Han is a 24-year-old Karen man from Burma. He is an army medic. Han was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Han is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on February 10 to correct his condition and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Han's procedure and care. He says, “I cannot sleep at night. Before coming to BCMF I was very worried about my health condition. Now I am a bit relieved. I am looking forward to go back to my duty as a medic again when I am fully recovered.”

Susan is a woman from Kenya. She is a mother of three who used to be a nursery school teacher until delivering her third child. Her husband is a casual laborer, often planting trees for pay. Susan has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Susan. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 31. After treatment, Susan will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Susan says, “My prayer is that God will give me the strength to undertake the treatment and complete it. I want to be there for my children."

Idi is a student from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of eight children. His best subjects are science and Swahili. He loves playing soccer with his friends. Idi has been diagnosed with acquired left genu valgus. Early last year, his parents noticed their son’s left leg was weakening and bending inwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Idi. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 2. Treatment will hopefully restore Idi's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Idi’s sister says, “My parents are not able to afford the surgery cost and my brother's condition keeps worsening. Please help him."

Rabson is a basket-maker from Malawi. He works on a small family farm with his wife and kids, while making baskets from home to earn extra income. He enjoys chatting with his friends in his free time. Since 2017, Rabson has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Rabson's surgery. On September 18, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. He is very eager to be helped through this surgery. He says, "I am just waiting to recover and continue doing everything as I was before these health problems started. Thank you so much for this program to help me get better again!"

Teresiah is a farmer from Kenya. For two years, she has been experiencing heavy bleeding and lower abdominal pain. She has been diagnosed with multiple uterine fibroids. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $718 to fund Teresiah's surgery. On August 24, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Teresiah will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. “My children are looking upon me as their only support. I hope for help and successful surgery so that I can continue guiding them and doing my farming,” says Teresiah.

SreyTouch is a factory worker from Cambodia. She has four sisters and four brothers. She likes to watch TV and listen to music. Ten years ago, SreyTouch had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, SreyTouch experiences pain, tinnitus, and hearing loss. It is difficult for her to hear. SreyTouch traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On August 2, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $842 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Her older sister says, "I am afraid for my sister's operation but we hope there won't be any more ear problems afterwards."

Joseph is a young man from Kenya. He is the first born in a family of four children. He works odd jobs because his parents cannot afford to send him to college. Earlier this month, Joseph was riding a motorcycle when he was hit by a vehicle and sustained bruises on his face and a fracture of his right femur. He is not able to walk and is in a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On June 28, Joseph will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $998 to fund this procedure. His mother says, "God always knows when we have reached our end and He comes in to help. I am very happy to know that my son will be well again. He is my first born and we have a lot of hope in him.”

Biziki is a farmer from Malawi. He lives with his wife and together with their eight grown children, they run their small farm. Biziki spends his days tending his goats, and he likes to play with his grandchildren in his free time. Since April 2018, Biziki has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Biziki's surgery. On June 5, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Biziki and his family were thrilled to find out his surgery would be funded. He is looking forward to returning home. He says, "Thank you for this support."

That is a seventh grader from Cambodia. He has three older brothers and three older sisters. He enjoys studying mathematics and eating fruits. In February 2018, That was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture in his femur. It is difficult for him to walk, and he is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On April 24, That will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $430. The procedure will help him walk easily again. He says, "I am looking forward to getting better and spending time with my friends and siblings."

Kervens is a toddler from Haiti. He lives in a small town in far northern Haiti with his mother and grandmother. He likes playing with the children in his neighborhood and helping his mother around the house. Kervens has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which multiple holes exist between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. He will fly to Toronto to receive treatment. On March 7, he will undergo cardiac surgery. Another organization, The Herbie Fund, is contributing $45,000 to pay for surgery. Kervens's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Kervens's family overseas. His mother says, "I am very excited for Kervens to have more energy and to get sick less often after his surgery."

Mue is a 37-year-old domestic worker from Burma. She lives with her parents, sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews. In her free time, she helps around the house as much as she can and takes care of her nephew. Five months ago, Mue started to experience pain in a sensitive area, which made sleeping and walking challenging. At the hospital, the doctor diagnosed her with abnormal cervical cells. Her condition has impacted her ability to work and make a living for herself and her family. Mue sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on March 6. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Mue said, “After surgery, I will return to Bangkok to keep working. I want to save money so I can open my own shop. Maybe I will sell mohinga and other snacks. I wake up early naturally, so I would be able to start the day at the shop early.”

Stanley is a student from Haiti. He lives in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince with his mother, father, and brothers. He is in the third grade and likes listening to soccer games on the radio and playing with his friends. Stanley has a cardiac condition called severe valvar pulmonic stenosis. One of the four valves in his heart is too narrow, preventing enough blood from passing through it and leading to heart failure. Stanley will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On January 10, he will undergo cardiac surgery. During surgery, the team will insert a catheter with a balloon at the end into his heart, and inflate the balloon to stretch his valve open. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $14,000 to pay for surgery. Stanley's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Stanley's family overseas. His mother says, "I am happy my son can have this surgery so that I don't have to be scared about his health."