Htet is a 38-year-old mother of four from Burma. She works as a street vendor, selling vegetables while her husband is currently unemployed. Her eldest daughter works as a money changer. Her other children attend school. During her free time, Htet enjoys visiting with her neighbors. Since November 2022, Htet has been experiencing frequent abdominal pain that has progressively worsened over time. She has been diagnosed with a gallstone. Unfortunately, medications only help relieve her pain temporarily. Htet has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Htet's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Htet is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on September 19. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Htet's procedure and care. Htet said: "It is impossible for me to pay for the surgery. I was so delighted when I met you and knew that you would help me get surgery. I would like to say thank you so much for your great support."

Sary is a 34-year-old man who was born and raised in the capital city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His mom has always worked as a cleaner, and his dad is a vegetable farmer. Sary currently lives with his younger brother but hasn't been able to work in years due to his deteriorating condition. He enjoys watching Cambodian comedy shows on television and spending time with his brother. From the age of 12, Sary and his parents noticed his spine was curved. By the age of 20, he lost some function in his right hand. He did not seek treatment due to fear of the costs. Since that time, the condition has worsened. He experiences back pain, ankle pain, and weakness in his right leg and arm. He needs a scoliosis corrective surgery to improve his function and decrease pain. He has presented to our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) to seek intervention for his disability. Surgeons plan to do a spinal fusion with implants on August 3rd. Sary was able to contribute $100 to the cost of the surgery and needs help with the remaining $1,500, which will cover the costs of radiology, medications, surgery, and post-op physiotherapy care. Sary shared, "I hope I can walk better, not have pain, and help my brother at home."

Yesica is an 8-year-old girl who lives with her parents and 2 younger brothers in a mining city high in the mountains of central Bolivia. Her father works in construction, and her mother is a homemaker. Yesica is in second grade and loves attending school and learning about science. Yesica was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. Yesica needs surgery to heal this condition. Fortunately, our medical partner International Cardiac Alliance (ICA) can help. Yesica is scheduled for cardiac surgery on October 11th, during which doctors will sew the hole closed so that blood can no longer leak through it. After surgery, she will be able to be more active and grow up to be a strong young woman. Yesica's family and ICA need help raising $1,500 to fund the procedure and her follow-up medical care. Her mother shared, "Our family is very hopeful that Yesica will be stronger and healthier after her surgery."

Joshua is a 21-year-old man who works as a motorbike taxi driver. His parents are small-scale farmers. Joshua is the second of seven children and has just finished form four in school. Joshua had a traffic accident last month and severely injured his leg. He was taken to the hospital where he had popliteal bypass surgery—a surgical procedure used to treat damaged leg arteries above or below the knee and used to salvage limbs that are at risk of amputation. Fasciotomy—the cutting of tissue on his leg—was also necessary. Following that procedure, Joshua had surgery for external fixation to align his leg bones because his doctor identified that he had a drop foot. Joshua has been in the hospital for over a month and is doing well, but he has open wounds where fasciotomy was performed. He now needs skin grafting to close his open wounds, replace lost skin and improve the appearance of the damaged skin. He is appealing for help so that he may quickly heal and be able to go home. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Joshua with his medical needs. Joshua needs your help funding this $1,089 procedure. Joshua says, "To this point, I thank God and everyone who took part in making all this happen. I am looking forward to getting well so that I may walk again and be able to carry out some work. Please help me.”

Eh is a 58-year-old father of two from Burma. Eh became unemployed following a motorbike accident that left his leg weakened. He now relies on his wife, who sells betel nuts and noodles for support. During his free time, Eh enjoys weaving bamboo baskets. Eh has been diagnosed with multiple large gallstones. He has enduring intense right-sided abdominal pain, accompanied by back pain and a diminished appetite. Due to the pain, he also faces trouble sleeping at night. Eh has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Eh's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Eh is scheduled to undergo his cholecystectomy on September 4th. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Eh's procedure and care. Eh said, "I stopped working for a year, and I have no income, so I am stressed about my treatment. However, when I learned that BCMF would help me access treatment, I felt very happy. I want to express my gratitude and say thank you to the donors and BCMF for supporting my treatment."

