Tun is a 71-year-old man from Thailand. He lives with his wife, three sons, and four daughters in a refugee camp. His wife is a homemaker and four of his children go to school. In his free time, Tun enjoys hunting, foraging for wild vegetables, and splitting bamboo which is then used for weaving mats. Tun used to work as a day laborer until 2020, when he started to experience problems with his vision. Tun has a cataract in his left eye and his vision is blurry. Sometimes, his left eye itches. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Tun. On March 11th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Tun's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. “I want to see clearly with both of my eyes. I hope that after the operation I will be able to see well,” Tun said.

Nyakek is a beautiful three-month-old baby from Sudan. She was born at home, and her mother immediately noticed a large, open swelling on the lower part of her back. The midwives recommended that Nyakek be brought to a nearby hospital, where she was diagnosed with spina bifida. This is a neural tube defect, where the spine and spinal cord don't fully form, leading to infection, lower limb paralysis, and developmental delays. A missionary doctor at the hospital immediately linked them to our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH), which was able to refer them to our partner hospital in Kenya. Plans were put together for how she would travel to Kenya for treatment. Where their family comes from in Sudan, the area has very poor roads and it would not have been possible for them to travel to Juba to be airlifted to Kenya. Instead, the doctor organized for them to board a helicopter that visits the area once a week to deliver supplies. They were taken to Juba where they boarded another flight to Kenya. Upon arrival at our partner's care center, Nyakek was examined and they have started planning for the urgent surgery she needs. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,151 to cover the cost of Nyakek's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 9th at BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. This procedure will hopefully spare Nyakek from the risks associated with her condition, allowing her to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Nyakek’s mother said: “When I saw the swelling, I was very stressed as I had not seen such a thing before. I immediately got worried about my daughter.”

Benedict is a 57-year-old father from the Philippines. His wife, two daughters, and two stepchildren all reside with him and he works hard to support them. He keeps himself occupied by caring for doves, which is a love that become his hobby. He lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide for his family, he turned his hobby into a business. Benedict now sells doves which is the family's only source of income. He usually earns around Php 8,000 ($141 USD) a month doing this. One month ago, Benedict began experiencing troubling symptoms, including excruciating discomfort, which restricts his ability to perform his day to day tasks. He suffers greatly from even the smallest movement. He cannot sit, stand up, or walk without pain. Benedict was diagnosed with Mixed Hemorrhoids Grade IV, the most severe level of internal hemorrhoids. He needs surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Benedict receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a hemorrhoidectomy on September 30 at WSFP's care center. A portion of the cost of his treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,285 to cover the cost of Benedict's procedure and care. Benedict said: "I hope to be a beneficiary of surgery as we cannot afford the expenses for the operation. Our family does not have a lot of income and I am hoping to remove the pain of my illness to return to work as the breadwinner for my family."

Renatus is a seven-year-old boy in grade 1 from Tanzania. He is smart, charming, and enjoys playing with everyone he interacts with. Whenever engaged in conversation, he exudes confidence. Renatus is the younger child in a family of two siblings. His parents are farmers and livestock keepers, making every effort to provide for their family. However, inflation makes it challenging for them to meet all their needs. During his early growth stages, Renatus effortlessly went through crawling, standing, and beginning to walk. However, as time passed and he started walking more, his legs began to show signs of bowing. This concerned his mother, leading her to take him to the hospital for evaluation. The doctor advised starting him on calcium therapy, but unfortunately, the treatment proved ineffective. Consequently, the mother sought another medical opinion from various medical centers, but the condition continued to worsen as Renatus grew older, making it increasingly difficult and painful for him to walk. Renatus and parents traveled 6 hours to seek treatment. He was diagnosed with a wind-swept deformity, which affects both of his legs, leading to reduced stability while walking. He was also diagnosed with clubfoot of both feet, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. These conditions cause difficulty in walking and wearing shoes. He has become less confident during playtime, as he frequently trips and falls. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) determined that the best course of action is corrective surgery to improve Renatus’s quality of life. Surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 2nd. AMH is requesting $935 to fund Renatus's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk and play easily. Renatus’s mother said, "I wish my son to have a good life ahead free from any defect. I hope this treatment will make it possible for him to have a good future.”

