San is a 50-year-old grandmother from Burma. She lives with her son and granddaughter. Both San and her son are subsistence farmers and her son occasionally works as a day laborer. Her six-year-old granddaughter is a nursery school student. During her free time, San enjoys spending quality time with her granddaughter and visiting the monastery. In February 2023, San began experiencing occasional back and lower left abdominal pain with discomfort. This made it difficult for her to walk and sit. After an abdominal ultrasound and physical examination, she was diagnosed with gallstones. San has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, San'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), San is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on November 17. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of San's procedure and care. San said, “I feel sad and sorry for my son who has to work on the farm and help me with household chores. After I feel better, I will help him on the farm and handle all the household chores. I want to recover so that I can find work and pay back my debt. I want to spend time with my granddaughter and help her with her homework. I also want to go to the monastery and pray, as I have not been able to go since my condition started."

Sospeter is a toddler from Kenya. He is the youngest in a family of three children. He is being raised by a single mother who is the breadwinner. His mother makes and sells readymade food at construction sites. Income from this venture is inconsistent and their family does not have medical coverage. In December 2022, Sospeter sustained hot water burns on his stomach and thigh. He was taken to the nearest district hospital after the accident, where he was treated for burns and later discharged back home. Burn contractures and a massive keloid have developed on his abdomen. He often itches the area and feels very uncomfortable. His mother has been unable to take him to a hospital due to a lack of funds. In September 2023, a mobile team visited their area; they reviewed him and advised them to visit Kijabe Hospital for review. His mother pooled resources and visited the plastic surgery clinic. Surgery was recommended, but the family is financially constrained and unable to afford the proposed cost of the treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Sospeter receive treatment. On October 13th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to relieve him of the itchiness and discomfort associated with the wound; thus, he will be able to live a normal and quality life. Now, their family needs help to fund his procedure and care. Sospeter's mother says, “My child is in pain. Look at the way he cannot stop crying and scratching himself. It hurts to see him this uncomfortable. Please help.”

Kipkorir is a loving grandfather who lives in the highland parts of Kenya with his wife and two grandchildren. He has seven children who are small-scale farmers, and they work hard to provide for their parents. Kipkorir fell at home about a month ago and has been unable to walk. He sought medical treatment and an x-ray showed that he had sustained a fracture of his right neck of femur, the part of the thigh bone just below the ball of the hip joint. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. On September 11th, Kipkorir will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him restore healthy hip function and regain his mobility. AMH is requesting $1,247 to fund this procedure, which would enable Kipkorir to live as before and be self-dependent. Kipkorir says, “I am unable to walk and I feel so bad when I see my grandchildren doing everything for me. Help me please so that I may be able to get out of this trouble and relieve the people who have helped since I got injured.”

Linn's Baby is a four-day-old girl who lives with her parents and three older sisters in a village in Thailand. She is so young, that she is not yet named. Her parents are day laborers. Linn's Baby was born with multiple health challenges including Down syndrome and congenital heart disease. In addition, her mother noticed that she wasn't passing stool, and when the doctors examined her, they discovered that she also has a condition known as imperforate anus. What this means is that Linn's Baby was born without an opening, which is a birth condition that occurs while the fetus is still developing in the womb. To address her condition, Linn's Baby will undergo surgery on August 4th at Mae Sot General Hospital, to place a colostomy, that will allow her to pass stool until she grows bigger and stronger, and better able to tolerate additional surgeries. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs of this procedure. Her mother said: "I cannot watch my daughter suffer from these conditions. I think she is crying because she wants breastmilk. She is my first baby born with such conditions. My other daughters are all healthy. I feel very sad for her.”

Hlaing is a 55-year-old man from Thailand who lives with his wife, two sons, mother-in-law, and grandson. He is a construction worker, but he stopped working five months ago due to his health deteriorating. In his free time, Hlaing enjoys listening to music and taking walks in the forest to gather wood for the house. In February, Hlaing noticed a mass developing in his right nostril, which has grown big enough to block the nostril completely. He experiences difficulty breathing due to his right nostril being obstructed by the mass, has persistent coughing and loss of appetite, and sometimes has hot and watery eyes. He underwent a CT scan and was diagnosed with an inverted papilloma in his right nasal cavity, meaning that he has a non-cancerous tumor in the right side of his nose. Hlaing sought treatment through our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) and is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the mass from his nose on July 12th. Hlaing and his family need help to raise $1,500 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Hlaing said, “Thank you BCMF and the donors for paying for my treatment. I can’t afford it by myself. I have wanted to receive the surgery. I am happy to get support from you.”

Meet 42-year-old Khin who lives with her husband in Thailand. Both Khin and her husband work in a wool factory. In March 2023, Khin felt overwhelmingly tired. She received an injection at a local clinic, but she didn't feel any better. A few days later she became dizzy, and fainted. Subsequently, she developed back pain and gastrointestinal issues. She has now been diagnosed with a myoma - or uterine fibroid - and advised to have her uterus and cervix surgically removed, to prevent future health complications. Khin is scheduled to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy on May 25th, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once she has recovered, Khin's overall health should improve, and she will be free of the pain that currently lives with. Khin said: “When I first heard that I would need surgery, I felt stressed because I have no money. But when I learned that I have a donor, I felt relieved. In the future, I will continue to work in the factory.”

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.