Emelita is a loving grandmother from the Philippines. Emelita has five children and is currently living with one of them. When she was younger, she worked hard as a laundrywoman to make ends meet for her family. Now that she is physically weaker due to her age, she takes care of her grandchildren and helps her daughter with the household chores. Three years ago, Emelita began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe stomach pain, upper back pain, fatigue, and rapid exhaustion. Whenever she feels her symptoms, she cannot perform her day-to-day tasks. She also knows that her daughter and grandchildren worry about her condition and are affected whenever she is in pain. After seeking treatment, Emelita has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Emelita is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on October 14th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Emelita's surgery and care. Emelita says, "I am very grateful for this surgery opportunity because it will help me and my family. I feel like I have been a burden to them, especially when my symptoms act up. This surgery will enable me to regain my ability to do my day-to-day tasks and household activities to help my family."

Mon is a 40-year-old mother from Thailand. She lives with her husband and son in a small village. She is a seamstress while her husband is unemployed. Her son goes to nursery school. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her son and riding bikes with him. Since 2015, Mon has been experiencing pain in the right side of her abdomen. She has been diagnosed with uterine myoma. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Mon's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Mon is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on July 19th. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCM) is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience pain. She said, “I was depressed when I learned I have to undergo surgery, but my husband comforted me and encouraged me to continue seeking medical treatment so I will feel better.”

Tha Zin is a 43-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives in a refugee camp in Tak Province with her husband and two sons. Tha Zin and her husband run a shop in the refugee camp. Their total monthly income is not enough to cover their basic expenses, and sometimes Tha Zin needs to borrow money with interest from her neighbor for her children’s school expenses. Tha Zin shared that in her free time she loves reading the Bible, praying, and knitting hats for her family. In 2022, Tha Zin started to experience pain when sitting. She also experienced bleeding in a sensitive area. In the refugee camp, they receive free basic health care from the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Tha Zin went to the hospital in the refugee camp, where they completed a physical examination, diagnosed her with severe hemorrhoids, and provided her with basic medication. While Tha Zin took the medication, she felt relieved, but after she finished her medication, the pain worsened, and she experienced increased swelling and inflammation. As time went on, the pain worsened. She felt it was harder to stand up, walk or sit. Currently, Tha Zin feels like she has less energy and has difficulty completing her everyday tasks. She also experiences difficulty sleeping due to her worries about her condition. Tha Zin sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo surgery on June 2nd at our partner's care center. Tha Zin needs your help to raise $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Tha Zin said, “Because of my illness, I had to close my shop and leave my two children with my relatives. So, I worry about them. But I am thankful to those who will support my surgery because I cannot afford to pay for it by myself. When I recover, I will reopen my shop and pay back my debt that I borrowed for my children’s school expenses. If my family has the opportunity to do so, I want us to be resettled in a new country one day.”

Aye is a 44-year-old teacher from Burma. She resides along with her husband, aunt, and niece. She works as a school teacher while her husband runs a betel nut shop. Her aunt is a homemaker and her niece goes to school. During her free time, Aye enjoys watching TV and reading. Aye has a heart condition that requires replacement of two heart valves (aortic and mitral) and repair of the tricuspid valve. These valves control the blood flow between the chambers of the heart and are necessary to prevent long term damage to the heart and lungs. For the past 14 years, Aye has suffered from her heart condition. Since the beginning of 2023, her symptoms worsened. Aye has been experiencing occasional chest pain and difficulty breathing which worsens with physical activities. She also has a decreased appetite, weight loss, and difficulty sleeping at night. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for this complex surgery. The treatment is scheduled to take place at Pun Hlaing Hospital on November 23rd and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and have a more active and healthy life ahead. Aye said: "I have been ill and taking medication for more than 10 years already. I feel sad and depressed living with this health problem. I want to get treated and live healthy like other people, but I cannot afford to pay for surgery. Since I learning that BCMF and donors will help me pay for my surgery, I am so excited to undergo surgery and become healthy again. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to receive a surgery since I cannot effort to pay for it myself. I am really grateful for your help and I am thankful to all the donors who will help pay for my treatment. May you all be in good health and may you have the ability to help more people in the future."

Theara is a playful 5-year-old from Cambodia. She comes from Kampong Speu province where she lives with her parents and two older siblings. Theara's parents work as rice farmers, and her siblings are students in elementary school. She loves ice cream and playing with her friends in the village. In 2020, when Theara was three years old, she arrived at Children's Surgical Centre with cataracts in both eyes, speech delay, and lower limb irregularities. After receiving surgery, she is able to see from both eyes and her speech difficulties have since been resolved. The surgeons did not want to perform an operation on her legs at that time, but now that Theara is older, her parents returned to Children's Surgical Centre for further consultation to help her walk more easily. She has difficulty walking, cannot run, and has not yet started school. On April 6th, surgeons at CSC will place eight plates in her lateral proximal tibia to gradually straighten her legs and improve her mobility. Now, Theara and her family need help to fund this $600 procedure. Her mom shared, "I hope her leg can straighten so she can walk and start school."