Annizabelle is an 11-year-old fifth-grader who lives with her parents and three siblings in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Her father is a mechanic, and her mother is a vendor. Anizabelle has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the valves in her heart is severely damaged due to an infection she suffered earlier in her childhood. As a result, her heart is unable to adequately pump blood through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is helping Annizabelle receive treatment. Annizabelle and her family will fly to the Dominican Republic, where she will undergo cardiac surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT on August 8th. During the surgery, doctors will attempt to repair her existing valve. If they cannot repair the valve, they will remove it, and implant an artificial replacement. HCA is contributing $9,000 to pay for the surgery. Now Annizabelle and her family need help to cover the $1,500 for the pre-surgical prep, lab tests, medicines and post operative follow up visits. In addition, this sum will pay for the passports for the social workers who will accompany the family overseas. Annizabelle's mother said: "Our family is praying that this surgery will be a success so that our daughter can get back to focusing on school and the rest of her life."

Ya is a 41-year-old woman from Burma. She currently lives with her father who is retired, her brother who is a student, and her son who works on the family rice farm with her. Their farming sustains their family, as they have no other source of income. They also forage for plants and vegetables from the forest. In her free time, Ya enjoys weaving traditional Karen (her ethnic community) bags. As a result of COVID-19 and the February 2021 coup, it is no longer feasible for Ya’s family to have traditional jobs. Her family faces extreme instability due to ongoing fighting in their area. Often, they must escape to nearby forests to avoid the conflict. They spend around a week at a time displaced in the forests. After the fighting has moved, they return to their village. Recently they had to sell their two cows to support themselves. In September 2020, Ya began experiencing back pain, and it was uncomfortable for her to walk and do regular activities because she cannot put pressure on her abdomen. She was diagnosed with myoma, or uterine fibroids. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Ya's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Ya is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on July 10th with the help of our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), who is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Ya will no longer be in pain and will be able to walk without discomfort and work on the farm with her son. Ya said, “I want to get the surgery and recover quickly so I can go back to my family and help with the farm.” She is not sure what the future will hold as the fighting in her village is still happening, but she said, “I just want to be happy and stay with my family for the rest of my life.”

Sephora, a 4-year-old girl with Down syndrome from Haiti, loves listening to music and drawing with crayons. She lives with her parents and three older siblings in a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince. Sephora has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. Because of this condition, a hole exists between two blood vessels near her heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. Sephora needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive cardiac treatment on May 29th. First, the doctors will perform tests to determine if the hole near her heart can be safely closed or whether it is better to manage the condition with medication. If the tests show a good result, the surgeons will close the hole using a device attached to the end of a catheter. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $6,000 to pay for Sephora's surgery. Sephora's family also needs help with her $1,500 surgery prep costs. This cost covers all her labs, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. It also covers the cost of passports and social workers accompanying Sephora's family overseas. Sephora's mother said, "I am very happy to know that my daughter finally has the chance to have her heart fixed!"

Rose is a 62-year-old widow with two fully grown children. She lost her husband four years ago. Rose owns a small business where she sells sand and also performs garden maintenance for a small fee. Rose gets support from both children, who are married with children themselves now. She lives with her second-born child in a three-bedroom house without water and electricity. Rose likes doing house chores and enjoys eating nsima, a culinary tradition of Malawi, made from maize flour with vegetables. In 2014, Rose started experiencing pain when she swallowed. She visited the hospital near her home, where she was treated. The treatment worked for awhile until December of last year when her daughter noticed that Rose's neck was swollen on the right side. In March, Rose noticed that the swelling was getting larger and also causing consistent pain. Rose decided it was time to visit Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi where a scan revealed her mass had grown substantially and was stemming from the right thyroid lobe. Her doctor diagnosed her with a goiter and determined that surgery would be needed. Due to her financial challenges, Rose could not afford the surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Rose met with a surgeon who confirmed her diagnosis and the need for surgical intervention called a thyroidectomy, which removes part or all of the thyroid gland. Rose believes the surgery will help her to get better and prevent her symptoms from impacting her day to day life, and allow her to focus on how good her life is. She was able to contribute $10 toward her care and is grateful to all to help her raise the $1,015 needed. Rose said, “Thank you donors for supporting me, I want to live my normal life.”