Vannak is a 56-year-old mother of two sons from Cambodia. She lives in Phnom Penh province, about an hour outside the city. She is a widow and makes a modest income selling soft drinks and spices in her small village. Her oldest son is married and has his own family, and she lives with her youngest son, who helps support her. At home, Vannak likes to watch Khmer love stories on TV and cook for her son. Seven years ago, an insect flew into Vannak's ear. She inserted salt water to get rid of the insect but was not able to remove it. She developed an ear infection that caused her right ear's tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, to perforate. For this reason, Vannak experiences intermittent ear pain and ringing in her ears. Her hearing has declined, and she has frequent ear infections, which makes it difficult for her to run her business, work outside, and communicate with customers. Undergoing surgery can help prevent bacteria and other foreign particles from entering her middle ear, reducing the likelihood of recurrent ear infections. Surgery can also lead to fewer episodes of pain, discomfort, and other complications. Fortunately, Vannak traveled to our medical partner's care center for treatment. On October 23rd, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is requesting $487 to fund this procedure, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Vannak contributed $100 to her care. Vannak's son said: "I hope my mother's ear will improve and be healthy, she will stop getting ear infections, and her hearing will be normal."

Touch is a retired rice farmer from Takeo province. She is married and has 3 sons and 10 grandchildren. She lives with her husband near her eldest son’s house. All 3 of their sons work in a nearby rice paddy and help support Touch and her husband. At home, she enjoys listening to the radio and spending time with her grandkids. About one year ago, Touch developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Touch learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for 2 hours seeking treatment. On September 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Touch is able to contribute towards the cost of the surgery and needs help raising $253 to fully fund the procedure. Touch shared, "I hope I can see better so I can go shopping and go to the pagoda by myself. I don't want my family to worry about me falling or my eyes getting worse."

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."

Shashi is a 15-year-old student and the second-born child in a family of five children. His parents are farmers who depend on small-scale agriculture for sustenance and to generate some income to cover their daily expenses. Shashi was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, a condition characterized by bilateral knocking of the knees that is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones. He first experienced this condition when he was 5 years old. Despite trying various traditional treatment methods, they were all unsuccessful. Due to the fear of being unable to afford the medical expenses, they did not initially seek help from a hospital. As a result, as Shashi grew older, his condition continued to deteriorate. What initially began as a slight bowing of his legs progressively worsened over time, causing immense concern for his parents. It became increasingly challenging for him to walk and engage in activities that required long distances of walking. He was forced to stop attending school because of its distance from home and the lack of transportation options available in his area. His condition has made it difficult for him to connect with his peers. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. Shashi is scheduled for corrective surgery on August 1st, and AMH is requesting $880 to fund the procedure. Treatment will hopefully restore Shashi's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Shashi says, “It is painful living like this. My legs hurt when I walk. I can’t play and socialize with my friends. I hope the treatment I get will make my life better.”

Timoth is a 22-year-old man from Nairobi County, Kenya. He has five siblings and lived with his father in Murang'a for a while after his mother passed away. Timoth decided to move to Nairobi due to a difficult home situation, and for the past year, he has been driving a motorcycle as a casual laborer. On June 17th, 2023, Timoth was driving his motorcycle and was hit by another vehicle. He was rushed first to a nearby health center for first aid and then to our medical partner's care center. X-rays of Timoth's leg showed that he had a closed fracture in his left femur. Timoth said that since the accident, he's been experiencing a lot of pain, but he hopes to receive treatment so he can get back to his normal life. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On June 22nd, Timoth will undergo a fracture repair procedure called open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will relieve Timoth of his pain and enable him to return to work. Now, AMH is requesting $1049 to help fund Timoth's procedure. Timoth is subsidizing $148.00 of this amount. Timoth said, "I had many plans for my life. I had hopes that once I completed paying for the Motorbike and it became mine, I would greatly improve my status. Unfortunately, this happened, and now I can only pray for support so that once recovery takes place, I can get back to my normal life"

