Ulemu is a friendly 11-year-old boy, the firstborn of two children from Malawi. The family lives in a small, single-room mud-built house with a thatched roof. His mother earns a living by selling tomatoes from a small bench outside their home, and the family depends largely on this income to meet their daily needs. Ulemu's mother shared that he has been experiencing pain that often starts in his groin area, and travels up towards his abdomen, around the navel. She noticed that the pain is particularly severe during cold weather. She took him to the referral hospital several times in search of medical help, but unfortunately the surgery list was always long, and he has not been able to receive the surgery he needed. After hearing from several friends that Nkhoma Hospital was providing surgical services, she decided to bring him there. Getting to Nkhoma was not easy for the family. Because of their limited resources, even finding transport was a challenge. The journey took around five hours, and during the trip, his mother had to carry Ulemu on her lap at times. At Nkhoma Hospital, Ulemu was assessed and diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. Doctors explained that he would need surgery to correct the condition. For Ulemu's mother, finally receiving a diagnosis brought some relief, but learning about the cost of treatment brought another worry. The family could not afford the surgery fees. Ulemu's illness has also affected his education. For a boy who has recently completed his primary school examinations, his mother hopes that treatment will allow him to continue with his education without the interruptions caused by pain. Fortunately, Ulemu is scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $421 to fund Ulemu's hernia repair surgery. The procedure will take place on August 13th and, once completed, will provide Ulemu relief from the pain that has affected his childhood and education. Ulemu's mother said, “I want my son to receive the help he needs, so that he can be well again and continue with his education.”

Rita is a 13-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives in Kompong Cham province with her parents and her younger sister, who is in grade three. Her father is a worker in Japan, and her mother stays at home to manage household chores and care for their family. Rita is in grade nine and enjoys studying Khmer literature. She wants to be a policewoman when she grows up. Rita was born with a torticollis after her mother experienced a difficult birth. This condition involves a twist in the neck caused by a tight neck muscle called the sternocleidomastoid muscle. In many instances, physical therapy can resolve it, but in some cases, it may necessitate surgery to lengthen the muscle. Rita has trouble turning her head and neck and often feels pain in her shoulder. She has also developed posture problems. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Rita receive treatment. On January 5th, surgeons will perform a contracture release surgery to help her turn her neck and have a full range of motion. Now, she needs help to fund this $572 procedure. Rita's mother said, "After the surgery, I hope that my daughter's neck will be better so she doesn't feel shy about her appearance and can focus more at school."

Steven is a 47-year-old farmer from Malawi, married with four children. Two of his children are in secondary school, and the other two are in primary school. Steven works as a security guard, while his wife takes care of their home. To supplement his income and provide for his family’s needs, he also engages in small-scale farming, growing maize and vegetables, and keeping a few chicken. Since March this year, Steven has had a right inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when tissue bulges through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall, near the groin. At first, he was not overly concerned and decided to mention it to a close friend. The friend reassured him that it was nothing serious and that it would disappear on its own. Trusting his friend’s advice, Steven continued with his daily routine. However, over the following weeks, the bulge gradually increased in size and began causing discomfort, especially when bending, lifting heavy objects, or working on the farm. As the pain worsened and affected both his work and sleep, Steven decided to seek medical care at our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital. After a thorough examination, he was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia. The attending doctors advised that he undergo a hernia repair procedure. Knowing the financial challenges his family faced, Steven was worried about how he would manage to pay the medical bill. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Steven receive treatment. On December 11th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, relieving his symptoms and allowing him a healthier life. Now, Steven needs help to fund this $500 procedure. He says, "I am really grateful for the hope I have in your support, when I had nowhere else to turn."