Wine is a three-year-old boy who lives with his parents and siblings in Karen State - an area of Burma that is in a state of crisis and conflict. Wine’s father is a construction day laborer and his mother stays at home with Wine and his siblings. Wine's older brother lives in Bangkok and his sister lives in Shan State and is able to send Wine's household money every month. His other four siblings are students. Wine was born in 2019 with a condition called hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is caused by a brain malformation or birth defect that causes excessive cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in brain cavities. Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear, colorless liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, protecting them from injury. It carries nutrients to the brain and spinal cord and takes away waste. In a healthy person, the amount of this fluid produced by the brain is absorbed by the body. In hydrocephalus, the fluid fails to drain and accumulates, leading to pressure on the brain. Wine's symptoms include a lump on the bridge of his nose. His eyes frequently water, and he cries a lot when he is in severe pain. Additionally, his head is gradually increasing in size as the fluid continues to build. The condition is most often treated by inserting a shunt. The shunt diverts excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain to another part of the body where the fluid can be reabsorbed. Wine visited a doctor when he was born to address the issue. While he was in the process of receiving treatment across the border at a hospital in Thailand, the Thai-Burma border shut down due to the outbreak of COVID-19. With the closure of the Thai-Burma border, Wine and his family could not go back to his follow-up care. Fortunately, after the Thai-Burma border reopened, Wine was able to meet with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Wine received a CT scan at Mae Sot General Hospital and the doctor was able to diagnose the issue and scheduled Wine to undergo surgery immediately on June 2nd. BCMF is now requesting $1,500 to help fund this procedure. Wine's mother said, "I want him to be able to walk, sit, and be healthy like other children his age. My husband and two of my children work, so I can take good care of Wine. I cry a lot whenever I see Wine suffering from pain, but now I feel like I no longer have to shed a tear for him because of that. I don’t want to be rich, nor do I want him to be rich. I only want Wine to be healthy and happy."

Lucy, a 3-year-old girl, is shy with a heart full of joy. As the third and youngest child in her family, Lucy brings delight to her loved ones. Her mother shared that Lucy enjoys singing, spending time with her friends, engaging in playful activities, and assisting with household chores. Lucy's father is a farmer, while her mother oversees the household. During our medical partner's encounter with Lucy at the Nyahururu clinic, she was accompanied by her mother, who expressed concerns about a leg deformity. Her mother mentioned that Lucy has recently been limping and frequently complains of pain when walking and playing with her friends. Lucy was diagnosed with clubfoot on the right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Lucy's family visited our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on July 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, requests $1,286 to fund Lucy's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she can walk without pain, continue her education and play with friends. "It would bring me joy to have Lucy walking and playing like other children," Lucy's mother told us.

Jayden is a preschooler from Haiti. Jayden lives with his parents, who are both schoolteachers, and older brother in a small city in the mountains of central Haiti. He likes to draw and is learning to read. Jayden has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. Two holes exist in his heart, one between the two upper chambers and another between the two lower chambers. Blood leaks through these holes, straining his heart and making it difficult for him to obtain oxygen. Because the surgery he needs is not available in Haiti, Jayden will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On April 28th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use patches to close the holes in his heart so that blood can flow normally. Our medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance is also contributing $9,000 to pay for surgery, but Jayden and his family still need help covering the costs of surgery prep and travel. 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 Jayden overseas. Jayden's mother shared, "Our family has been very frightened for our son's health so we were so happy to get the news that he could have this surgery!"

Kanha is a 21-year-old woman from Cambodia who lives with her family. She has three brothers and two sisters who also still live at home with their parents. Because of an unknown birth condition, she does not speak, so she has never attended school. She occasionally helps out her family by harvesting fruit from local orchards to earn extra income. On March 4th, Kanha fell from a mango tree while collecting fruit and injured her back. She experiences severe pain in her neck and back and is unable to walk. Her family took her to a local provincial hospital, but they could not pay for her care. Instead, the doctors recommended that the family drive four hours to the capital city of Phnom Penh for treatment. She has been diagnosed with a fractured spin and requires surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Kanha receive treatment. On March 10th, doctors at CSC will perform a spinal laminectomy with metal implants to stabilize her spinal column. A laminectomy enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Now, Kanha and her family need help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. The cost includes hospitalization, surgery, implants, physical therapy, and medications. After recovery, Kanha's pain should improve significantly, and she should have full mobility after four to eight weeks. Kanha's mother shared, "we hope after surgery, my daughter will no longer be in pain and will be able to walk."