Ky has seven children and thirteen grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys visiting the local pagoda, helping with the housework, and looking after her grandchildren. Since last year, Ky has experienced pain in both of her legs and in her lower back. She is unable to work at the rice farm, and has a difficult time sleeping and walking. Surgery will enable Ky to move and walk again without any pain and discomfort, and will allow her to return to her work at the rice farm. Ky said, "I hope that I will no longer have any back pain and will be able to work and walk again without any problems."

Medrick is a child from Tanzania. He is the first born child in a family of three children. Medrick is a hard working boy who loves school. The daily walks to and from school are becoming harder every day from exhaustion due to the positioning of his feet. Medrick’s parents depend on small scale farming of maize and cassavas for their living. Medrick 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, Medrick traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on November 19. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Medrick's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Medrick’s father says, “We tried to treat our son but we ran out of money. Now there is a chance for him to have his feet corrected but we can’t afford the cost please help.”

Emmanuel is a young boy from Tanzania. He is the only child to his mother and they receive little support from his father, making their daily needs hard to meet. Emmanuel's mother noted his legs bulging outwards and got worried. Efforts to seek health care were hard since she had no income and Emmanuel's father ignored the concern. His mother saved some income and took him to the hospital where he was advised on calcium diet to strengthen the bones and return to the hospital after three months. He did not improve, rather his walking became difficult. Emmanual was seen by an employee from our hospital and referred them to our facility. He was diagnosed with genu varus, a condition that limits a child's ability to walk. He had surgery recommended to correct the condition. Once treated, Emmanuel will be able to walk with ease. His mother sells vegetables to earn a living. she is worried that her son's surgery might not be possible due to limited income. She hopes that with kind support, he will be able to walk. She appeals for financial assistance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Emmanuel. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 18th. Treatment will hopefully restore Emmanuel's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Emmanuel’s mother says, “I am only concerned about our Emmanuel’s legs as I am unable to afford the treatment cost and his father is not supportive, please help him get his legs corrected.”

Ben is a toddler from Haiti. He lives with his mother and father in the mountains south of Port-au-Prince; his parents are both farmers. Ben has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart; blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Ben will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On September 24th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will perform open-heart surgery to close the hole with a patch.. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $17,000 to pay for surgery. Ben'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 Ben's family overseas. His mother said, "We are excited for this surgery so our son can gain weight and have energy."

Chit is a 30-year-old man who lives with his wife, daughter, son and father-in-law in Noh Poe Village, Myawaddy Township, Karen State, Burma. Chit’s daughter and son go to school. Chit, together with his wife and father-in-law work as farmers on land they rent. Chit’s family does not have regular income, but they sell durian and betel nut that they grow in their garden. Seven years ago, Chit started to experience pain in his lower left abdomen. He also had difficulty passing urine so he went to Myawaddy Hospital for help. He received an ultrasound and an x-ray before the doctor informed him that he has a urinary tract infection (UTI) and a kidney stone. He was treated for the UTI but he did not received treatment for the kidney stone. He was given a follow-up appointment for every month, to receive medication for the abdominal pain. He continued to return for his appointments until late-2018, but when he did not feel better he followed his neighbour’s suggestion and sought help at Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Thailand on 20 February 2019. When Chit arrived at MTC, he received an ultrasound as well as a urine and blood test. After the tests, the medic informed him that he has a kidney stone and he was prescribed some medication. On 29 February, MTC referred him to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. At MSH, he underwent an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) and was asked to return to MSH for his follow-up appointments and he returned several times. Eventually, he was told that the kidney stone had moved into his urethra and that he would need to undergo laser treatment to break up the stone. Currently, Chit still experiences pain in his lower left abdomen and sometimes he has difficulty passing urine. He worries that his condition will get worse if he does not get treatment. Sometimes his urine has blood in it, especially when he drinks less water and he has difficulty passing urine. Sometimes, he feels like the pain of his abdominal is worse and he is not able to walk or work. He is unable to sleep, and he feels more comfortable when he lies down and rests. In his free time, Chit loves to forage for vegetables in the forest.

Denzel is a young student from Kenya. He was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Denzel has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Denzel will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on July 1. AMHF is requesting $535 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I want to be a policeman when I grow up,” says Denzel.

Esther was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sick and short of breath. Esther lives in Port-au-Prince with her parents; she likes listening to music and going to church with her parents. Esther will fly to India to receive treatment. On August 6, she will undergo cardiac surgery. Another organization, Rotary International, is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery. Her 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 her family overseas.

Emmanuel is a student from Haiti. He lives with his mother and younger sister in a small village in the mountains of southwest Haiti. He enjoys going to school and would like to be an engineer. Emmanuel has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart is damaged due to an infection he suffered earlier in childhood; as a result, it cannot circulate blood through his body effectively. Emmanuel will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 28, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, The Mitral Foundation, is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery. Emmanuel'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 Emmanuel's family overseas. He says, "I am looking forward to this surgery so that I can start school again!"

Som is a 72-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has twenty grandchildren and likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio in her free time. One year ago, Som developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurry vision, photophobia, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Som learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On March 14, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. Her granddaughter says, "I hope that after her surgery, my grandmother will be able to see clearly and be able to recognize things."

Aung San Mon is a boy from Burma. He lives with his grandmother, mother and brother in a village in Mon State, Burma. When he was four year old, San Mon’s skin turned pale and yellowish. He also had frequent fevers. Currently, San Mon suffers from fatigue and has difficulty breathing. Aung San Mon has been diagnosed with thalassemia, a blood disorder. He needs to undergo spleen surgery, scheduled for April 2, to treat the condition. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to help fund this procedure. His mother says, "Now I am very happy that he will receive surgery through BCMF and BCMF’s donors soon.”