"I want to be well and cancer free," shares Eunice, a 31-year-old woman from Kenya. In September 2015 doctors from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), found that Eunice had a precancerous lesion in her cervix. They performed a biopsy procedure and it has been determined that if left untreated Eunice is at risk of developing cervical cancer. Eunice is a wife and mother of three children. She lives with her family in a single-roomed rental house in Kenya. Eunice sells fish while her husband works as a cook to support the family. Their family income is low and they are not able to meet the treatment cost. Eunice is in need of a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove her uterus and reduce her risk of cancer. $800 will fund Eunice's surgery, and a four-day hospital stay to ensure a proper recovery.

"Sometimes I can't study because the pain is so bad," shares 23-year-old Vy, a young woman from Cambodia. Vy is a university student who is studying marketing in Cambodia with the help of a local NGO. She has one older sister and three older brothers. For the past two years, Vy has experienced hearing loss in her left ear. She has recently experienced discharge and bleeding from that ear. Vy and her brother traveled one hour to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for care. Doctors at CSC discovered a cholesteatoma in her left ear. A cholestoeatoma is an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear behind the ear drum. Surgeons at CSC will perform a mastoidectomy surgery to remove the cholesteatoma and stop the ear discharge and infection from spreading. The operation and post-operative care will cost $809. "I hope my ear discharge stops and my hearing improves," continues Vy. "Once I am healed I hope to return home and get a good job."

Nancy is the youngest in a family of two children from Tanzania. She was born on April 16, 2016 with a congenital disorder known as hydrocephalus - a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in her brain. Nancy cries a lot, and her mother often feels helpless. Nancy’s parents have taken their daughter to different hospitals without getting proper treatment, as they are unable to afford the cost. Nancy needs surgery to help regulate the amount of cerebral spinal fluid in her head. If not treated, Nancy is at risk of going blind and the size of her head will continue to increase. She will not be able to support her head, and thus will never be able to walk, and will be dependent on other people. Nancy’s mother is a homemaker and her father works at a local mine. His income is not stable and he is struggling to support his family. As much as he would like his daughter to be treated, he cannot afford the $775 cost of surgery his daughter needs to get healthy. “I just want my baby to be well,” said Nancy’s father. Let's help make it possible!

Soe is a 27-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Burma. Soe came to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), seeking treatment for gallstones. The gallbladder—a small, pear-shaped organ that sits under the liver—stores and drains bile. When an individual has gallstones, bile drainage may be blocked, causing irritation, spasms, pain, nausea, and vomiting. “Soe is experiencing stomach and lower back pain making it difficult for her to sleep and eat,” BBP tells us. “Usually, when she eats, she feels nauseous and needs to vomit.” Until recently, Soe had a job as a waitress at a hotel restaurant in Thailand, but her symptoms made it impossible for her to work. Facing financial trouble, she and her husband returned to Burma in the hopes of finding treatment for Soe and receiving support from their family. For $1,500, Soe will undergo a laparotomy, a surgical procedure to access the abdominal cavity and remove the gallbladder. Funding also covers the costs of an eight-day hospital stay, transportation to and from the hospital, pre- and post-surgical consultations, and blood tests. “Soe should fully recover following her gallstone surgery,” says BBP. “She should be able to return to her family and again find a job so that she and her husband can save money for their future.” Soe looks forward to a successful operation. “I will work and save money for the next few years, and then, one day, we will have a happy family,” she shared in her pre-operative interview with BBP.

Sophon is a 48-year-old man living in Cambodia. He lives with his wife, daughter, and two sons, and he works as a policeman. Before his hearing began to deteriorate, he enjoyed listening to programs on the radio. Sophon has hearing loss in his right ear due to a cholesteatoma he developed many years ago. Sophon’s condition started with recurring discharge from his ear, and since then it has been odorous and painful. "I get pain every day and my hearing is lost in that ear, which makes me unhappy,” Sophon shares. “I can't work anymore." A cholesteatoma refers to an expanding growth in the middle ear, which can eventually lead to damage in the bones of the ear. These growths are often infected, and can cause chronic drainage. Sophon needs mastoidectomy surgery to remove the cholesteatoma and remove either the posterior ear canal wall or the ossicles, depending upon the findings in surgery. For $809, Sophon can receive this life-changing surgery he needs. Funding also covers one day of post-operative care and three follow-up visits. After the surgery, he is expected to regain some hearing and no longer have drainage. “I hope after the operation the pain goes away,” Sophon adds.

