Aye is a 66-year old woman from Burma. She is married and has three daughters and one son. Her husband, her son, her daughter-in-law, and her three grandsons are living together in one household. Aye used to make sweets and sell them at the market. But about ten years ago, she had to stop her work because she started to experience general weakness. Aye was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago. The diabetes caused an ulcer on her right foot in 2017, for which she received treatment at our medical partner's care center. However, at the end of June, Aye noticed another small ulcer on her left foot. She went to the care center again to seek treatment. She was examined, provided with medication, and sent back home. During the next seven days, her ulcer became worse. Now, she needs to have her toe amputated to prevent the ulcer from spreading. The procedure is scheduled for July 20 and will cost $1,500.

Kyi is a 34-year-old health worker from Thailand. He lives with his wife. Kyi feels stomach and back pain. He 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, Kyi's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Kyi is scheduled to undergo his biliary obstruction repair on June 21. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Kyi's procedure and care.

Yorn is a tenth grade student from Cambodia. He has four brothers and three sisters. He is the youngest in the family. He likes to draw, read, and play games. He enjoys studying mathematics and the Khmer language. In infancy, Yorn had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in his right ear to perforate. For this reason, Yorn experiences recurrent right ear discharge, and hearing loss. He has difficulty hearing and is uncomfortable from the recurrent infection. Yorn traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 2, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. He says, "I look forward to going home and being able to return to school."

Isaka is a baby from Tanzania. Isaka’s parents are both pastoralists. His mother helps her husband with milking the cows, but she does not earn any income of her own. Isaka has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Isaka traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on April 12. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Isaka's clubfoot repair. This treatment will allow him to walk, run, and play without pain or discomfort when he grows up. Isaka’s mother says, “I am happy that my Isaka will be okay and he will be able to have a normal happy childhood and that he will be able to walk like a normal child. Thank you so much for helping my son get this treatment.”

Japheth is a pre-schooler from Kenya. He loves attending church. Japheth is the second born in a family of three children. He aspires to be a pastor. His father works as a gardener, while his mother is a housewife. Japheth has clubfoot of his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Japheth traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on April 23. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Japheth's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. “I am appealing to Watsi to help my son get surgery. My joy would be to see my son walking and playing normally like other children," Japheth’s father says.

Htar is an eight-year-old girl who has a blood disorder called thalassemia. Due to her poor health, she has had to drop out of school. She lives with her parents, an older brother, and a younger sister in Hpa-An, Karen State, Burma. Her parents and oldest brother work as subsistence farmers on their rice field, while her sister goes to school. Up until she was six years old, Htar did not show any symptoms of having thalassemia. Gradually, she grew pale, was constantly tired, and developed a stomachache. When her mother noticed her symptoms, she brought her to a clinic in Hpa-An, where she was given blood transfusions twice a month without any explanation about her diagnosis. Htar mother finally took Htar to Mae Tao Clinic, our medical partner's care center, where she was referred to Mae Sot Hospital and the doctor informed the family that Htar would require surgery for her condition. If not, she might need blood transfusions very often, and her condition would not improve. She is scheduled to undergo a splenectomy on February 23 at our medical partner's care center. Now, the family needs help raising $1,500 to pay for surgery.

Aye is a 30-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband, and they work together in the same electricity factory. With her salary, she supports her parents, who live in Burma. For four months, Aye has been experiencing back pain and lower abdominal pain. She visited Mae Tao Clinic, our medical partner's care center, and had an ultrasound. She has been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. She has been advised to undergo an oophorectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her ovaries. Fortunately, Aye is scheduled to undergo her oophorectomy on January 16. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $913 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Aye says, “I feel stressed because of my condition. I worry that I will not be able to work and get my full salary. If I don’t get my full salary, I cannot send money to my parents and they will not be able to survive."

May is a 71-year-old woman from Burma. She used to sell traditional snacks, but since she fell ill four years ago, she is no longer able to work. Her daughter has since taken over her business and is now supporting their family by selling the snacks. In the middle of November 2017, May suddenly developed a fever and noticed a blackish discoloration on her left heel. Worried about her heel, she went to a nearby clinic. As her heel was very bad, the doctor asked her to go to the hospital. She has been diagnosed with an ulder. Without treatment, May is at risk of developing severe damage to underlying bone and tissue. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $851 to cover the cost of a local rotation flap procedure for May, which is scheduled to take place on December 12. Surgeons will rotate a partially attached piece of skin onto the wound, allowing for optimal vascularization and tissue reconstruction. “When I recover I want to become more devoted,” says May.

Bravine is a one-month-old baby boy from Kenya. The first child to his parents, Bravine was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition in which the spinal cord does not fully develop, shortly after his birth. If left untreated, spina bifida presents serious risks such as lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, and development of tethered cord syndrome. Bravine's condition requires surgical treatment, however the cost of the operation is beyond his parents’ means. Both of Bravine's parents lack stable jobs, instead earning income from work like laundry and helping others farm their land. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,097, on top of the $10 subsidized by Bravine's parents, in order to fund Bravine's spina bifida closure surgery. The surgery is scheduled to take place on July 3 and, once completed, will hopefully dramatically improve Bravine's quality of life and allow him to develop along a healthy trajectory. “We are hoping to get help towards Bravine’s surgical care,’’ says Bravine’s mother.

Eh is an eight-year-old boy from Thailand. He lives with his family in a small village in Tak, a province on the nation's western border. Since birth, Eh has suffered from a blood disorder called thalassemia, which means that he has less hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells than a typical, healthy blood system. This year, Eh developed a cough and headache. He and his family sought treatment at a nearby hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with an enlarged spleen. Eh's family was unable to pay for the surgery and Eh received medication to control his symptoms instead. He returned to the hospital several times, after which he was referred to our medical partner's care center for treatment. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Eh's operation. He is scheduled for surgery on August 21 at our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital. After treatment, Eh's mother is hopeful that he will be able to attend school and pursue his dreams. "I want to be a doctor when I grow up," Eh says.

San is a 63-year-old woman who has an uncomfortable gynecological condition and was referred to Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), our medical partner. She is originally from Burma but moved to Thailand after her husband passed away. She has seven children. Two years ago, San started to feel tightness around her lower abdomen. She began to experience troubling gynecological and urinary symptoms. At our medical partner's clinic, she was given oral medication and sent to the hospital for some investigative testing. Our medical partner's doctors concluded that she needs to have surgery. In the last few weeks, San has been experiencing bleeding and pain. She cannot walk long distances or sit for too long. Fortunately, on April 6, San will undergo a hysterectomy to remove her uterus. Our medical partner, BCMF, is requesting $1,500 to fund her treatment.

Nyesiga is a 16-year-old boy from Uganda who lives with his five siblings and his parents, who are small-scale farmers. He is in the sixth grade and hopes to become a driver one day. Unfortunately, Nyesiga's intensifying medical condition has been keeping him out of school, in turn interrupting his studies. For over 10 years now, Nyesiga has had a swelling on his chest. It began as a small bump but kept growing bigger and more uncomfortable. Finally, Nyesiga’s swelling was diagnosed as a lipoma, or a benign tumor. Although non-cancerous, the bump will continue to grow and to cause Nyesiga pain if left untreated. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $187 to fund mass excision surgery for Nyesiga. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 29 and, once completed, will hopefully allow Nyesiga to live more comfortably and return to school again. “I was worried about my son’s condition,” shares Nyesiga’s mother. “I want him to heal so that he can do well in school and become a driver.”