Vumilia is a 12-year-old girl from Tanzania. She loves school and especially enjoys studying Swahili. She is the youngest in a family of three children. Her mother is a subsistence farmer, and her father works for a mining company. Vumilia was born with a longitudinal deficiency of the tibia, so her right leg is bent below the knee and is shorter than the left leg. This makes walking difficult. Over time, she will develop back problems due to poor balance. Fortunately, Vumilia visited our medical partner's care center. There, she will undergo an amputation on April 13. This surgery and prosthesis will allow her to be able to walk without problems, and she will not be at risk of developing back problems. Her family needs help raising $1,035 to fund the procedure. Vumilia says, “I hope that this treatment will allow me to be able to walk without difficulty and be able to continue with school. Thank you so much for helping me.”

Lim is a 53-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has one son and three daughters. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and relaxing at home when she is not working. About two years ago, she was in a car accident that caused a hip dislocation. She had the dislocation treated, but doctors discovered that she has osteoarthritis of the hip, which causes her chronic pain. She has difficulty walking on her own. She needs an arthroplasty procedure to help her regain her mobility. Fortunately, Lim is scheduled to undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center on March 14. She needs help raising $497 to fund this procedure. She looks forward to being able to walk without pain after surgery. She says, "I hope I can move without pain and return to work soon."

Mu is a 27-year-old farmer from Burma. She rents a patch of land with her husband and farms. She has two children. Mu experienced abdominal pain and visited Mae Tao Clinic, our medical partner's care center. She received medication, which temporarily alleviated the pain but did not eliminate her symptoms. She has been diagnosed with gallstone pancreatitis. Mu says, “It is a sharp pain and it comes on without warning. Sometimes I can feel it all the way in my back.” Mu has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Mu's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Mu is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on February 14. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Mu's procedure and care.

Joy is a baby from Kenya. Joy lives with her mother and maternal grandparents, who are farmers. Joy has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Joy has been experiencing an increasing head size. Without treatment, Joy will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Joy that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 17 and will drain the excess fluid from Joy's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Joy will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Joy’s mother says, “I wish to see my child grow up like a normal child. It is my prayer."

Baw is a 40-year-old woman who lives with her family in Umpeim Mai refugee camp in Thailand. Baw works as a treasurer of a community-based organization in the camp. Her husband works as a security guard at the same organization. All of her three children are students. Baw learned about her heart condition twelve years ago after she gave birth to her youngest son. After giving birth, the doctor informed her that she would no longer be able to have children due to her weak heart. Until 2016, Baw did not experience any symptoms relating to her heart condition. It was only in May 2016 that she started to feel extremely tired after strenuous activities. She gradually lost her appetite, had problems sleeping, and lost weight. Eventually, Baw went to the camp’s clinic. Finally, Baw was brought to Mae Sot Hospital where she received an echocardiogram and was diagnosed with atrial septal defect and severe mitral regurgitation. She was told that she would require surgery and was then referred to BCMF for financial assistance in undergoing the surgery. Baw's surgery is scheduled for October 30. She needs help raising $1,500.

Andy is a 12-year-old boy from Dominican Republic. He lives with his parents. His mother works as an office administrator, and his father works as a chef to support their family. Andy enjoys going to school and watching baseball on TV. Andy was born with a complex congenital heart condition that involves many defects including one heart valve that does not open and close properly, causing blood to back up into his heart, and leaving him feeling weak and short of breath. Throughout his childhood, Andy has undergone many heart surgeries to repair his heart. This surgery is the last one he needs to repair his mitral valve. Andy will fly to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On August 31, he will undergo cardiac surgery. This $27,000 surgery is subsidized by Have a Heart Cayman. Andy's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Andy's family overseas. Although Andy is not from Haiti, Haiti Cardiac Alliance is collaborating with partners to make his surgery possible. "I would like to share my entire family's gratitude to everyone who is helping my son become healthy!" says Andy's mother.

