Several times a year, Luke Medical Foundation is called upon to help an individual or family obtain one-time specialized treatment, such as major dental work, surgery, specific therapy or diagnostic workup. The hospitals and clinics LMF works with serve the very poorest people in their communities, and these clinics and hospitals receive minimal compensation for their medical services. Occasionally, a patient comes along needing care that puts an extra financial burden on the hospital or exceeds the services the hospital can provide. In these cases, LMF has been able to provide funds to cover medical expenses in order to generate care for these individuals. For example, LMF sent the necessary funds to one of these mission clinics to provide major surgeries for two women. The total cost requested by the hospital was $1,000 for both surgeries. The cost is low because of the sacrifices made by the hospital staff who donate much of their time to individuals who have so little. The real surprise about this request for SIC Fund support was where these women worked – they are both nurses at the mission hospital and so poor that they qualify for financial aid. These two staff nurses have been giving sacrificially for years to their patients and never imagined that they would someday be on the receiving end.