Maso, who is 57 years old, is a married man with ten children. Seven of his children are married, while Maso and his wife live with their three youngest in Malawi. Maso is a farmer, growing rice, maize, groundnuts, and cassava, which he sells to provide for his family. Last October, Maso began to notice intermittent swelling on the right side of his inguinal region. At first, he wasn't terribly concerned, as the swelling wasn't painful. Over time, however, the episodes of swelling increased, and Maso began to experience some discomfort, which interfered with his ability to work. Maso visited Nkhotakota Hospital in Malawi where he was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia. Maso was informed he would need surgery to correct his condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $575 to fund Maso's hernia repair surgery, which is scheduled for May 3rd, at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Maso is hopeful that the surgery will help him to get back to normal, free of his current symptoms. Maso said: “I am looking forward to surgery to get better.”

Lolutori is a 7-year-old boy from Tanzania. He and his two siblings live with their parents, who are nomads. For the past two years, the family has been going through a difficult time due to a severe drought, which has made water and food scarce. The family has had to move frequently in search of better pastures for their animals. Lolutori has been diagnosed with genu valgus, or bow legs. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, due to the consumption of contaminated drinking water. Because of this condition, Lolutori experiences difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Lolutori. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 17th at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. Treatment should restore Lolutori's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Lolutori’s father says: “With our living condition, him not being able to walk properly makes it hard for the family. We hope he will be able to walk properly like his siblings.”

Abel is a two-month-old baby from Tanzania. He lives with his parents and six siblings in the Maasai community of Namalulu. Abel was born with clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which will make it difficult for Abel to wear shoes or walk. Fortunately, Abel was brought to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Now he is scheduled to undergo clubfoot repair surgery on March 17th at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $935 to fund Abel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and live a life free from discomfort. Abel’s father says: “It is our hope that Abel gets treatment and has a good life ahead.”

Fikir is a thirteen-month-old baby from Ethiopia. He is playful and loves spending time with his mother, playing with other children, and watching cartoons. He loves drinking milk and eating foods made from corn flour. Fikir has an older brother who is three years old. His father works as a shoe-shiner and sells plastic bags and socks. His mother used to sell coffee and tea and now stays at home taking care of the children. Fikir was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will eventually be at risk of cancer and infertility. Fortunately, Fikir is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Fikir's mother said, “Once he gets well, I will educate him. I want him to help people in the future. I hope he will be a doctor.”

Beatrice, a 35-year-old single mother of five, lives in Malawi. Beatrice cooks and sells beer locally, but as she is unable to support her family with her earnings, she relies on her husband's brother to support her and the children. In 2022, Beatrice first started experiencing swelling in the right upper suprapubic area. As she wasn't concerned by the swelling, she didn't seek treatment. However, in February 2023, Beatrice was in line at a clinic with pain from the swelling so intense that she required immediate attention. Beatrice was seen by a surgeon, who told her that she had a hernia that needed to be repaired as soon as possible. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $575 to cover the costs of the surgery, which will prevent Beatrice's situation from worsening to potentially life-threatening consequences. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 22nd at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Beatrice is looking forward to recovering so that she can continue to care for her children. Beatrice happily said: “PIH kindly help me to have that surgery and get better; my children will suffer if you don’t help me.”

Ohn, who is 52 years old, lives with her husband in a village in Tak Province in Thailand. While Ohn's husband no longer works because of pain in his lower legs, Ohn earns money as a day laborer on a local farm. In the middle of 2021, Ohn began experiencing lower left abdominal pain, and discomfort when she urinates or has a bowel movement. She has been diagnosed with myoma, a uterine fibroid, and has been advised to have a total hysterectomy. Left untreated, Ohn's symptoms will worsen, and she will be at risk for additional medical complications. Ohn's income barely covers her and her husband's daily living expenses. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,500 to cover the cost of Ohn's procedure and care. Ohn is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on February 1st, at Mae Sot General Hospital, where both her uterus and cervix will be removed. After she has recovered, Ohn should be able to resume her life, free from pain. Ohn said: “I cannot sleep well because I am worried and feel depressed about my condition. When I learned that the organization [BCMF] would pay for the cost of my surgery, I felt very happy. I am very thankful to all donors and to BCMF for paying for my investigation and treatment. When I recover, I will try to work and save money, so I can pay back my debt."