Eswin is a three-year-old boy who lives in Guatemala with his parents. He loves playing with his toy horse, and, "his favorite food is egg and beans," our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK), shares. Eswin is currently having trouble meeting some of his developmental milestones. He has not learned how to verbally communicate, and he has trouble walking longer distances. Because they live far from the nearest hospital, running tests and diagnostic work is not an option for Eswin. His father drives a tractor on a farm for work while his mother stays at home. Since they have no land for subsistence farming, they must purchase their food, making it difficult for them to financially support the therapy needed to treat Eswin's developmental delays. "The therapy will allow Eswin to be much more independent," WK reports. He will learn to verbally communicate in speech therapy, and to walk properly. $386 will cover the cost of the therapy needed. Without treatment, it is likely that Eswin's mother would have to stay at home with him. After receiving therapy for his developmental delays, Eswin will be on the right track for school, and his mother will be able to go back to work to help support the family. "I hope my son will learn to run and improve his language so he can explain things and we will be able to understand him," Eswin's mother expresses. "I hope my child will improve and that he will have the chance to live a normal life."

Meet Carlito, a 37-year-old man from the Philippines. "In June of 2015, Carlito underwent an operation on his left eye that later became infected," our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), reports. Since the operation, Carlito has developed a perforated corneal ulcer—one that typically occurs when an infection causes the cornea to thin. The infection has greatly impacted Carlito's vision, making it difficult for him to work. As a pig farmer and factory worker, Carlito is the sole source of income for his family. He is married with three daughters, and is concerned about what will happen to his family if he should fully lose his vision due to the infection. $1,500 will cover the cost of a corneal autograft transplant, a procedure in which doctors will replace Carlito's damaged cornea with healthy corneal tissue. As the hospital, Mount Elizabeth Orchard, is located overseas in Singapore, the cost of treatment will also include two round-trip plane tickets for Carlito to access his care. Four days of post-operative care in Singapore will also be provided. After the operation, Carlito's vision will be restored, and he will be able to continue working. In his free time, Carlito is an active participant at the local church, and has even begun studying to become a full-time preacher. With the autograft transplant, Carlito will be able to continue with his lessons and "his life of learning can take its course," shares ICM. "Seeing my wife and my children smile means so much to me, and without your help, that would not be possible," Carlito says. "I am excited to follow the doctor's orders so I will be able to see again."

Elvin is a little boy from Guatemala who lives with his parents and his older brother. “His favorite thing to do is to run outside—he’s always racing his older brother,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). Elvin also enjoys eating eggs and beans, playing with his soccer ball, and watching television at the neighbor’s house. Though he turns four next month, Elvin’s vocabulary is limited to only four words: mama, papa, huevo (egg), and agua (water). His developmental disorder frustrates him and makes it difficult for him to communicate with people outside of his immediate family. “He seems to have normal hearing abilities and can understand what others say to him,” shares WK. “He often gets upset when he can’t express himself, or ask for something he needs.” Elvin’s mother worries that he will not be able to go to school and learn as a result of his disability. This could keep her from finding a job to help with the family’s living expenses. “Elvin’s father works as a day laborer, taking odd jobs and often working in places far away from the community where his family lives,” WK explains. His mother takes care of her children, cleans the house, and cooks meals for the family. The family looks forward to purchasing a plot of land to grow vegetables, but they cannot yet afford one. For $386, Elvin will receive speech therapy to help him gain communication skills and independence. He will then be able to enroll in school, thereby giving him a greater chance of being successful later in life. “My dream is that he learns to talk well, that he can study,” says Elvin’s mother, “I hope one day that he can come out ahead and be independent, may God bless him.”

