Thorn is a 23 year-old who lives in Kandal province with his parents and two siblings. Three of his siblings have moved nearby with their families and visit often. Thorn enjoys playing soccer, volleyball, and checking out social media. On October 12th, Thorn was in a motorbike accident and wounded his right foot. He went to a nearby hospital and had wound debridement and regular dressings. Thorn returned home and continued to care for the wound, but it still has not healed and is now infected. He is in pain and cannot walk properly. On December 4th, Thorn will have a leg surgery to remove damaged tissue and reconstruct defects in the foot and ankle. After surgery, he will be able to walk more easily and eliminate pain from the infection. Our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $991 to fund this surgery. Thorn shared, "I hope I can feel better so I can go back to work and hope to play soccer again too."

Seak is a 19-year-old farmer, living with her parents and two older siblings in Kampong Thom province. Her father is disabled and cannot work, while the rest of her family members are rice farmers. When she is home, Seak helps her mother in the house, and likes to listen to music. On September 11th, Seak was riding her motorbike on her way home, when she collided with a tuk-tuk. She fell from her bike onto her left arm, lacerating her left hand on the concrete. At the local clinic, an X-ray of Seak's arm revealed that she had fractured her humerus - a bone in her upper arm. While she was transferred to the local hospital for care, she was unable to pay, and returned home. Her arm is swollen, and she lives in constant pain, only using her arm and hand with great difficulty. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 12th, Seak will undergo a fracture repair procedure at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, which will cost $483. This surgery will repair her bone, enabling her to use her arm again. Seak's family needs your help to raise the funds to pay for her procedure. Seak said: "After surgery, I hope I will have no pain and can work like before to help my family."

39-year-old Florence lives on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. She shared that her husband abandoned her and their three children, two of whom are still in school, while the oldest is currently out of school and unemployed. Florence is now the sole breadwinner for the family, earning a living through sales made in a small shop that she has. About one year ago, Florence began to experience epigastric pains. She went to Mama Lucy Hospital, where she was treated for ulcers. Two months ago, the pain intensified, and began radiating to her back. She was advised to go to a hospital where she could have an endoscopy, and once this test had been performed, it was determined that Florence has a hiatal hernia. If Florence isn't treated, she could face complications, such as severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), strangulation of the hernia, and lung problems, since the contents of her stomach might be forced upward into her lungs. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is here to help. On October 23rd, Florence will undergo laparoscopic surgery at Nazareth Hospital, to correct the hernia. Now Florence needs your help to fund this $788 procedure. “My children have no one to turn to except myself. Therefore, my good health is very important to them. I am requesting help so that this problem can be solved, and I can take care of my children,'' said Florence quietly.

Phionah is a small businesswoman from southwestern Uganda. She is a brilliant, confident, and sociable woman and loving mother of two children, both delivered via caesarean section, with one currently in nursery school and the other in primary school. Phionah managed to complete high school, but she could not pursue further education due to a lack of school fees. She worked as a housekeeper for a few years before meeting her husband and getting married. She now runs a small-scale retail shop, which provides her family's livelihood. Her husband works as a builder, and they reside in a single-room rental house in Nyarushanje trading centre. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. Phionah is currently expecting her third child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a Caesarean section because of two previous birth scars. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Phionah undergo a C-Section on August 8th. This procedure will cost $252, and Phionah needs your support. Phionah says “Paying for my surgery is the only worry I have because I have no money; however, I have faith that I will have a safe delivery if I get your support.”

Sr. Justine is a 52-year-old nun from Uganda. She does not have an income through her work and, therefore, needs assistance raising money for her surgery needs. Three years ago, she began to experience troubling symptoms, including persistent swelling on her neck. Additionally, she has difficulty speaking, which has limited her ability to communicate with others. She also becomes easily fatigued, even in minor activities, and experiences difficulty breathing at times. Sr. Justine's condition can lead to severe or fatal airway obstruction without treatment. Fortunately, Sr. Justine was able to visit our medical partner's care center. The doctors diagnosed her condition as a non-toxic goiter, which will require surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. On August 3rd, Sr. Justine will undergo a thyroidectomy, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $252 to fund this procedure. Sr. Justine said, "I will be grateful when my surgery is considered, as it will improve the quality of my life."

