Erwin is a father of five. Five years ago, Erwin had a stroke that paralyzed a part of his body, causing him to be physically disabled. Because of his condition, he is not able to work. Moreover, Erwin began to feel a lump in his throat three years ago. He also had difficulty when breathing and swallowing. When the doctors examined Erwin, they diagnosed him with Follicular Nodular Disease found in his thyroid. Erwin needs to get surgery immediately to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Erwin to receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 9th at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. The Surgeons will remove all or part of his thyroid gland. The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is supporting a portion of the cost of his treatment, and WSFP is raising the remaining $935 to cover the cost of Erwin's procedure and care. Erwin's family said, "We are grateful to have come across people and organizations who are willing to help us without asking for anything in return. Thank you very much for giving us hope."

Myint is a 27-year-old woman from Karen State, Burma. She moved to Thailand to be with her sister. Myint's sister works in sales and her brother-in-law works in construction. In her free time, Myint likes to listen to Burmese songs and studies Thai language online to learn to speak and read. Myint was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own as the person grows, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Because of this condition, Myint has difficulty breathing and tires easily. She feels pain in her chest and other parts of her body and has difficulty sleeping. Myint is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on April 12th at Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital to correct her atrial septal defect. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Myint's procedure and care. Myint said, “I am so happy and thankful for all the donors and BCMF for helping with my heart surgery because I would not be able to afford it. I hope I will recover soon and when I am better, I want to work and save some money to go back to stay with my father.”

Merge is a 3 year-old child from Ethiopia. She is a beautiful young girl who loves to play with toys and her brothers. She loves to wear new clothes and shoes - her dad shared that she is always asking for new clothes and shoes. Merge loves being around people. Her dad is a farmer with a large family, his older children out of the house and living their own lives. Seven children are still with their parents. Her mom spends her day taking care of her child, collecting firewood from the woods, and pouring water from a long distance from a manual well. She carries the water jar and the sticks on her back. They harvest once a year. Their income is limited to sustain the needs of their household. Merge was born with anorectal malformation and she was referred to Addis Ababa referral hospital and underwent two surgeries. But now she developed an incisional hernia. Fortunately, on February 9th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $512 to fund Merge's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently as she grows. Merge's dad said, “I hope she will heal. That will make me happy. I will send her to school and I want her to become a doctor.”