This past June, 30-year-old Yuos was hit by car while driving his motorcycle, leaving him with a broken right leg. The father from Cambodia shares some of the impact his injury is having on his life: “It is difficult to walk since my accident and I can't work." “Yuos is married with two sons,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “In his free time he enjoys watching the TV news channel, listening to traditional Khmer songs, and watching sports.” To support his family, Yuos earns a modest income as a construction worker. Immediately following his injury, Yuos received two weeks of hospital care but his condition did not improve. After funding his first attempt at treatment, Yuos is now unable to afford the surgery he needs. For $405, Yuos will receive an open reduction and internal fixation procedure to surgically repair his broken femur. During this two-stage operation, Yuos’ broken bones will be reset before being casted into position using metal rods and screws. “I hope after surgery I can walk without pain. After I am healed I hope I can go back to work to support my family again," Yuos shares. His wife adds, “I hope my husband can walk by himself and not need any help from me getting around after surgery."

Meet Eunice, she is a 33-year-old woman who lives in Kenya with her husband and their two children. "Eunice had been selling vegetables at her home until April 2015, when she was hit by a motorbike as she walked home," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares. She fractured the tibia bone in her left leg. AMHF continues, "Eunice has [an] inability to use the left leg and is in pain. If not treated, the bones may remain separated leading to mal union. The dislodged plate may affect other tissues and Eunice may become disabled." $1,125 in funding will provide Eunice with open-reduction internal fixation surgery. This procedure corrects a severe, misaligned fracture where the two ends of broken bone are far apart. After the surgery, AMHF expects "the bones will unite. After Eunice is fully recovered, she will be able to walk again. Eunice will be able to work and provide for her family." Eunice shares, "I am suffering a lot and I don’t know what to do. I was hoping to get well and expand my small business. Now, my only wish is to be well so that I can be able to walk again.'' Let's help Eunice get the surgery she needs!

Abdias is an energetic one-year-old boy and the youngest of eight children. “He loves to play ball with his siblings and run around the yard in nothing but his white tank top. His family lives in a famously hot and arid area of Guatemala, in a two-room concrete block house.” According to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, “Abdias is suffering from acute malnutrition. His height and weight are far below average for his age, and he is lagging developmentally behind his peers.” Without intervention, Abdias’ developmental and physical growth will be impacted. A lack of intervention will also “affect Abdias’ ability to build a strong immune system, thus concentrating his susceptibility to other illnesses.” For $535, we can provide Abdias with the full nutrition and toolkit to live a healthy and normal childhood. “He will recoup the height and weight he lost and begin to catch up developmentally to his peers. He will receive nutritional support, thus allowing his brain to grow and develop normally. His immune system will strengthen and he will have more energy.” His mother will be educated in nutrition in such a way that it will also benefit his eight siblings. Let’s make sure Abdias doesn't fall behind developmentally and help him get back to normal. His mother expresses, “My dream for my baby is that one day he grows up to be a professional, with a real job that pays well. I want him to have a family and be successful.”

“Chit is extremely fatigued and feels heart palpitations on the left side of her chest,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects. “She has a hard time taking care of her niece and parents because she is so weak and tired.” Chit, a 19-year old woman who lives with her family in Thailand, has a congenital heart condition called atrial septal defect (ASD). ASD refers to a hole in the wall separating the top two chambers (atria) of Chit’s heart, allowing oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to mix. The defect forces her heart and lungs to work harder to provide oxygenated blood to the body, causing fatigue and heart palpitations. Without treatment, the right side of Chit’s heart will grow larger and become weaker, and the blood pressure in her lungs will increase. Chit’s two older brothers work as day laborers near the Thai-Burma border, but the work is inconsistent, and all of the money that they earn is needed to buy food for the family. As a result, Chit, who had to stop working when she got sick, has no money to pay for the life-saving surgery that she needs. For $1500, Chit can receive cardiac catheterization to repair the ASD. In this surgical procedure, doctors use imaging to thread a catheter (a thin, flexible tube inserted into a blood vessel) from the groin to the hole in the heart. They position a mesh patch contained within the catheter to close the hole between the atria and then remove the catheter. Over time, heart tissue grows into and around the mesh to permanently close the hole. Funding for Chit's treatment also includes transportation and post-operative hospital care. “Chit hopes that after surgery she can return to normal life without being tired and in pain,” says Burma Border Projects. “She plans to work again and take care of her elderly parents.” Let’s help Chit achieve her goals!

Meet Yin, a 34-year-old mother of three from Burma. Yin is married with one son and two daughters. “She works as a market vendor selling fruits and vegetables, and her husband is a rickshaw driver. They have never been able to save money, because it is very expensive to send their three children to school,” reports our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “Despite the financial barrier, Yin insists on making sure her children are educated, because she was only able to attend school until grade 3 and wants more for them.” Yin was born with congenital heart disease, a defect in the heart’s structure that results in loss of normal function, and eventually heart failure. “Yin first learned of her condition when she was 17, but never sought treatment because she knew she could not afford it,” continues BBP. “Yin’s condition causes her to experience weight loss, dizziness, severe heart palpitations, fatigue and chest pains. She finds she needs to rest for longer and longer periods after physical activity, and the financial burden of disease is causing her stress.” “In August 2014, her symptoms became so severe that she took a loan of 500 USD from a money lender and went to see a doctor who told her she would need surgery,” explains BBP. “Yin has been unable to work for the past year and worries about how she will pay back her loans.” For $1500, Yin can receive a complex cardiac surgery that will correct the congenital heart defect and fully resolve her current symptoms. This cost covers the procedure, hospitalization (x-rays, medication, laboratory testing, meals), transport, and pre and post-surgery outpatient visits. Yin remains positive and looks forward to a bright future. “Yin plans to go back into business after treatment and sell goods in many different markets,” says BBP. “Her dream is to one day run her own company. She believes that treatment will allow her to be a better wife and mother.”