Faith, who is 29 years old, lives in Kenya with her young son. Both of her parents died when she was young, and she was raised by her grandmother. She was unable to pursue her education due to financial constraints, so today she washes clothes for a living. As her husband passed away two years ago in a traffic accident, she works hard to support herself and her son. Faith has lived with severe hearing loss throughout her whole life. Sadly, her grandmother couldn't afford to get Faith the help that she needed. But when Faith brought her son in to get care to address his hearing loss, the doctors determined that Faith needed help, as well. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,171 so that Faith can get hearing aids to treat the condition she has lived with for so long. She will be receiving care from AIC Kijabe Hospital. Faith says: “I have struggled with hearing loss since birth. I never had a chance to get treatment due to financial constraints. I hope to be able to hear well.“

Four year old Neserian lives with his family in a village in the Manyara region of Tanzania. The family has long depended upon agriculture and livestock keeping to sustain them. However, climate change has shadowed their agricultural activities, rendering them increasingly unreliable. Consequently, Neserian’s father has turned to selling cattle to support his household. But drought has led to the cattle being unable to feed properly, so that they fetch considerably less money at the market. Neserian's father works hard to meet the needs of his family. In October 2022, Neserian was alone at home, when he ventured too close to an open flame. His clothing caught fire, and he suffered burns to his right elbow and wrist. The neighbors came to his aid, and when his mother returned home, she brought him to a local hospital for care. Neserian remained at the hospital for a month. Despite the care that he received, Neserian has only a limited range of motion of his right arm. Sadly, the local hospital lacks the resources to address this. Neserian and his father traveled for nine hours to consult with doctors from our medical partner's care center the Plaster House NGO. After a thorough assessment, it was determined that Neserian would need to undergo a Z-plasty procedure, to release his right axilla and elbow, along with a full thickness skin graft on his right hand. The pinky on his right hand will need to be amputated. The surgical procedures are set for August 15th but the cost of treatment is beyond the means of Neserian's family, prompting them to appeal for your assistance in covering the $1,088 needed for Neserian's care. After he has healed completely, Neserian will be able to use his hand, and lead a full life, free from disability. Neserian’s father says: “We wish for him to be able to use his hand because he is about to start school, and we are worried it will be hard for him as his right hand is the one affected.”

Sothany is a 23-year-old woman who lives with her mother and father in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia, where her parents are rice farmers. She has four brothers and four sisters. When Sothany was younger, her parents noticed that her spine was not straight; however, they could not afford proper healthcare for her. As she has grown up, she has had more noticeable changes, including uneven hips and shoulders, prominent ribs, and a shift of her waist and torso to the side. For the past few years, Sothany's disability has increasingly affected her breathing as her rib cage presses against the lungs, making it more difficult to breathe. Sothany is very self-conscious about her spinal deformity and limited mobility. As a result, she quit her job in a clothes factory and stays home with her mother. She makes homemade videos to sell lotions and creams on social media. Her parents first heard about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), in early 2020. However, they were unable to travel due to COVID pandemic travel restrictions. Today, Sothany's symptoms have greatly increased including muscle imbalance, pain, and difficulty breathing. Sothany and her parents traveled for two and a half hours to our medical partner to seek intervention for her disability. Sothany will undergo a posterior spinal fusion with implants at CSC's care center on August 1st. Sothany is contributing $100 to pay for her care, and CSC is requesting the remaining $1500 to fund the procedure. This will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-op physiotherapy care. Sothany said, "After surgery, I hope my spine will be straight. I want to walk with my friends and not have hard breathing, work to support myself, and not be ashamed of my back."