Ran is a 65-year-old widow from Cambodia. She lives in Prey Veng province with her only son, a rice farmer, and his family. Her husband died when her son was only six, and she raised him on her own by farming and selling rice at the local market. She is retired now, and stays home to help with housework or listen to monks prayers on the radio. About a year ago, she developed swelling on her left wrist. At first, she assumed it was an injury caused by a fall she had earlier in the year when she fractured her right wrist. However, her right wrist has healed, and her left wrist is still swollen, sore, and stiff. An ultrasound revealed a mass on her wrist. Ran traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On December 9th, surgeons from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Ran's family can contribute $75, but needs help to raise $269 more to fund this procedure. Ran shared, "I hope that after this operation, I can use my hand again to help my son and daughter-in-law in the rice fields."

Desire is a 25-year-old mother from Uganda. She lives with her husband, young child, and two stepchildren. Her husband works as a carpenter, and she was working as a primary school teacher until she lost her job due to pregnancy complications. Growing up, she was known to be hardworking, determined, and focused. During her free time, she enjoys watching netball matches. Desire is currently expecting her second child, and has been in and out of the hospital for the past seven months with pregnancy complications. Doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of a high-risk pregnancy. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Desire undergo a C-Section on February 21st. This procedure will cost $252, and Desire needs your support. Desire says, “Because of these complications, I lost my job, meaning I have not been earning anything. My husband has done all it takes to take care of me, but this time, we are even unable to afford a scan worth $6. I kindly appeal to you for support.”

Manich is a seven-year-old student from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She is the youngest of three children, with her older brother in university and her older sister in 9th grade. Manich's father works in construction, and her mother runs a small grocery business in front of their home. Manich enjoys studying, and her favorite subject is Khmer history. During her free time, she enjoys playing outdoor games with her friends in the village and eating her favorite food - her mother's fried pork with rice. Manich was born with torticollis, a condition characterized by an involuntary contraction of the neck muscles, which causes her head to tilt or turn to one side. This condition can cause pain, stiffness, and an abnormal head position, making her neck appear rotated at an angle. Manich feels shy about her appearance, and her mother is concerned about potential health complications in the future. After hearing about Children's Surgical Center from a villager, her mother brought her to our medical partner's hospital, hoping to find treatment. Manich must undergo a tendon and nerve repair procedure to help regain strength and mobility. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center, is helping Manich receive this tendon and nerve repair treatment on October 17th. The procedure costs $701, and Manich and her family need your support. Manich's mother said, "After the surgery, I hope that my daughter will have a normal neck like other children so that she can be confident, and I won't have to worry about future problems."

Savoeun is a 53-year-old man from Kompong Thom province in Cambodia. He is married with three children; his eldest is a university student, his second born is in grade 10, and his youngest is in kindergarten. His wife sells vegetables at a local market to support the family. In his free time, Savoeun enjoys planting fruits and vegetables and feeding his hens. He used to work as a construction worker but can no longer do this due to his condition. In 2010, Savoeun was in a motorbike accident and fractured several bones. He was prescribed steroids for pain. Over time, he developed avascular necrosis of his hip, a condition where the blood supply to the ball-shaped part of the thigh bone (femoral head) is disrupted, leading to bone death. He has undergone several surgeries, including a left hip replacement but he suffers from chronic infections in the hip prosthesis. He also experiences pain and fever, and is now seeking further treatment to regain mobility and reduce pain. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center, is helping Savoeun receive treatment. On November 12th, he will undergo an uncemented hip replacement procedure on his left hip. Savoeun is able to afford only $50 for his treatment, and needs help to raise an additional $1,450 to cover surgery, a special prosthesis, medications, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. Savoeun says: "After surgery, I hope that I will no longer have pain, and will be able to walk properly without using crutches, so I can resume work to support my family."

