Alice is a 2 year-old toddler from Kenya. Her family hails from a village in Bungoma county. Alice is the only child in the family and is loved deeply by her parents. Her mother sells chips and samosa in a small kiosk within the village while her father sells shoes. Alice entered the world with a unique trait – she was born with bilateral club hands. Her parents were surprised by the condition. They had not heard or witnessed a condition of that kind, and they were unsure of what this meant for their precious daughter’s future. However, the parents were determined to give all the love and support she needed to continue with a full life. Immediately after Alice was born, her parents started seeking guidance from medical professionals who specialized in limb conditions, they went to different hospitals within the county until they were referred to Cure hospital. She is now in the hospital to undergo bilateral hand centralization surgery. The treatment will be impactful to her because her hands will be straightened, and she will be able to use them fully. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,224 to fund surgery for Alice. Alice's mother shared, “I will appreciate any kind of support to help my daughter undergo surgery, so that she can resume her life like other children.”

Gregon is struggling to hear. He has severe bilateral hearing loss that requires attention. He needs hearing aids for both ears. He attends school, but his mother plans to send him to a special school to learn sign language. With the hearing aids, he will be able to hear well and join the special school where he will learn to speak and study hard. Gregon is an only child raised by a single mother who lives in an urban area in the country's capital, Nairobi. Gregon's Mother says, "He enjoys schooling but cannot recognize voices. My child needs to hear to go to school."

Jonah is a 7-year-old active and inquisitive primary school student from Kenya. He and his twin sister are the third born in a family of 5 children. His mother is a laborer tending farms and washing clothes for a living, while his father works as a security guard. In June 2019, Jonah slipped into boiling tea. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for first aid after sustaining serious burns on his back, thigh and hand. He was treated in the hospital for several months, but now burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the burn. He is unable to hold anything with the affected hand. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Jonah receive treatment. On October 2nd, surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery so that Jonah will be able to use his hand with ease again. AMH is asking for $1,500 to fully fund the procedure and medical care. Jonah's mother says, “Jonah cannot use his left hand at all because of the burns. He is only dependent on the right hand. He needs this procedure to be able to use his hand.”

Htet is a 38-year-old mother of four from Burma. She works as a street vendor, selling vegetables while her husband is currently unemployed. Her eldest daughter works as a money changer. Her other children attend school. During her free time, Htet enjoys visiting with her neighbors. Since November 2022, Htet has been experiencing frequent abdominal pain that has progressively worsened over time. She has been diagnosed with a gallstone. Unfortunately, medications only help relieve her pain temporarily. Htet has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Htet'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), Htet is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on September 19. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Htet's procedure and care. Htet said: "It is impossible for me to pay for the surgery. I was so delighted when I met you and knew that you would help me get surgery. I would like to say thank you so much for your great support."

Siek Meng is a 15-year-old who resides in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents make a living as rice farmers, and when Siek Meng returns home from school, she helps care for her siblings. During her free time, she enjoys learning English by watching English-language films and television shows. She aspires to pursue higher education in the capital of Phnom Penh and study medicine in the future. Around the age of 6, Siek Meng and her parents noticed something concerning about her back. However, they postponed seeking treatment until two years later due to the high cost of treatment and not considering it essential at that time. Unfortunately, the condition has since deteriorated, and she has been diagnosed with scoliosis, a deformity of the spine. In the past year, Siek Meng has experienced increased difficulty breathing as her rib cage presses on her lungs. Additionally, she occasionally feels numbness in her legs caused by her vertebrae compressing nerves. Thankfully, Siek Meng and her father undertook a challenging journey of two and a half hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), seeking assistance for her disability. The medical team at CSC plans to perform a spinal fusion with implants on August 2nd, which requires financial support as the operation costs $1500. This amount will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-operative physiotherapy care. CSC is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure for Siek Meng. Siek Meng shared, "I am feeling embarrassed about my back and I want to not have chest pain anymore. I hope after surgery I can go back to school and be able to walk around my village more easily."