Khin is 28-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, two children, parents in-law, a brother-in-law, and a sister-in-law in a village in Karen State. Khin, his parents, and his sister-in-law are subsistence farmers, while his daughter and brother-in-law are students. His son is too young to enroll in school. They also raise chickens and pigs for their own consumption, forage for vegetables and go fishing. To pay school fees, Khin sometimes is able to get work as a day labourer. On July 10th, Khin was picking dog fruit when suddenly the branch he was standing on broke. He fell out of the tree on to a wooden dwelling and broke his spine. With the help of Watsi donors, he received a CT scan of his back which showed that he had indeed fractured his spine, and he was told that he would need to undergo surgery to heal. He is in pain, and he cannot walk. With the help of our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BMC), Khin will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for July 19th and Khin needs help raising $1,500 to fund the surgery. This procedure will help him walk again. Khin shared, "I am not scared to receive surgery because I know I need to undergo it to recover."

Mu Yeh, a 23-year-old woman, resides in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand, along with her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and sister. Her parents run a snack-selling business from their home, while her brother and sister-in-law are currently unemployed. Mu Yeh's sister attends school within the camp, and she herself is a homemaker. In her leisure time, Mu Yeh finds joy in weaving traditional Karen ethnic clothes and visiting her relatives in the refugee camp. Each month, they receive 1,303 baht (approximately 43 USD) on a cash card from an organization called The Border Consortium. Additionally, they raise pigs which they sell when in need of extra cash. Despite their modest monthly income, it barely covers their daily expenses. Fortunately, they receive essential healthcare from Malteser International (MI) Thailand, which is provided free of charge in the refugee camp. In October 2022, Mu Yeh noticed a mass in her left breast. Initially, she dismissed it as normal, but by May 2023, the mass had grown and began causing her pain. Currently, Mu Yeh experiences considerable pain and discomfort in her left breast due to the large mass. The pain radiates towards the left side of her torso, making it difficult for her to carry anything heavy with her left hand. Seeking medical attention, she visited the hospital in the refugee camp, where the doctor referred her to Mae Sariang Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. On July 4th, with the assistance of MI staff, Mu Yeh underwent an ultrasound of both breasts. The results revealed cysts in her right breast and confirmed the presence of a mass in her left breast. Subsequently, she underwent a biopsy. During her follow-up appointment on July 18th, the doctor diagnosed her with fibroadenoma in her left breast and fibrocystic changes in her right breast. The doctor recommended removing the benign mass from her left breast under general anesthesia. Her surgery was scheduled for August 2nd. However, unable to afford the procedure, MI staff referred her to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) for financial assistance to access treatment. BCMF is now requesting $1500 to help fund the procedure Mu Yeh needs. Mu Yeh said, “In the future, I would like to become a medic. When there is training in the refugee camp, I will register because I would like to study medicine.”

Saw Lay resides in a school dormitory in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. He used to study at the school but stopped in July 2023 when his condition worsened. During his free time, Saw Lay enjoys hunting, foraging for vegetables in the forest, and listening to music and stories on his phone. In May 2021, while in Burma for his studies, Saw Lay was driving to the market on his motorcycle when he was hit by a car, resulting in a broken left femur. Saw Lay underwent internal fixation surgery to address this issue. However, since September 2022, he has been experiencing pain in his left leg, accompanied by difficulty sleeping and depression. He cannot bear weight on that leg and has to use crutches to get around. If he sits for an extended period, he will experience back pain. Upon medical evaluation, a doctor diagnosed him with a non-union left femur shaft fracture. He will undergo surgery on November 7th to not only alleviate his pain and discomfort but also improve his overall quality of life. Saw Lay said, "I am happy that I can finally receive the surgery I need with the help of the donors and the Burma Children's Medical Fund. Thank you for having mercy on me. Without your help, I wouldn't be able to afford it. Thank you so much for your kind support, and I will never forget it."

Sorem is a ten-year-old student in grade 4. Sorem has two older sisters, the stays at home and her middle sister is a student in grade 10. Sorem's parents are rainy day rice farmers. At home, she enjoys playing with her sisters, reading books, doing homework, and cooking. Sorem's favorite meal is fried rice with fresh milk. When Sorem was six years old, she was burned by a cooking fire. She was treated at a provincial hospital for medical care, but after the wound healed, she developed a burn scar contracture. The contracture tightens the skin around her fingers, and she has difficulty carrying things or writing. When Sorem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On September 6th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to to help her to use the finger easily again. Now, CSC is helping Sorem's family raise $495 to fund this procedure. She shared, "I hope my finger will look and feel better, and I can use it in school."