34-year-old Beatrice lives with her husband and four children in Malawi. Beatrice uses the income from the saloon that she owns to take care of the needs of her children. Her husband, who is a businessman, uses his income to take care of their home, a three-bedroom house that has neither running water nor electricity. In 2020, some of Beatrice's friends noticed a swelling in her neck. Beatrice- who was pregnant at the time- went to the hospital to be evaluated. She was told that the swelling might be related to her pregnancy and that she should come back after giving birth if the swelling hadn't subsided. The swelling continued to grow; ultimately, Beatrice was diagnosed with a goiter- a swelling of the thyroid gland- and told that she would need to have her thyroid surgically removed. Beatrice's surgery continued to be postponed, but her symptoms of breathlessness and coughing- which often kept her from going to work- continued to worsen. Finally, her sister suggested that she visit Partners in Hope Medical Center, where doctors scheduled her for surgery on January 31st. As Beatrice is unable to cover the costs of her treatment, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,015 to fund Beatrice's thyroidectomy. Beatrice believes the removal of her thyroid will help her to return to her home in Blantyre, and to rejoin her family in good health. She believes her children are the reason why she lives, and she knows that she has to be healthy in order to continue supporting them. Beatrice said: “I am looking forward to getting back to normal.”

Kheng is a 59-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. Her husband passed away many years ago. She has two sons, five daughters, and many grandchildren. At home, Kheng enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio and playing with her grandchildren. A year ago, Kheng developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she cannot go places on her own. When Kheng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 15th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund this procedure. Kheng shared: "After surgery, I hope I can see well, go outside, and recognize the faces of my grandchildren."

Deziranta is a 48-year-old farmer. She is a mother of three daughters who are all married and working as farmers. She lost her husband in 2020 to kidney disease. Despite her early love for school, Deziranta had to drop out after completing 7th grade due to lack of school fees. Currently, she practices farming for her livelihood and occasionally works in other people's gardens where she is paid 5,000 Ugandan Shillings. She lives in a two-roomed muddy semi-permanent house in Buhunga Rukungiri District in Southwestern Uganda. Six years ago, Deziranta developed a painful swelling on her back. This swelling causes her sleepless nights as she cannot sleep on her back. She also experiences paralysis of the back and cannot lift or carry loads. Her symptoms limit her from activities she would comfortably do before, which led her to seek medical attention. Deziranta traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 28th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Deziranta needs help to raise $137 to fund this procedure. Deziranta says “I beg for your mercy for support to make my surgery possible. Without it, I won’t ever get a chance to undergo my surgery due to limited finances."