Aung Si is a 51-year-old man from Thailand. His cousin runs a small tea shop, where Aung Si helps as a waiter in exchange for food and boarding. In April 2017, Aung Si started to experience pain in the right side of his abdomen. One day in April 2018, he suddenly felt a severe pain. He visited our medical partner's care center, where he received an ultrasound and received medication. According to the ultrasound results, he has a stone in his gallbladder. Aung Si has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy to treat the condition. If left untreated, Aung Si'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), Aung Si is scheduled to undergo his cholecystectomy on August 27. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Aung Si's procedure and care. “If I feel better after surgery I will help in my cousin’s tea shop as much as I can and I will help my sister on her farm in Burma,” says Aung Si.

Mary is a woman from Kenya. She is a mother of four and used to work as a farmer. Due to recent health problems, she has had to stop working, so her husband is the only one providing for the family. For three years, Mary has been experiencing leg and spinal pain. Painkillers have not worked, and she has difficulty walking. She visited our medical partner's care center, where she underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with cervical myelopathy, a compression of the spinal cord. She needs to undergo a spinal fusion surgery, scheduled for July 23. Now, Mary's family needs help funding this $1,500 procedure. Mary says, “My wish is to be able to walk upright again and with no pain. I want to be there for my family."

Jane is a woman from Kenya. She has six siblings and two children. She used to work as a cleaner in a hotel. Jane has been experiencing severe discomfort in her back, leading to weakness and loss of function in her lower limbs. She took painkillers and antibiotics, but the problem continued. From several doctors, she received different diagnoses, such as a kidney infection and pneumonia, but the medications they prescribed never worked. Finally, Jane visited our medical partner's care center, where she underwent an MRI. This scan revealed that she has a lower spine deformity. She needs to undergo a spine fusion surgery to treat the condition. Fortunately, surgery is scheduled for June 21. Now, she just needs help raising $1,500 to fund the procedure. “I am appealing for support, the pain I have is intolerable, I cannot be able to pay the bill and am afraid I might not walk again. Please help me," Jane says.

Sarah is a toddler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and older brothers in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. She likes playing with her cousins and her neighborhood friends. Sarah has a cardiac condition called pulmonary atresia. She was born with one of the four valves of the heart missing. Sometimes a surgery can be done to correct this condition, but the only way to know this is by doing a cardiac catheterization. To determine if Sarah's condition is operable, she must undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that is not available in Haiti. During the procedure, a catheter probe will be inserted into her heart to perform the necessary measurements and tests. On May 24, she will travel to the Dominican Republic to receive the scan at our medical partner's care center, Clinica Corominas. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Sarah's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. Her mother says, "Our family is hoping and praying for good news from this test!"

Ephraim is a farmer from Malawi. He lives with his wife and they have twelve grown children who help their parents with the family farm. Ephraim raises goats to help supplement the family income. In his free time, he likes to chat with his wife and play with his grandchildren. Since November 2017, Ephraim has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Ephraim's surgery. On April 12, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Ephraim was thrilled to learn his surgery would be funded. He is looking forward to returning to his farm work and family free from pain and discomfort. He says, "Thank you, Watsi."

Taingkea is a 26-year-old man from Cambodia. He is single and has seven siblings. He is the eldest child. He enjoys watching football and drinking coffee when he is not working. For the past three years, he has had chronic back pain. He has difficulty getting comfortable and bending his back. He needs to undergo a spinal surgery to help him regain function in his back and not be in pain. Fortunately, Taingkea is scheduled to undergo surgery on March 14. He needs help to fund this $930 procedure. He says, "I hope my back does not cause me pain anymore after the surgery and I can walk more easily."

Simon is a child from Tanzania. He is the first born in a family of two children. Simon’s parents are farmers, and they keep a few animals. They live together with their extended family in a homestead. Simon has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Simon traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 22. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Simon's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and without pain. Simon’s father says, “I cannot wait to see my son walking properly so that he will be able to go to school.”

