that I will get well someday and be able to help.”

Sai Laung, who is 18 years old, lives with her parents and her younger sister in Shan State in Burma. Sai Laung used to be an agriculture day laborer, but she stopped working in July 2022 due to her illness. In her free time, Sai Laung likes to read Buddhist books and study English online. During the first week of July 2022, Sai Laung began to feel very tired and she developed a fever. At first, she thought it was because she was working a lot, but when she had difficulty breathing a few days later, her mother brought her to the hospital. She was told she might have a congenital heart condition, and the doctor recommended that she have an echocardiogram to confirm the diagnosis. Sai Laung had an echocardiogram at another hospital, confirming that she has a ventricular septal defect, or a hole in her heart. The doctor advised her to go to the Pun Hlaing Hospital in Yangon to see a cardiologist, which Sai Laung did towards the end of November 2022. During that visit, the doctor also diagnosed her with aortic valve regurgitation, and told her that she needs surgery. Currently, Sai Laung has difficulty breathing and is only able to walk short distances before experiencing fatigue. Performing ordinary household chores like cooking or cleaning is exhausting for her. Her lips turn blue, and she has sharp chest pain, fever, and difficulty sleeping. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, has stepped in to assist Sai Laung access the care that she needs. On March 7th, she will undergo surgery to repair her heart at Pun Hlaing Hospital. Now Sai Laung and her family need your help to raise the $1,500 to fund this life-saving procedure. “I have felt so sad since I was diagnosed with this [heart disease]. I need surgery and we have no money. I look at my parents and I pity them because they work so hard to help me get treatment. I want to recover quickly and go back to work so I can help my parents with the extra income. When I learned that there are donors who will help pay for my treatment cost, I felt so happy," said Sai Luang.

Amina is a shy 11-year-old student living in Tanzania. Amina was born with albinism, a condition feared and misunderstood within her culture. But Amina enjoys going to school, as it is when she is able to socialize with her friends. While she is at school, her parents work on people's farms to earn money, and Amina's mother also sells fruits, vegetables, and spices at the market. Amina suffered burns to both of her hands in an accident in 2020. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burns. Her right wrist has limited extension, which makes it difficult for her to accomplish a variety of daily tasks. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Amina receive treatment. On March 9th surgeons at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre will perform burn contracture release surgery to help Amina to use her hands freely. Now she needs your help to fund this $874 procedure. Amina’s mother says: “We are excited that Amina is going to get better after the surgery.”