“I really hope to be able to get a job to provide some support for my family,” shares Tha, a 29-year-old husband and father of four children from Burma. Tha suffers from bladder stones that restrict his everyday activities. Bladder stones are painful, crystallized masses in the bladder that currently put Tha at risk of chronic urinary infection. In 2012, Tha had one of his legs amputated after a serious accident involving a landmine. According to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), “These injuries combined with the pain and chronic infections caused by his bladder stones make it impossible for Tha to work, so he stays home to take care of the children.” While initially from Burma, Tha and his family currently live in Thailand. His wife works hard to support the family, but is unable to take care of her children and cover the medical costs that Tha needs for full treatment. Before his illness, Tha used to love cooking for his family. His wife fondly recalls these memories, sharing that he cooks better than she does. BBP explains that "without surgery, Tha will continue to develop more bladder stones and his infections will only get worse.” For $1500, Tha will receive surgery to completely remove his bladder stones. Surgery will have a positive impact on Tha’s life, freeing him from pain that currently limits his ability to work, and spend time with his family.

"Mengistu is very likeable and intelligent," says our medical partner, Ortho FOCOS (OF). "He is currently in stage 1 at a local school and dreams of becoming a doctor!" Eight-year-old Mengistu lives in Ethiopia with his two siblings, father and step-mother. "The family lives in a two room mud house and does not have access to electricity or running water," says OF. Mengistu has kyphosis- an exaggerated rounding of the back. He has trouble standing straight and is developing a hunch back. He walks at a very slow pace. For $1500, OF can correct Mengistu's kyphosis and allow him to live without constant pain and discomfort. He is also expected to regain full mobility. "At such a young age with such a severe deformity, this surgery will save his life," says OF. Let's help make it happen!

“I am studying journalism and would like to become a news anchor one day. I want to help my mother and siblings have better futures,” says Samuel, a 26-year-old student living in Kenya. About a month ago, a motorbike taxi hit Samuel while he was crossing the street after church. The accident resulted in a fracture of his right tibia, or shinbone. He went to the emergency room to have his leg casted, but it still has not healed properly, and he hasn't been able to go to school. "Samuel is in pain and cannot walk on his own without support from crutches," the doctors at the African Mission Healthcare Foundation tell us. “If the surgery is not done, Samuel will not be able to walk on his own again. His leg might also become infected and this could lead to an amputation.” It will cost $660 to fund the surgery that will help Samuel resume his journey towards becoming a news anchor – let's come together and make it happen!

Say hello to Mas, a kind 30-year-old woman from Cambodia! According to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), “Mas has three children, and feeds and cares for chickens to support her family." However, “Mas was born with a drooping right eyelid, making it difficult for her to open and close her eye. She is embarrassed about the way she looks, and it is hard for her to read,” explains CSC. Without proper treatment, Mas will continue to have difficulty seeing clearly. For $290, Mas will receive surgery to correct her eyelid, allowing her to have returned function. According to CSC, “Mas hopes the surgery will be a success so she doesn’t have to feel shy about the way she looks." Let’s help Mas see clearly again!

Meet Srey Nich, a 24-year-old woman from Cambodia! Srey Nich currently lives by herself but close to her parents. “Srey Nich was 12 the first time she had an ear infection coupled with discharge, and they have been regularly occurring for 12 years since then,” our medical partners at Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) tell us. “She has noticed her hearing has worsened as well.” “The combination of her discharge, reduced hearing, and chronic infections has driven her to not work and stay at her mother’s house most days," explains CSC. They have diagnosed Srey Nich with chronic otitis media, a persistent infection of the middle ear. “I really worry about my daughter's condition and want her to be able to work away from the house, so I am hopeful her surgery here goes well," says Srey Nich’s mother. For $225, we can fund Srey Nich's surgery to treat her ear infection and restore her hearing.

“Celine is a friendly and a lovable mother of two children,” says our medical partner, Lwala Community Alliance. “She likes cooking and helping those who are less privileged. Her husband spends most of his time on the farm, but also as wage laborers to sustain this wonderful family.” Celine is 25-years-old and lives in Kenya. She’s currently pregnant with her third child! While she is excited for her family to expand, this pregnancy hasn’t been easy. “Celine experiences swollen feet after sitting for a long time, fatigue, extra eating that forces her husband to work extra harder for Celine and the fetus to be healthy,” Lwala tells us. Celine would like to give birth in a medical facility and have access to high-quality postnatal care. "I hope to deliver safely and continue with my work as a hairdresser to sustain my family," she says. The cost of a safe delivery is $290. Together, we can make sure Celine's baby is brought into the world safely!

Kimly lives with her two children in Cambodia and works as a rice farmer in order to support her family. Before she developed cataracts, she loved to watch her favorite Korean drama on TV. According to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, “Kimly's vision began to blur 5 months ago and she is now partially blind. Kimly is unhappy because she has had to stop working as a rice farmer and cannot look after or care for her family like she used to.” For $150, we will be able to fund Kimly's cataract surgery to restore her vision! Kimly "hopes the surgery is a success so she can return to working on the farm and selling cakes to earn money to support her family." What are we waiting for?