Yofethe is a child from Ethiopia. He loves riding a bicycle and wrestling with his father. Yofethe is an only child. His father is a merchant, and his mother is a stay-at-home mom. Yofethe was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Yofethe’s father says, “This condition worries us a lot." Fortunately, Yofethe is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 26. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,231 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care.

Nai is a 43-year-old woman who lives with her family in a village in Karen State, Burma. In February, Nai cut two of her toes while walking around her village. After she tried to clean the cuts, they got worse, and the tissue in and around them started to darken. A week later, Nai’s foot was in a lot of pain and her toes were swelling. She visited a medical clinic, and her left leg was amputated in March. Now, her left leg is fully recovered. However, she recently began noticing pain and itching in her right leg. The pain worsened and was replaced by numbness over the course of the summer, so she returned to the hospital for further treatment. On September 1, surgeons will operate on Nai's painful right leg. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, requests $1,500 for a below-knee amputation. Nai says, "My leg is very painful and I can't walk or sleep at all. I feel sad because I cannot work and have to spend time in the hospital. I just want to recover."

Mirlene is a 48-year-old woman from Haiti. She is the mother of three children, and she currently lives with her eldest daughter in Port-au-Prince. Before she became ill, Mirlene worked as a housekeeper. In her free time, Mirlene enjoys going to church and participating in church activities. She did not have the opportunity to attend school, but she made sure that all of her kids attended to school. In November 2016, Mirlene felt a small mass in her right breast. However, the mass did not cause her any pain. She asked her friends and neighbors where she should go to seek help, and was referred to St. Luc Family Hospital (our medical partner's care center) and their cancer program. In December 2016, Mirlene underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with cancer. Her diagnosis did not sadden her, and she was ready to fight. After four sessions of chemotherapy, Mirlene will undergo a mastectomy on August 26. Our medical partner, Innovating Health International, has requested $1,085 to fund Mirlene's procedure. This amount will cover the full cost of Mirlene's treatment, including a two-night hospital stay, supplies, medication, labs, physician and nurse time, radiology, and travel expenses. After her surgery, she will also have four sessions of chemotherapy again. After treatment, Mirlene will be able to get back into work and support herself and her children.

Eh is a 40-year-old woman who lives with her husband and children in a village in Burma. Eh works as a subsistence farmer on her family's farm, growing rice, beans, and peanuts while also managing a family-owned small shop. Eh had her first child when she was 22 years old. After she gave birth for the first time, she was in immediate pain. A birth attendant helped her to relieve this pain temporarily, but since there was no hospital nearby and Eh worried about the cost of seeking medical treatment elsewhere, she didn't address the pain that returned after each time giving birth. Finally, Eh traveled by foot, car, boat, and bus before arriving at a clinic to receive medical assistance. Eh says, "Sometimes I feel cold and have a headache. When I have a headache, I feel very weak and sometimes temporarily cannot see. My condition makes me very uncomfortable to walk or work and I want to get better soon.” Eh has been diagnosed with a utrovaginal prolapse. Fortunately, she is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy to repair the condition on September 25. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund Eh's care.

Ma Yee is a 39-year-old woman who lives in Thailand with her husband and three daughters. In February 2016, she began experiencing sickness and abdominal pain, as well as a burning sensation in her abdomen. A clinic doctor gave her one week of oral medication, which temporarily relieved her pain but did not last long. The doctor carried out an ultrasound in early 2017 and told her she has a noncancerous pelvic mass. She was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Ma Yee currently experiences dizziness, sickness, occasional headaches, and abdominal and back pain. Because she is in severe discomfort, she cannot sit for more than 20 minutes at a time. Her husband now takes care of her and their three younger children. For this reason, he is working much less than usual, which has financially strained the family. Fortunately, Ma Yee will undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy on April 11. Her family needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure, which should relieve her symptoms. Ma Yee's husband says, “We do not have money for the surgery, so we really wanted you to help us for the surgery. Thank you for accepting us...When she is better, I would like to return to thank BCMF and the donors.”