Sakun is 85 years old and a mother of seven children from Cambodia. She lives in a small neighborhood in Takeo province with her third daughter, who works as a farmer. Her other children are married and live in nearby villages. Although her family lives close by, she relies heavily on her daughter for daily support, as she has no job and very limited financial resources. Despite these challenges, she finds peace in simple moments, especially when listening to monks' sermon in her free time. Sakun recently slipped and fell in her bedroom, resulting in a left femoral neck fracture on her hip. Since the injury, she has been in severe pain and is unable to walk, leaving her completely dependent on others for mobility and even basic daily activities. The sudden loss of independence has been both physically and emotionally difficult for her. Sakun was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. On March 18th, Sakun will undergo a hip hemiarthroplasty procedure, which will cost $712, covering both surgery and post-operative care. During the procedure, surgeons will operate on her left hip to stabilize the fracture, relieve her pain, and restore her ability to walk. This surgery offers her not only physical healing, but also the hope of regaining her independence, rebuilding her strength, and returning to her normal daily life with dignity and renewed hope. Sakun said, “After the surgery, I hope I can walk again without pain, regain my strength, and return to my daily life with independence and hope for the future.”

Cristian is a six-month-old baby boy from Bolivia. He lives with his mother, who works selling propane canisters. As a newborn, she noticed he struggled to breathe and breastfeed, and he was later diagnosed with multiple heart conditions. Cristian has three openings in and near his heart — one between the two upper chambers, one between the two lower chambers, and one between two major blood vessels. These cause blood to leak through without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Fortunately, on June 30th, our medical partner, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría, will help Cristian undergo cardiac surgery to close the openings in his heart. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Cristian needs your support to fund his surgery and care. Cristian's mother shares, "I hope and pray my sweet boy can have his surgery and be a healthy boy!"

Kristoffer is a 39-year-old man from the Philippines. He used to work overseas, away from his family. When he returned to the Philippines to settle permanently, he started a water refilling business. His work requires him to lift heavy water containers and deliver them to customers regularly. Five years ago, Kristoffer felt sudden discomfort and noticed a mass in a sensitive area of his body. He continued to feel discomfort and pain whenever he sat for long periods or lifted heavy objects. A few weeks ago, more symptoms appeared, greatly worrying him. Kristoffer has two children and continues to support his elderly parents, making his health concerns even more distressing for him. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, can help. Kristoffer was diagnosed with hemorrhoids, and he needs surgery to address his symptoms. On January 29th, Kristoffer will undergo a hemorrhoidectomy. He needs help to raise $978 to fund his procedure and care. Kristoffer said, "Hopefully, I can move more freely after the operation. I do not want to worry about my condition again. Instead, I want to focus my energy on our business and taking care of my children and parents."

Ashley is a four-year-old preschooler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and one younger sister in an agricultural village in central Haiti. Her parents both work as farmers and raise animals. Ashley likes listening to music on the radio and singing in church. Ashley has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels next to her heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. Ashley will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 13th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT, during which doctors will use a device on the end of a catheter to plug the hole in her heart, so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $4,000 to pay for the surgery. Ashley's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Ashley's family overseas. Ashley's mother said: "We will be so happy when we can stop worrying so much about our daughter's health!"

May is a 16-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her retired mother-in-law, her older sister-in-law, who is a homemaker, and three brothers-in-law. The youngest brother-in-law does not work, while May's partner and the eldest brother-in-law are employed as shopkeepers, earning a combined household income of approximately 2,000–2,500 THB per month. This income is only sufficient to cover basic food needs. The family has also been receiving TBC food rations. However, this support was scheduled to end in December 2025 due to the withdrawal of humanitarian aid funding, further increasing the family’s financial insecurity. May currently has access to free basic healthcare in refugee camp. Any advanced or surgical care remains financially out of reach for her family. May is currently expecting her first child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of a high risk pregnancy. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping May undergo a C-Section on January 5th at our medical partner's care center, Tha Song Yang Hospital. This procedure will cost $1,500, and May needs your support. May said, “I am still very young, so I don’t know what will happen. But I am also happy and excited to meet my baby girl.”

