Chanthorn is a 21-year-old mango farmer from Cambodia. He lives with his mother and older brother in the village where he grew up. He has four other siblings, and they live in nearby villages with their families. One year ago, while Chanthorn was lifting a crate of mangoes, he suddenly experienced a sharp pain in his back. The pain persisted and he noticed a curvature in his spine. He experiences chronic daily pain due to his injury. Chanthorn's injury has prevented him from working on the farm. He also used to enjoy playing soccer every evening with his friends in the village, but is unable to due to his injury. Chanthorn traveled five and a half hours to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, for a diagnosis and treatment. On March 20th, our surgeons will perform surgery to align his spine using implants. This procedure will ease his pain and allow him to return to work. Our medical partners are requesting $1,500 to fund his procedure. The costs will cover surgery and in-patient care, including physiotherapy. Chanthorn's mother said, "I hope my son will feel healthy again and be able to return to work on the farm."

Nyi is a 22-year-old man from Thailand. He lives in the monastery with two other monks. He helps the monk with cooking, cleaning, and looking after the monks. He receives free food and free accommodation. He has no income but has enough food. Originally from Burma, his aim of coming to Thailand was to look for better job opportunities and also to seek treatment but because of his condition, he does not have job and ended up living in the monastery. In December 2022, Nyi started experiencing some headaches and blurred vision. He went to the local eye clinic and his eyes were tested and he received a pair of eyeglasses. However, the eyeglasses did not help him see better so the doctor suggested him to have further investigation and possibly a computerized scan (CT). Nyi had no money so he did not pursue further investigation of his symptoms. He was looking for a way to get treatment and finally arrived in Thailand and visited Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in November 2023. After meeting with the doctor at MTC, the doctor told him to go to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation and explained to him that his eyes looked normal but there might be a tumor that is causing his blurred vision, the doctor then recommended he undergo a CT scan to confirm his diagnosis and make the best plan for his care. Doctors want Nyi to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Nyi's CT scan and care, scheduled for January 30th. Nyi said, "I want to recover and get a job so that I can earn money for my living."

Patrick is a three-year-old boy from Malawi. He is the youngest of two children. His parents are farmers who grow maize, beans, and groundnuts to support the family. A year ago, Patrick started experiencing a painful swelling on the right side below his waist. His mother took him to a nearby health center, where she was advised to seek medical help at Nkhoma Hospital. Patrick was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia and was advised to have corrective surgery. This condition causes him abdominal pain whenever the swelling appears and his parents are worried about their child’s health. If left untreated, it may lead to more health complications. Treatment will relieve Patrick of the pain and alleviate his parents’ stress. Patrick is scheduled for surgery on March 12th and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $421 for the surgery. Patrick’s mother says, “I am looking forward to my son’s treatment and recovery so that he can be happy again.”