Nai is a 43-year-old woman who lives with her family in a village in Karen State, Burma. In February, Nai cut two of her toes while walking around her village. After she tried to clean the cuts, they got worse, and the tissue in and around them started to darken. A week later, Nai’s foot was in a lot of pain and her toes were swelling. She visited a medical clinic, and her left leg was amputated in March. Now, her left leg is fully recovered. However, she recently began noticing pain and itching in her right leg. The pain worsened and was replaced by numbness over the course of the summer, so she returned to the hospital for further treatment. On September 1, surgeons will operate on Nai's painful right leg. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, requests $1,500 for a below-knee amputation. Nai says, "My leg is very painful and I can't walk or sleep at all. I feel sad because I cannot work and have to spend time in the hospital. I just want to recover."

Meet Wine, an 11-year-old student from Thailand. She lives with her sister and mother. Wine enjoys school and shares that she would "like to become a teacher one day." Wine has been diagnosed with a case of congenital clubfoot in her left foot, and this prevents her from being able to walk. On August 1, surgeons at our medical partner's care center, Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital, will perform an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure to correct Wine's clubfoot. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover Wine's surgery, month-long hospital stay, and post-op physiotherapy sessions.

Than is a 53-year-old Burmese woman. She lives with her husband and parents. Than currently works for a government factory, and her husband works as a security guard there as well. The couple does not have any children, and Than's parents are retired. From birth, Than has experienced frequent nosebleeds and tiredness. At 21, she visited a nearby clinic about her condition and was told that she has a heart problem called mitral stenosis. This causes her to be tired and short of breath. It could potentially develop into more serious symptoms. Than had surgery in 1986 to address this condition. This surgery improved her symptoms, especially reducing her tiredness. Unfortunately, Than's symptoms returned in 2008. When she visited a medical professional again, Than was told that her blood was not flowing through her veins properly, and doctors told her that she would require surgery again. The procedure is expensive, but Than's symptoms have made it necessary. Than heard about our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), from friends in her village and hoped that they would be able to help. BCMF has scheduled Than's mitral valve replacement procedure for May 24. They are seeking $1,500 in funding.

Meet Mpanzeuruvugo, a 33-year-old maize farmer from Uganda. Since the start of this year, Mpanzeuruvugo has been experiencing intermittent swelling in a sensitive area. The pain and swelling increase when Mpanzeuruvugo does physical activity. He is no longer able to work. Doctors at Holy Family Virika Hospital (a care center affiliated with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation) diagnosed Mpanzeuruvugo with an inguinal scrotal hernia and an umbilical hernia. Surgeons will repair Mpanzeuruvugo's hernias on April 26. Mpanzeuruvugo needs our help to pay for his $249 medical bill, which includes his surgery and hospital stay. After the surgery, Mpanzeuruvugo hopes to go back to work so he can take care of himself again.

Sok is a 47-year-old farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has two sons and two daughters. In her free time, Sok likes to cook, stay at home, and feed her pigs. In October 2016, Sok was in a tractor accident and fractured her right tibia. She went to a local hospital, where surgeons performed an external fixation of her fractured tibia. Her symptoms have not improved, and Sok continues to experience pain and difficulty walking. Sok learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), from her cousin. She traveled for four hours with her husband to reach CSC for treatment. On April 3, Sok will undergo a second external fixation procedure to repair her right tibia. After recovery, Sok will be able to walk easily again. CSC is requesting $411 to fund this procedure.

SamEang is a 43-year-old man from Cambodia who likes to fish in the river close to his home in his free time. SamEang earns his living by farming, and he and his wife have two daughters and a son. Three and a half years ago, SamEang was in a car accident, and he fractured his right tibia (shin bone). The break was so severe that he had to undergo surgery to remedy it. A week after the accident, physicians surgically aligned the broken bones in his leg, then secured them in place using a piece of hardware. The fracture has healed with time, but SamEang still experiences pain at the site of the operation. He traveled for six hours to visit our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, where doctors determined that the hardware in his leg is to blame for his discomfort and must be surgically removed. Although SamEang cannot afford to pay for this treatment on his own, we can help. For $143 we can fund his operation, which is scheduled for March 13. Let’s make sure each part of SamEang’s day can be pain-free again—whether it is working on the farm, playing with his children, or fishing near his home.