Heh Khu is a seven-year-old from Burma. He lives with his parents and five other siblings in Ei Thu Hta village, Hpa-pun Township, Karen State. His parents are farmers. He loves to draw in his free time. When he was one year old, he complained that his right eye was itchy and painful. He then lost vision in his right eye. Doctors want Heh Khu 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 $469 to cover the cost of Heh Khu's CT scan and care, scheduled for March 5. His mother says, "I am sad to see my son in pain and that he cannot see things."

Mi is a 47-year-old woman who lives with her husband and elderly mother in a village in Hpa-an Township, Karen State, Burma. While she looks after her mother and their house, her husband works as a subsistence farmer on their small piece of land. Mi also has a daughter who works in a textile factory in Bangkok. Around three years ago, Mi started to experience what she thought were muscles aches. Later, the muscle aches developed into back pain in the area around her left kidney. For one year, she took pain killers. Later, an x-ray indicated that she had a renal stone in her left kidney. Mi decided to visit our medical partner's care center. Now, she needs surgery to remove her kidney. Surgery is scheduled for February 4 and will cost $1,500. “I just want to recover, go back and look after my mom and the house,” says Mi.

Hoem is a farmer from Cambodia. He is married and has seven daughters. He has nine grandchildren. He likes to listen to the news on the radio. A year ago, Hoem developed a cataract in each eye, causing him blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Hoem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On January 3, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $398 procedure. He says, "I hope I can return to work soon."

Catherine is a housewife from Kenya. She is a mother of four children. Catherine has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Catherine. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 26. After treatment, Catherine will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Catherine says, “My prayer is to be treated, to go back and raise my family and fight off the cancer.”

Mzee is a farmer with a wife and six kids from Malawi. He enjoys fishing and chatting with his friends in his free time. For four months, Mzee has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Mzee's surgery. On November 1, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. He is looking forward to relief from pain. He is eager to complete the operation and begin recovery. He says, "I am thanking God for this program which will help me get better and be able to work again. Please continue to help others like me in this way. Thank you!"

Blessing is a two-month-old baby from Kenya. She is the the youngest in a family of three children. Her parents are farmers. Blessing 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, Blessing has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Blessing will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Blessing that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 26 and will drain the excess fluid from Blessing's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Blessing will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Blessing’s mother says, “I feel bad that I cannot raise any amount to help my daughter. I hope the people who helped us can stand with us once again.”

Puth is a second grade student from Cambodia. She has two older sisters. She likes to eat fried rice and play with her sisters. She likes studying Khmer literature and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. In infancy, she received poorly administered injections, causing a flexion contracture of her right knee. She is unable to ride her bike. When Puth's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On September 5, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty procedure of her right leg to help her walk easily again. Now, Puth's family needs help to fund this $413 procedure.

Nyew is a 47-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and her two sons in Noh Poe village, Myawaddy Township, Karen State. Nyew looks after her house and children at home, and her husband works as a farmer. In her free times, she loves to go out with friends to collect vegetables in the forest. Nyew has pain and tightness in her upper abdomen. When she is in pain, Nyew is not able to sleep or eat well. Nyew has been advised to undergo a biliary obstruction repair, a procedure to repair the blockage of the bile ducts, which carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. If left untreated, Nyew'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), Nyew is scheduled to undergo her biliary obstruction repair on July 31. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Nyew's procedure and care. Nyew says, “Now, I am very happy to hear that I am going to have surgery and I will no longer be in pain after surgery. I plan to return home, take care of my house, and meet with my friends to collect vegetables in the forest after I recover."

Chhenghuon is a sculptor from Cambodia. She has four daughters, five sons, and forty grandchildren. She likes to listen to monks pray on the radio. Two years ago, Chhenghuon developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision, burning, irritation, itchiness, and clouded lens. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Chhenghuon learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for half an hour seeking treatment. On June 1, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. She says, "I hope my vision is clear again after surgery so I can help my family to do work at home and take care of my grandchildren."

Day is a four-year-old boy from Karen State, Burma. He lives with his mother, two brothers, and sister. He does not yet attend school, but his sister is in grade one. His older brothers both work as agricultural day laborers and get paid in rice on an annual basis. When Day was a year old, his mother noticed a small, swollen area on his left buttock. The area was about the size of a quarter, but did not cause Day any pain. Over the next three years, the swollen area, or cyst, grew significantly. The cyst had some redness and was soft. Day’s mother did not take him to any healthcare facilities for investigation or treatment because the mass was not actively bothering him and they do not have enough money to do so. However, Day's mother started to worry about Day's condition as the cyst gradually grew bigger. In May 2018, someone in Day’s village told his mother about Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), a free clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand. They finally came to MTC and were referred to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH), our medical partner's care center, for surgery. The doctor at MSH scheduled Day for surgery on May 30. Now, his family needs help funding this $1,500 cyst removal procedure. Day’s mother says, “I really want him to have treatment, but we have never had enough money.”

Say is an 18-month-old baby girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, her paternal grandparents, and her uncle. Say likes to play with any toys she can get. When she was seven months old, Say's parents noticed that she was experiencing troubling symptoms. After bringing her to multiple clinics, Say was diagnosed with a vaginal tumor. Due to her condition, Say experiences discharge and difficulty passing urine. She also suffers from intermittent fevers. Say sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on April 20. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. "I wish that my daughter will grow up well," says Say's mother. "I would be very happy if she could become doctor."

Yoe is a 16-year-old day laborer from Burma. He lives with his parents, two brothers, and one sister in Karen State, Burma. Yoe's parents work as subsistence farmers, and his older brother works on a neighbor's farm. On March 4, Yoe was driving a friend home at night when they got into a motorbike accident. Yoe injured his left thigh, breaking his femur. He is not able to walk or work, and he is in a lot of pain. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Yoe will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for March 5 and will cost $1,500. After treatment, he will be able to support his family again. Yoe said, “I am worried that if I do not receive medical treatment, I will not be able to find to work."