Mary lives with her husband and 5-year-old child in Kenya. She is 28 years old and works as a laborer on farms. Her husband does labor jobs when we can get them at construction sites. Their combined income is inconsistent, and they have no savings or medical insurance. Mary has been unwell for a while now. She had a hemorrhagic stroke in January of this year, which has mostly been resolved. However, an ultrasound revealed that she has a right ovarian serous cystadenoma. These are abnormal growths that need to be removed. If left untreated, they can turn into cancer (serous carcinomas). Mary needs surgery, but cannot afford it. She is scheduled for an oophorectomy procedure, which is the surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries. This surgery will cost $1074, and she needs help raising the payment. Mary says, "I am in so much pain and need treatment. If left untreated I am scared of losing my life.”

Silvanus is a 2-month-old baby boy who has brought much joy to his family. His father is a boda-boda (motorcycle for hire) driver, and his mother is a local food vendor. Silvanus was born with clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Silvanus's parents did not seek treatment when he was born because the doctor who delivered him told his parents that the condition usually corrects with time. They have been waiting for his legs to improve as he gets older, but they see no improvement and are worried. They started talking to people in their community about how they can help their child, and were advised to take Silvanus to another hospital for diagnosis. They have tried their best to save money for their son’s treatment, but meeting the family's basic needs make it challenging. Fortunately, Silvanus traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Silvanus's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will heal and be able to walk normally and wear shoes as he grows up. Silvanus's mother says, “I wish my son's feet will be like other babies’ feet and he will grow up to have a normal life."

Peace is a 65-year-old farmer and a mother to three children. Her eldest daughter is in the army, middle child is in the police force, and the youngest one is married to a farmer. During her studying days, her wish was to be a nurse but she lost her father in high school. Unfortunately, her mother couldn’t raise her school fees leading her to drop out. She has been married for 32 years, and she and her husband are farmers. She shared that together they enjoy attending church services, preaching to the young generation, and caring for each other. Five years ago, Peace began to experience troubling symptoms, including anterior neck swelling, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and swallowing with persistent heart palpitations. She was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Peace receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 28th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252. She and her family need help raising money. Peace says “I hope for a full recovery once am operated and with God's mercy, I think all will be well.”