Nan Lae is a 15-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, her two younger siblings in Karen State, Burma. Her father is a rice farmer, and her mother is a homemaker. She had to stop studying after the fourth grade due to her family’s financial difficulties. The family earns money from harvesting and selling rice, and their income is just enough to cover their daily expenses. In 2023, Lae noticed swelling in her gums. She visited the local clinic with her mother, where the medic removed a mass in her gums. The swelling disappeared, but after a year, the mass returned. Lae continues to experience swelling around her gums and difficulty opening her mouth. She can only chew on her left side because her right side is swollen. Nan Lae sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on November 12th, and needs help to raise $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Lae shared, “I cannot eat; sometimes I have to avoid chewing hard food.” Her mother added, “I want her to recover from this as soon as possible. She has already suffered for two years.”

Kim Horn is a 43-year-old divorced mother of two from Cambodia. She lives in a small house with her two sons in rural Ratanakiri province; she and her husband divorced when the children were still very young. Kim Horn's eldest is in grade five, and her youngest is in kindergarten. She makes a living as a noodle vendor. In her free time, she does household chores and collects vegetables from the village to use in the noodle coils she sells. Twenty years ago, Kim Horn fell out of a tree while trying to pick fruit. After several years of pain, she underwent a left total hip replacement in 2009. For the last several years, she has continued to experience pain and intermittent discharge from her hip. She needs to walk with crutches to keep her balance and has difficulty moving around, which affects her daily life and ability to work or care for her young children. When Kim Horn learned about our medical partner, the Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for 13 hours via public bus to seek treatment. On December 5th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove non-viable and infected tissue from the wound, which is crucial to enable antibiotics to work effectively, promote healing, and potentially save the artificial joint. Now, Kim Horn needs help to fund this $417 procedure. Kim Horn said, "After the surgery, I hope that I will be able to walk without crutches, so I can earn some money to support my children's studies."

San is a 50-year-old woman from Burma. She lives alone in a village in Tak Province, Thailand. Originally from Burma, she moved to Thailand in 2015 in search of better job opportunities. San works as an agricultural day laborer, earning around 2,400 THB per month, which is often not enough to cover her daily expenses. When she needs for basic health care, she visits Mae Tao Clinic (MTC). Lately, she has borrowed 3,000 THB with interest from friends to cover her recent medical costs. For over a year now, San has been experiencing abdomen distension. When she touched her lower right abdomen, she could feel a mass. San went to our medical partner for a review and was diagnosed with uterine myoma. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, San's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, San is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on December 18th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, San will recover from her worrying symptoms, allowing her a healthier life. She said, “I feel very sad and worried about my surgery because I cannot afford to pay for it. Now that I have learned that the organisation (HFA-BCMF) and the donors will cover for my surgery, I feel very happy and relieved. I am thankful to all donors and to HFA-BCMF for saving my life. Without your support, I would not have been able to afford the treatment, and I might have lost my life. When I fully recover, I will return to my work."

Gay is a 13-month-old baby boy from Burma who lives with his parents in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province in Thailand. His parents fled from Burma due to the civil war. When Gay was about a month old, his parents noticed that his left scrotum was larger than the right and that his inguinal area appeared to bulge at times. Gay was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, a condition caused by abdominal tissue pushing through an opening in the lower abdominal wall. Fortunately, on June 23rd, Gay will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sariang Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,468 to fund Gay's hernia repair surgery. Once completed, he should live more comfortably. Gay's mother said, “My son is an active baby and plays well. I feel sorry for him because of his health condition. He is too young to tell us if he is in pain.”

Grace is 54 years old and a farmer from Malawi. She is married with four adult children. Grace and her husband are small-scale farmers growing maize, cassava, and rice. One year ago, Grace started experiencing pain on her left inguinal side and has since been unable to work as before. The pains were later associated with on-and-off swelling that threatened her. Eventually, she visited the hospital, where a diagnosis of hernia was made. Grace was told to wait for the surgery date while at home. As time passed, the swelling caused more discomfort and pain. Grace was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Fortunately, on July 2nd, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $575 to fund Grace's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. Grace said, "Kindly help me to get rid of my problem that has affected my daily activities to enable me to live a peaceful life."