Wine is a three-year-old boy who lives with his parents and siblings in Karen State - an area of Burma that is in a state of crisis and conflict. Wine’s father is a construction day laborer and his mother stays at home with Wine and his siblings. Wine's older brother lives in Bangkok and his sister lives in Shan State and is able to send Wine's household money every month. His other four siblings are students. Wine was born in 2019 with a condition called hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is caused by a brain malformation or birth defect that causes excessive cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in brain cavities. Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear, colorless liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, protecting them from injury. It carries nutrients to the brain and spinal cord and takes away waste. In a healthy person, the amount of this fluid produced by the brain is absorbed by the body. In hydrocephalus, the fluid fails to drain and accumulates, leading to pressure on the brain. Wine's symptoms include a lump on the bridge of his nose. His eyes frequently water, and he cries a lot when he is in severe pain. Additionally, his head is gradually increasing in size as the fluid continues to build. The condition is most often treated by inserting a shunt. The shunt diverts excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain to another part of the body where the fluid can be reabsorbed. Wine visited a doctor when he was born to address the issue. While he was in the process of receiving treatment across the border at a hospital in Thailand, the Thai-Burma border shut down due to the outbreak of COVID-19. With the closure of the Thai-Burma border, Wine and his family could not go back to his follow-up care. Fortunately, after the Thai-Burma border reopened, Wine was able to meet with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Wine received a CT scan at Mae Sot General Hospital and the doctor was able to diagnose the issue and scheduled Wine to undergo surgery immediately on June 2nd. BCMF is now requesting $1,500 to help fund this procedure. Wine's mother said, "I want him to be able to walk, sit, and be healthy like other children his age. My husband and two of my children work, so I can take good care of Wine. I cry a lot whenever I see Wine suffering from pain, but now I feel like I no longer have to shed a tear for him because of that. I don’t want to be rich, nor do I want him to be rich. I only want Wine to be healthy and happy."

Regina is a 42-year-old mother of four from Burma. She is a hardworking homemaker. During her free time, she enjoys walking around the neighborhood. Regina has been diagnosed with a gallbladder condition, resulting back and abdominal pain, yellowing of her skin, and other worrisome symptoms. The medications the doctors have provided her have not worked. If left untreated, Regina's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. She has therefore been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Regina is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on May 22nd. BCMF is requesting $1,487 to cover the total cost of Regina's procedure and care. Regina said “I am glad to receive help from BCMF for my operation. I am also very thankful to you for helping patients who can't afford surgery. I hope my operation goes well.”

Htwe is a 12-year-old student who lives with his uncle's family in Thailand. His parents are day laborers in Bangkok, who send his uncle money every month to support him. In his free time, Htwe enjoys playing football with his friends. Two years ago, Htwe's right eyelid became swollen and red. By July 2021, the swelling had worsened and he felt a small mass in his right eyelid. He also developed double vision. He visited several clinics and was given oral medications and eye drops, but he never felt better. Currently, Htwe has redness and swelling in his right eyelid, and sometimes his eye will water. He also has blurry vision and feels uncomfortable with the mass pressing on his eyelid. Due to his blurry vision, he finds it hard to study and do his homework. Eventually, his aunt took Htwe to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH), where he was diagnosed with a cyst in his right eyelid. The doctor told him that he will need to have surgery to remove the cyst. Thanks to our partner's care center, Htwe will have the cyst surgically removed on May 11th. Now his family needs your help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Htwe said, “I want to be a football player when I grow up.” (His family hopes he'll become a medic himself one day and can help others in need!)

Neng is a 70-year-old farmer from Kampong Cham province. She is married and lives with her husband and her twin sister, who is also a farmer. Together, they plant vegetables around their home to sell at the local market. Two years ago Neng developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, tearing, and sensitivity to light. The cataract interferes with Neng's ability to go about her daily life, and if left untreated, her visual impairment will only increase, posing more difficulties for her. When Neng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for five hours to seek treatment. As a result, on January 4th, doctors at Kien Khleang Rehabilitation Centre will perform cataract surgery, and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. Neng needs your help to fund this procedure, which costs $253, and which will allow her to resume her life, able to see clearly. Neng said: "I hope I can see everything and recognize faces clearly after surgery. I would like to plant more crops for sale to support our family."