Edeau, who is 13 years old, lives in a farming community in southwest Haiti, with his godmother and his godmother's family. He is in the seventh grade. Earlier in his childhood, Edeau suffered from rheumatic fever, which severely damaged one of the four valves of his heart, making it difficult for his heart to pump blood through his body. Edeau requires surgery to correct his condition. On February 6th, surgeons at Welcare Hospital will replace Edeau's damaged valve with an artificial one, a $6,000 procedure, which is being subsidized by Gift of Life International. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs associated with the pre-operative and post-operative care that Edeau will need, and the travel expenses for Edeau and his family. From Edeau: "I would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping me to get this surgery."

Win is a 32-year-old father from Burma. He resides with his wife and six-year-old daughter. Win runs a small jam shop with his wife. During his free time, he enjoys using social media and playing football with his friends. Win was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Heart valves control the flow of blood between chambers, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long term damage to the heart and lungs. Win experiences chest pain, palpitations, and difficulty sleeping due to night sweats. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a heart valve replacement for Win. The treatment is scheduled to take place on December 13th at Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital. Once completed, Win will hopefully live more comfortably and with such high risk from his cardiac condition. Win said, “Thank you for your assistance with my treatment. I’m glad and thankful for the support from BCMF."

Saw resides in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma Border with his wife, two daughters, and son-in-law. His wife is a homemaker, and Saw stopped working as a day laborer due to his worsening health. He is proud of his family: One of his daughters is a student, the other is a pharmacist, and his son-in-law is a medic at the camp's hospital. He likes to forage for vegetables in his free time. Saw has been diagnosed with a right irreducible inguinal hernia and is scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery in October. This surgery is essential to relieve his pain and discomfort and improve his overall quality of life. Saw said, “I want this discomfort and pain to disappear. I cannot do anything because of the pain. I hope that after surgery, I will be able to have a normal life again and will no longer be in any discomfort.”

53-year-old Aye lives with her husband, son and two daughters in a refugee camp in Thailand. Her husband is a teacher, and Aye is a homemaker. All of the children go to school. In her free time, Aye loves to plant different types of flowers around her home. One day in the middle of 2018, Aye's friend told her that her neck looked a bit swollen. Aye did not seek medical attention, as she wasn't experiencing any symptoms. Gradually, however, she began developing mood swings, anxiety, and fatigue. Although she was put on medications by the doctor, her symptoms worsened, and she was referred to Mae Sot General Hospital. At the hospital, she was diagnosed with a left thyroid mass and for the next three years, she returned to the hospital for multiple follow-up appointments. During her appointment on September 28th, the doctor told her that she will need surgery to remove her thyroid and cure her worsening condition. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,500 to fund Aye's thyroidectomy, which is scheduled for October 11th, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Aye is looking forward to her surgery, as she feels as if the mass is increasing in size, and is causing her to have fatigue and chest pain. Aye said: “Because of my condition, I feel sad and angry without reason. Afterwards, I feel bad for my family. I believe that after my surgery, I will have normal emotions again, and I will be able to help my family more.”

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."

Lay is a 29-year-old mother from Thailand. She lives with her husband, son, uncle, aunt and two cousins in a refugee camp. Originally from Karen State, Burma, they fled to the refugee camp in March 2023 due to airstrikes in their village. Lay is a homemaker; her husband, uncle and aunt are unemployed, while her son is in preschool. One of her cousins is a teacher, while the other one is a student. During her free time, Lay enjoys weaving Karen shirts and bags for her family, as well as occasionally to sell. She also enjoys raising chickens and pigs and foraging vegetables in the forest. Lay is currently expecting her second child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section (C-section) because she gave birth previously through a C-section. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is helping Lay undergo a C-section scheduled on August 11th. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Lay and BCMF are asking for your support to fund the surgery. Lay shared, "I want to stay in the refugee camp. If I have the opportunity to do so, I would love to be resettled in another country.”

Sarah is a 47-year-old woman from Kenya. She is married and has seven children. Three of her children have finished school, two are in secondary school, and two are in primary school. Sarah's husband is a farmer who plants and sells maize to support his family. In the past, they had livestock as well, but they sold all of them to raise school fees for their children. About two years ago, Sarah started to experience neck pain, neck swelling, and fatigue affecting her ability to work. She visited a nearby health facility where she received pain medication, but her symptoms persisted. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), was hosting a clinic in Sarah's town. Sarah visited the clinic and AMH doctors diagnosed her with a non-toxic multinodular goiter, a disease impacting the thyroid gland. Sarah then traveled to AMH's care center, where she will receive surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. However, Sarah does not have active medical insurance and needs help to pay for her surgery. Sarah is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 22nd at AMH's care center. During the procedure, surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. Now, AMH is requesting $936 to cover the cost of Sarah's surgery. Sarah says, "I feel bad when I see my family members working tirelessly on the farm without my help. Please help me so that I may be strong and be able to offer help to them."

Meet Naw Del: a 53 year old woman who has been suffering from multiple kidney stones for the past ten years. In 2012, she started experiencing severe back pain. She finally went to a hospital in Burma, but her treatment was delayed due to the Covid-19 epidemic, and the political turmoil in Burma. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, and Watsi donors Naw Del was able to travel to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in Thailand, where she underwent abdominal scans. In addition to the multiple, small renal stones that were found, a large stone was discovered in her left kidney, which is currently blocking the left urethra. The doctor was able to drain her bladder, but he determined that Naw Del needs a nephrectomy, to remove her left kidney. Burma Children Medical Fund is now requesting $1,500 to fund Naw Del's surgery, which is scheduled for May 23rd, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Until she has this procedure, Naw Del will continue to live with severe back pain. Naw Del said: “Thank you BCMF and the donors for supporting me. I want to help my family again. After I have recovered fully, I want to be able to do my household chores and look after my grandchildren."

Bramwel is a 10-year-old boy from Makindu, in Makueni county in Kenya. He lives with his grandmother while his mother works in Nairobi. Because he was born deaf he attends a school that specializes in educating deaf students. Since birth, Bramwel has lived with a clubfoot, which significantly affects his mobility. He walks on tiptoe and falls often. His grandmother brought him to the clinic in Makindu, seeking help for her grandson. With the assistance of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Bramwel is now scheduled to undergo angular deformity correction surgery on May 8th. This surgery will enable him to walk confidently and continue his studies. Bramwel and his family need your help to fund this $1,224 procedure. “As the grandmother of Bramwel, I would love to see him walk like other children and continue living a normal life. Any help to cater for his surgery will mean a lot to us,” Bramwel’s grandmother told us.

Zerubabel is a 17-month-old, energetic baby boy from Ethiopia. He is the only child of his mother. He already loves to run and play football with other children. Bread is his favorite food. Both of his parents currently have no income. His father used to work at Mekele University at the student's café, but lost touch with their family after the war broke out. Zerubabel's mother has no income and has moved to Addis Ababa where she stays with relatives. Zerubabel was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of cancer and infertility. A year ago, Zerubabel's mother noticed his condition but was unable to take him to the hospital sooner. The neighbor of her relatives told her about our medical parter at BKMCM and she came to the hospital with hope. The doctors have recommended surgery to treat Zerubabel, his mother is appealing for financial assistance. Fortunately, Zerubabel is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 4th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Zerubabel's mother said, “I look forward to seeing him completely healthy. I want to see him grow up. I hope he will be a professional football player. ”