Lillian is a 63-year-old farmer from Kenya. She is a mother of three children. She has been a widow for more than 12 years now, and since the passing of her husband, she has found it hard to make ends meet to raise her children. A few years back, she raised some chickens that lay eggs for sale to provide for the family. She also farms and sells arrow roots to get some extra cash. Two of her children have now finished school, and one has moved out. She shared that they are not well off financially and thus Lillian cannot afford for her treatment costs. She is appealing for financial assistance. A recent CT scan revealed a swelling in her uterus. After a biopsy test was done, Lillian was diagnosed with malignant neoplasm of the uterus. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1260 to fund Lillian's surgery. In November, she will undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Lillian will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Lillian says, “It has not been easy for me because I have had to change how I live. Thank you for your support.”

Soktheang is a six-year-old preschooler. He and his family live in Kampong Speu province, about four hours away from the capital of Phnom Penh. His father is a construction worker, and his mother works in a local clothes factory. He has one older brother who is a student. Soktheng likes to learn about Khmer history and listen to stories told by the teachers. At home, he loves to eat fried eggs and drink orange juice, and he tries very hard to keep up with his older brother. About three days ago, Soktheng's mother noticed him pulling at his ear and not sleeping well. She took him to the local health center, where they saw a small foreign object in his ear. Due to his agitation, they were unable to retrieve it. He complained of pain and hearing loss and was very unhappy. If the object stays in his ear, it could lead to infection and long-term hearing loss. Soktheang and his mother traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On November 17, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) surgeons will do a procedure to remove the object under anesthesia. Now, Soktheang's family needs help to raise $273 to fund this procedure. His mother said: "I hope my son will not have pain anymore. I am worried Soktheang will not hear from that ear."

Florence is a small scale farmer from Uganda. She travelled across eight districts to reach Nyakibale Hospital, seeking treatment. She was directed to the hospital by a program beneficiary, a bodaboda taxi driver who had faced a similar condition. She works as a farmer, cultivating food crops such as beans, maize, and potatoes primarily for home consumption. Any surplus from her harvest is sold to generate income for her family. Unfortunately, she never had the opportunity to receive an education due to a lack of school fees, which limits her employment options. Her husband is also a farmer, and they have six children, all currently pursuing their education. 24 years ago, Florence began to experience troubling symptoms, including a large anterior neck swelling. Initially, it was not painful, but over the last six years, she has been experiencing persistent headaches, heart palpitations, shoulder heaviness, and respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Upon consultation with a doctor at Nyakibale Hospital, she underwent an examination and was subsequently advised to undergo a special scan. She was diagnosed with giant goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Florence receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on October 24 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Florence says, “I hope to be relieved from the pain I have been having for 24 years and to gain a complete recovery.”