Mar is a 56-year-old woman who lives with her family in a refugee camp located on the Thai-Burma border. They sell vegetables to earn income. During her free time, Mar enjoys reading religious books. Since late August, Mar has had an incisional hernia at the side of her previous caesarean section scar. The scar bulged from her abdomen, and was accompanied by significant pain and vomiting. This hernia causes pain and discomfort in her abdomen which worsens with physical activity. It hinders her ability to work to support her family. Fortunately, she will be able to 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 Mar's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 21 and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Mar said, “I just want to return to a normal life, free from worries brought on by this condition. After surgery, I will be able to work more and contribute more money to my family's income. Thank you.”

Kenn is a 26-year-old food handler from Philippines. He lives with his partner and has an income of $200 a month which is just enough to provide for their daily needs. In addition to his needed treatment, Kenn is worried because he already holds debts from a previous hospitalization. In March 2022, Kenn began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe stomachache, back pain, and vomiting. He was brought to the nearest hospital to receive urgent care. After a series of tests, he was diagnosed to have a gallstone. Unfortunately, he cannot afford his surgery and had it delayed. Consequently, his symptoms worsened as he experienced chest pain and yellow skin discoloration. He went back to his surgeon to be checked and was diagnosed with Chronic Calculous Cholecystitis. Kenn must undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder to heal. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Kenn is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 3rd. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the requesting $1,128 to cover the cost of Kenn's surgery and care. Kenn shared, "The treatment cost is very expensive and we can't afford it. Thankfully, Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines have good hearts and are willing to help me. I'm so grateful for their generosity. May the Lord continue to bless them."

Srey Sor is a 33-year-old wife and mother of two from Cambodia. She has a 16-year-old son in high school and a 5-year-old daughter in kindergarten. Her husband supports the family by working a local job in construction. In her free time, Srey Sor likes to garden, grow her own vegetables, and cook for her family. Three years ago, Srey Sor fell at home, injuring her tibia and de-stabilizing her knee. The injury has resulted in recurring dislocations in her knee. Due to the severity of the injury, Srey Sor has been unable to walk and needs to take pain medication regularly to ease her symptoms. When Srey Sor learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for over two hours to seek treatment. On February 16th, surgeons at CSC will perform a knee fusion procedure to secure the joint and restore a pain-free range of motion in her leg. CSC is requesting $600 to fund this procedure. Srey Sor said, "I hope after this surgery I can walk and take care of my children and that the pain will stop."

Thaw is a 5-year-old boy who lives with a large family in Burma. His whole family works as agricultural day labourers. He has not yet started his schooling because he is young and because of his health condition. Thaw enjoys playing with other children in their neighborhood. He also enjoys practicing writing the Burmese alphabet, which his brother has taught him. Thaw was born with a congenital condition affecting his lower digestive tract. He underwent surgery a few days after he was born and again when he was two years old. Now the doctor wants to perform a reverse colostomy, an operation to improve the function of his lower digestive tract. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Thaw's surgery scheduled for June 12th. Thaw's father said, "Both us [my wife and I], have to watch him constantly because we are worried that he will get an infection... Currently, half of our income goes towards his medical expenses, which makes it difficult for our family to survive."

Seang is a loving 73-year-old grandmother from the Battambang province of Cambodia. She has one son, four daughters, and ten grandchildren. She lives with her husband and her son, who works as a motorbike taxi driver. At home, Seang enjoys joining ceremonies at her local pagoda and cooking for her grandchildren. About three months ago, Seang developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience blurry vision, tearing, and a cloudy lens. As a result, she has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she cannot go out on her own. When Seang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for eight and a half hours seeking treatment. On January 5th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund this procedure. Seang shared, "I hope my vision improves and I can get around easily by myself. I want to be able to help care for my grandchildren and walk to the pagoda by myself."

Victoria is a 22-month-old baby girl that lives in Port-au-Prince with her parents. She is a happy child that enjoys dancing and playing dress-up. Victoria was born with a condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosus, where an extra blood vessel (passageway) called the ductus arteriosus (DA) allows blood from the right side of the heart to flow to the aorta and back out into the body without going through the lungs. This leaves Victoria feeling weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical provider, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (ACH), has diagnosed Victoria and created a treatment plan involving surgery to repair the issue. During the procedure on April 17th, doctors will use a device attached to a catheter to plug the hole so that blood can no longer leak. ACH is requesting $1500 to fund the procedure. Victoria's mother says, "Our family is very thankful to everyone who is making this possible for our daughter!"