Noosokon is a 34-year-old mother of four from Kenya. She and her husband own two cows, relying on livestock farming for their family's livelihood. A few days ago, Noosokon was milking one of the cows, as was her daily routine, when the cow suddenly struck her on the right side of her jaw, pushing her against a sharp object that severely injured her face. She began bleeding and was in severe pain. She was rushed to a nearby health center before being referred to a hospital for further management. At the hospital, she received first aid treatment, including stitches to the open wound, and was given pain medication before being referred to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, for specialized care. Scans at the hospital revealed that her jaw had been fractured during the incident. Unfortunately, she has not been able to undergo treatment because her family is not able to raise the amount required for surgery. Her jaw remains swollen, and she has been unable to eat due to the pain and swelling; she can only take milk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 3rd, Noosokon will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help relieve her pain, help her heal and go back to her daily life. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,115 to fund this procedure. Noosokon says, “I am in pain. I am unable to sleep due to the swelling.”

Samen is a 59-year-old woman from Kampong Thom province, Cambodia. She lives with her second child, a grocery seller. Her husband passed away six years ago. Her other children are married and live in nearby villages. In her free time, Samen enjoys listening to monks' sermons and planting vegetables around her home. For the past ten years, Samen has been suffering from left hip avascular necrosis, a condition in which the blood supply to the femoral head is disrupted, leading to bone damage. Over the years, she has undergone several surgeries, including a left hip replacement. Unfortunately, she continues to experience a chronic infection of the hip prosthesis, which causes persistent pain and increasing difficulty with sitting and walking for long periods. Over the past week, her condition has worsened, making daily activities even more challenging. After first seeking care locally, Samen learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, through friends in her village and traveled three hours to reach the hospital. On February 3rd, she will undergo an uncemented hip replacement surgery on her left hip. Samen can contribute $100 and needs support to cover the remaining $1,400 for her procedure and care. Samen said, “After the surgery, I hope that I will no longer have pain and be able to walk properly, so I can go to the pagoda by myself easily.”

Jessica is a toddler from Tanzania. She is almost two years old and is the second child in a warm and close-knit household. Her parents work tirelessly as small-scale farmers, relying on their modest harvests to provide food and meet the basic needs of their family. Jessica is a cheerful and spirited child, full of energy and deeply attached to her mother, with whom she spends most of her days. Jessica suffered a burn injury that left her with a contracture on the fingers of her right hand, causing tight, restrictive scarring that limits her ability to move her small fingers freely. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Jessica receive treatment. On December 16th, surgeons at their care center will perform contracture release surgery and a skin graft to help restore mobility to her little fingers. Her parents hope this treatment will allow their daughter to grow, play, learn, and someday write her name without the limitations of her injury. Now, she needs help to fund this $832 procedure. Jessica's mother says, "It's sad seeing my daughter struggle to hold things with her hand and not being able to help her."

Valentina is a 14-month-old girl from Bolivia. She has five older siblings and loves to laugh and play with her family. Her father works as a driver, and her mother sells food. When she was a young baby, Valentina's parents noticed she was always agitated and couldn't breathe normally, so they took her to the doctor who diagnosed a heart condition called ventricular septal defect. This means there is a hole between the two lower chambers of her heart and blood leaks through this hole instead of circulating normally, leaving her weak and short of breath. Valentina also has Down syndrome. On December 3rd, Valentina will undergo heart surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in her heart so that blood will no longer leak through it. Valentina's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Valentina's father said, "Valentina is a sweet little girl, we hope everything goes well, so she can have a healthy heart!"

Cecilia is 47 years old and a mother of five from Malawi. She bakes and sells potatoes and is married to a tailor who is also a pastor. Her husband pastors a small church. For two years, Cecilia has been experiencing severe bleeding associated with abdominal pain, dizziness, weakness, and heart palpitations. The condition has worsened over time, and she has been in and out of the hospital for blood transfusions. She has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. She was reviewed by a gynecologist who confirmed the diagnosis and emphasized the importance of undergoing a Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH). She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,363 to fund Cecilia's surgery. On October 7th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Once recovered, Cecilia will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Cecilia shared, "The profuse bleeding keeps me indoors because I don't want to be seen with stains of blood. This condition brought psychological torture to my life."