Bye Kon, a 56-year-old woman in Cambodia, lives with her husband and son. Bye Kon and her husband fish to make a living, and her son works as a religious education teacher. According to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), Bye Kon noticed an unusual mass in her abdomen about eight months ago. When the mass began to grow and become more painful, Bye Kon went to the clinic and was diagnosed with a uterine myoma. A uterine myoma is a non cancerous growth on the uterus that causes severe abdominal pain. Bye Kon's clinic was unable to perform surgery and instead administered medicine and sent her home. Since then, Bye Kon has been constantly worried about her condition and unable to eat or sleep very well. "She said in the past she was big and now she has lost so much weight. Bye Kon says that she does as best as she can with her condition, but it has become considerably more difficult for her lately," BBP adds. "She says that she wants to be healthy." With $1,500, doctors will be able to remove the mass in Bye Kon's abdomen so that she can return to a fully healthy and active life. "I cannot wait for the surgery; I want to be better soon," says Bye Kon. "I am so grateful for the treatment."

“Yin's only wish is to live without discomfort and with dignity. As a Buddhist, she is disappointed she is not able to go to temple to pray as she wishes because of the condition,” explains Burma Border Projects (BBP), our medical partner in Burma. Yin is a 53-year-old woman suffering from uterus prolapse. BBP explains more about Yin’s case, “Yin has been suffering from her condition for a total of nineteen years. It began as abdominal and back pain but then developed to stage 3 uterus prolapse - the uterus protrudes outside of the body. When this happens she has to forcibly push her uterus back inside. Because of the problem, simple tasks such as walking, running, cooking and cleaning have now brought her great discomfort. Her condition has also negatively affected her self-confidence.” Until it became very uncomfortable, Yin did not seek care for her condition because of her family’s financial concerns. BBP explains, “Yin is a wife and mother of three. Due to her condition she hasn't been able to work. Her husband is a subsidence rice farmer. The rice they produce is enough for the family’s consumption but it doesn't provide them an income.” For $1,500, we can fund a gynecological surgery that BBP expects will allow Yin to return both to work in the field and to her religious duties, a return that BBP hopes will, “give Yin a greater sense of mobility and self-confidence.”

This sweet girl is five-week-old Najma. Najma is the last born in a family of four children and lives with her siblings and parents in Kenya. Her mother is a housewife and her father works as a casual laborer to provide basic needs for their family. Najma was born with spina bifida, a dangerous condition, which leaves the spine protruding in a fluid filled sack on his back. If not treated, Najma is likely to get an infection and develop a tethered cord, kyphosis, or scoliosis. “I had lost hope, but am glad I have found a place where Najma can be treated,” says Najma’s mother. For $980, Najma will receive a spina bifida closure. “We expect that the surgery will enable Najma to live a life without the complications of spina bidifa,” write our medical partners. Let’s join together to support Najma and her family!

Ganga Kumari is seven and loves to dance! She lives in Nepal with her mother and six siblings. She is currently in first grade and proudly reports that English is her best subject. Her mother is a farmer and herds animals, while her father works in India to earn more for the family. When Ganga Kumari was one and a half years old, she fell on a hot pot of oil and sustained severe burns on her back and thighs. To prevent lifelong disfigurement, Ganga Kumari needs plastic surgery that will cost $1,415. Let's help Ganga Kumari to pursue her education without the stigma and limited mobility that she currently faces.

Surja is a 40-year-old woman living in Nepal. She has been dealing with uterine prolapse for the last five years, a painful condition which prevents her pelvic muscles from providing adequate support for her uterus. Surja's husband passed away fifteen years ago, and she's had difficulty supporting her 16-year-old son since. The last five years have presented an even greater challenge because of her condition. Her labor-intensive tasks at work include breaking rocks and carrying heavier loads - impossible to carry out in her current condition. Despite these hardships, Surja remains hopeful. She wants to get healthy and continue caring for her son. For $1,165, we can fund Surja's surgery so she can regain the ability to work and support herself and her son!

Karma is a hardworking farmer and carpenter from Nepal. He is happily married, with three sons and a daughter. Karma and his wife raise animals for extra income, but they don't have enough savings to carry them through unexpected situations like the one they are in now. Over a month ago, Karma broke his right hand. The fracture has been a constant source of pain and makes it impossible to use his right hand. Without surgical treatment, Karma's injury could lead to lifelong disability. For just $1,240, we can fund Karma's surgery and allow him to regain use of his right hand so he can continue supporting his family!

Samuel is a resilient 33-year-old man who remains in good spirits and has a generous heart despite his medical condition. As a newborn he had hydrocephalus, a potentially life-threatening condition of excess fluid in the brain, but survived and grew up to do fairly well. A few months ago, Samuel started to experience severe headaches and seizures. He was diagnosed with a mucocele (a mucus-containing cystic lesion) in his brain. If left untreated, Samuel will continue to have severe symptoms which can lead to premature death. Samuel currently lives with his mother in a small village. She has been the rock of their family, supporting him and his five siblings single-handedly after the death of their father years ago. The income she makes from her small vegetable farm combined with Samuel’s wages from working as a casual laborer are still not enough to cover the medical care he needs. The craniotomy needed to remove the mucocele from Samuel’s brain costs $1,500. The doctors expect this will relieve his symptoms and help him live a long and healthy life. “I would love to open a kiosk when I get better. Then I could help my mother,” says Samuel. Let’s make this happen for him!

Mu Cho is a 49-year-old Burmese refugee who lives with her husband in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. She works several odd jobs to earn money because there are no formal job opportunities in the refugee camp, but cannot afford basic healthcare. A few months ago, Mu Cho began experiencing severe abdominal pains and noticed tenderness on her right side. She assumed these were menstrual cramps, but soon the swelling grew worse - preventing her from walking long distances. Mu Cho visited a health clinic and an ultrasound revealed she has a large mass on her uterus. For $1,000, Mu Cho will undergo surgery to remove the uterine mass. This operation will allow Mu Cho to move about freely again and return to work without constant cramping and pain.