Begaelle is a baby from Haiti. Begaelle lives in Port-au-Prince with her parents and grandparents; she is her parents' first child. She was born with two holes in her heart: a ventricular septal defect, between the two lower chambers, and an atrial septal defect, between the two upper chambers. As a result, blood cannot circulate properly through her body, leaving her sick and short of breath. Begaelle will fly to India to receive treatment. On August 22, she will undergo cardiac surgery. Another organization, Rotary International, is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery. Begaelle's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. 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 Begaelle's family overseas.

Kyaw is a 11-year-old from Thailand. He lives with his family in Mae Tao Village, Mae Sot District, Tak Province. He is a fourth grade student. Since March 2019, Kyaw has had umbilical hernia. At the moment, Kyaw feels abdomen pain. Fortunately, on May 22, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Kyaw's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 22 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Kyaw says, "I like to play football when I am free, and it is my favorite sport. When I grow up, I would like to be a paramedic."

Nam is a 16-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her family in Mae Sot. She likes reading in her free time. Nam was born with a meningocele, a birth defect in which the spinal cord fails to form properly. Meningocele is characterized by a sac-like protrusion of the membranes surrounding the spinal column. If left untreated, it can result in extreme neurological impairment due to the continued exposure of the spinal tissue. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of meningocele repair surgery for Nam. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 25. Nam says, "I want to finish my high school and after that I will join the university in Thailand."

Tin is a 25-year-old woman from Burma. She is a mother of two daughters and she lives with her family in the village in Kyain Seikgyi Township, Karen State. Since December of 2018, Tin has been experiencing lower abdominal pain. She has been diagnosed with a dermoid cyst. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Tin's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Tin is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on March 26. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer suffers from abdominal pain and she will be able to be with her family happily again. Tin says, “I miss my daughters and I want to have surgery soon. I want to get well and return home. I want to live my life freely without any disease in my body.”

Geofry is a young man from Kenya. He is the fifth of six children. Currently he works on construction sites. Earlier this month, he slipped and fell and sustained a closed fracture on the radius and ulna of his left hand. It is difficult for him to use his hand, and he is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 21, Geofry will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him heal and use his hand again to work. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $998 to fund this procedure. He says, “I plead for help because my income is very little and I have no one to help me. I hope to be well and go back to my job to support myself."

Loyford is a young man from Kenya. He is the oldest child in his family. He sells bananas in the coastal town of Mombasa. His younger brother is a student in university. Recently, Loyford was in a road traffic accident. The impact caused fractures on his spine. Loyford was referred to our medical partner's facility for specialized treatment after CT scan imaging. Loyford needs to undergo a spinal fusion and decompression. Surgery is scheduled for January 18 and will cost $1,500. Loyford says, “My prayer is to be treated and resume my work. I want to provide for my brother and mother."

Hay is a twelve-month-old boy from Thailand. He lives with his family in Nu Poe Refugee Camp, Umphang District, Tak Province. Hay Soe’s father works with the Karen Department of Heath Welfare in the border area outside of the camp as a health worker. Since he was three weeks old, Hay has had a hernia. His parents worry that his condition will get worse if he does not receive surgery. Fortunately, on January 8, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Hay's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 8 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. His mother says, “I want my son to get well and I want to help him go to school when he grows up. I want him to become a doctor and take care of sick people.”

John is a baby from Kenya. He is the youngest of three siblings. John has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. Without treatment, John will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for John that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 28 and will drain the excess fluid from John's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, John will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. John’s mother says, "I am hoping somehow he will get better."

Chivensky is a toddler from Haiti. He lives in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, where his mother and father share custody of him during the week. He attends preschool and likes drawing and watching cartoons. Chivensky has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. On October 11, he will undergo cardiac surgery at St. Damien Hospital, our medical partner's care center. During surgery, surgeons will use a patch to close the hole in his heart. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Chivensky's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and medications. His father says, "Our family is all praying for our son's surgery to go well!"

Nyi is a 13-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his family in Mae Tao Village, Mae Sot Township, Tak Province. In his spare time, Nyi plays with the football that his sister bought for him. This month, Nyi fell on the ground and broke his forearm while playing football with friends at school. He was initially brought by his teacher to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC). The medic at MTC investigated him and informed the teacher that both bones in Nyi’s forearm were broken and that he would need surgery to fix the broken bones. Currently, Nyi is in pain and his left hand is swelling. He cannot move around and cannot even lift his hand up. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Nyi will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for September 13 and will cost $1,500. After Nyi's surgery, he will be able to lift his hand up, move around, and return to his school. Nyi’s mother says, “I am worry because I cannot afford to pay for my son’s treatment. I hope to see him get well soon and return to school.”

Andrey is a young boy from Kenya. He is the only child to his single mother. The family of two lives in a rental house in central Kenya. Andrey's mother works as a sales agent in a local company and earns just enough to meet their basic needs. Andrey was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Andrey has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Andrey will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on August 6. AMHF is requesting $535 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I hope Andrey gets treated so that it does not affect him adversely,” says Andrey’s mother.

Aye is a 66-year old woman from Burma. She is married and has three daughters and one son. Her husband, her son, her daughter-in-law, and her three grandsons are living together in one household. Aye used to make sweets and sell them at the market. But about ten years ago, she had to stop her work because she started to experience general weakness. Aye was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago. The diabetes caused an ulcer on her right foot in 2017, for which she received treatment at our medical partner's care center. However, at the end of June, Aye noticed another small ulcer on her left foot. She went to the care center again to seek treatment. She was examined, provided with medication, and sent back home. During the next seven days, her ulcer became worse. Now, she needs to have her toe amputated to prevent the ulcer from spreading. The procedure is scheduled for July 20 and will cost $1,500.