“Zuly absolutely loves beans, and her favorite fruit is red apples,” says our medical partner in Guatemala, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). Zuly is a very playful and curious eight-year-old. She loves to listen to music and dance, and she enjoys playing and running around. “She likes to pretend she is a chef and cook ‘meals’ for her family,” says WK. Zuly has a developmental delay that prevents her from communicating effectively and performing to her full potential in school. She did not talk at all until she was five-and-a-half, and still she only knows a few words. “During the last school year, she had a lot of difficulty learning the letters of the alphabet and talking and did not pass her grade,” states WK. “Zuly is very caring and loves to give hugs, but it takes her a lot of effort to express herself using words.” In order to improve her linguistic skills, Zuly needs speech therapy, which costs $386. This will help her develop the communication skills necessary to pass school and express herself to others. “Being able to express herself will also allow her to make new friends,” says WK, “Something she has had a lot of trouble with in the past.” “We dream that she will talk, use words to express herself and be successful in school,” her parents share. “We are so glad that she has the opportunity to receive therapy.”

This is Lok, a 53-year-old man living in Cambodia. Lok is married with one daughter and enjoys listening to social news programs on the radio. About two years ago, Lok developed a cataract in each eye. The cataract in his left eye became hypermature, meaning the entire lens capsule became wrinkled. This left him blind in that eye. "The cataract in his right eye is mature and requires attention soon or he will eventually become completely blind," says our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). "Currently, his vision is blurred and he experiences irritation and has a cloudy lens." This makes it difficult for him to see anything clearly. For $150, Lok will receive a cataract surgery, which consists of a clear lens implant in his right eye to combat blindness. CSC is optimistic that Lok will regain some clear vision and he will no longer be at risk of becoming blind. Lok adds that he hopes his eye “can see everything clearly again, so I can continue my work on the farm and do things easier.”

Hok is a 21-year-old husband and father from Cambodia. Currently, he lives with chronic right ear pain, discharge, and hearing loss. Hok began having recurring ear infections when he was a child. This led to a perforated ear drum, and the same symptoms he still experiences today. His symptoms impact his ability to work at his factory job and enjoy one of his favorite activities: listening to the radio. He needs a myringoplasty - a procedure that involves repairing a hole in the tympanic membrane. Hok's mother, who was with him at his appointment, hopes for his quick recovery: "I hope my son's ear discharge will stop and he won't feel pain anymore. I wish this will bring him good hearing and health." For $399, Hok will be able to receive this treatment and improve his quality of life. He will receive treatment at Children's Surgical Centre where some of his other family members have been treated successfully in the past.

Eduardo, a baby boy from Guatemala, is only a month old, but is already having developmental trouble and has lost significant weight since he was born. At birth, his mother was unable to produce enough milk for him grow at a normal rate. More recently she has been able to breastfeed for 30-45 minutes at time, but Eduardo, unsatisfied, still cries afterward. His mother is doing everything she can to force production of breast milk, but Eduardo still hasn’t been receiving as much as he should. His mother cannot afford formula, so in some instances when she cannot provide milk, she gives her son water to stop him from crying. Eduardo is the youngest child of a single mother: he has a 4-year-old sister and a 2-year-old brother. They all live together with one of their mother’s friends. Eduardo’s mother has limited access to education; she stopped after her first year in secondary school because her family could not afford it. Now to earn money, she washes clothes for her neighbors. Eduardo is at risk of dehydration and starvation. “His mother is ashamed and afraid that she cannot produce sufficient breast milk to feed her child,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). With $1,016, medical intervention will be possible for Eduardo. His mother will be given formula to provide her son with the calories he needs to grow. She will also receive one-on-one health education to prepare her the time when Eduardo will begin eating solid foods. The doctors are certain that the simple treatment will strengthen Eduardo’s immune system and allow him to become a healthy, energetic baby. “I just want him to grow,” Eduardo’s mother shares.