Nob is married and has three daughter and one son. He enjoys listening to the news and traditional Khmer songs on the radio. In February, Nob was electrocuted on his right hand, fell two meters, and lost consciousness. He was sent to a local hospital and then a private clinic in the capital city of Phnom Penh. They treatment him with wound dressing and IV fluids, but then he was sent back home. Still in pain, his neighbor told him about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Nob arrived to CSC with 3rd degree burns and necrosis of the right forearm skin. His doctor has determined that the tissue is dead and his hand needs to be amputated to treat his pain and prevent further infection. Nob wants to feel like himself again and be helpful with his family. He shared, "I hope after surgery I am no longer in pain."

Meet Maripet, a 9 year-old-girl, living with her parents and two siblings. Her father is a farmer, while her mother stays home to look after the children. In August of last year, Maripet began experiencing persistent, severe headaches. Her parents brought her to a local hospital, where she was prescribed medication, and sent home. When her headaches didn't improve, her parents brought her to a second hospital, where she was given additional medication and sent home, once again. Her family tried traditional medicine, but nothing worked. When Maripet's headaches continued, her parents brought her back to the first hospital they had visited, and this time, brain scans were performed. Maripet's family was immediately referred to our BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital, but without funds for her care they had to delay for visit for one month. During that time, Maripet lost her ability to walk and to move her head, and she also lost her eyesight for a few days. She is now in a wheelchair. When she arrived to BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital, Maripet was examined and booked for immediate surgery to remove a brain tumor. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is here to help make sure she can finally access the treatment she needs. They are seeking $1,500 to fund Maripet's surgery and medical care. Maripet’s mother says: “I’m very much worried about my daughter's condition. I just pray and hope that she will be fine.”

Nan Hla is a 65-year-old nun. She lives alone, as she is the only nun in her monastery of monks in Karen State in Burma. Nan Hla shared that she meditates daily, and the community supports her with meals. Her son, who also lives in Burma, can sometimes provide Nan Hla with extra money to buy additional snacks. On February 20th, Nan Hla began to experience severe stomach pains. She visited a local hospital the next day, where she received an ultrasound and x-ray, but her test results were not clear. As a result, she was referred to another hospital for a CT scan a few days later. The CT scan indicated she has common bile duct stones. Currently, Nan Hla is experiencing heartburn, jaundice, and a poor appetite, as she feels nauseous after she eats any solid food. Doctors have advised her to undergo a cholecystectomy, which is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Nan Hla's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), can help Nan Hla receive treatment. On March 1st, she will undergo a cholecystectomy. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Nan Hla's procedure and care. Nan Hla shared, "I have never experienced these kinds of symptoms before. This is a very bad experience to go through. I pray that all the donors will be healthy. May all your work be successful."

U Kyaw and his family left Burma in 2007 seeking better job opportunities in Thailand. U Kyaw now lives with his wife, daughter and granddaughter in a village in Phop Phra District. U Kyaw and his wife are retired. He looks after their four-year-old granddaughter while his daughter works as a gardener in the village. In his free time, U Kyaw likes to pray and read books about Buddhism. He also enjoys watching movies and loves to spend time with his granddaughter. In late November 2021, U Kyaw noticed a small white spot on his left pupil. Over time, the spot grew bigger and his vision became more blurred. He decided to have his eyes checked at Mae Tao Clinic (MTC). In January, U Kyaw and his daughter arrived at MTC, where he was diagnosed with cataracts on both eyes. He was told that he would need cataract surgery at nearby Mae Sot Hospital (MSH). There, the doctor confirmed the diagnosis and found that the cataract in his left eye is more severe and needs to be treated first. Without treatment, U Kyaw’s vision is severely impacted. His left eye only sees light and dark, while vision in his right eye is very blurred. He requires a guide to walk, and he cannot see faces and is having trouble taking care of his granddaughter. He has also been worried about the impact on his daughter as she has to take time off to bring him to his appointments. In addition, he has been worrying about the cost of his treatment for his family. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for U Kyaw. On February 15th, doctors will perform the surgery, during which they will remove U Kyaw's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. U Kyaw said, “I feel so happy since I learned that an organisation will support the cost of my surgery. I feel very happy and I want to say thank you to all the donors and supporters.”

Naw Hser is a 47-year-old woman who lives with her older brother, her two daughters, two son-in-laws, two grandsons and one granddaughter in a refugee camp in Tak Province, Thailand. Everyone in Naw Hser’s family is currently unemployed since the outbreak of COVID-19 in late March 2020, when their refugee camp was placed under lockdown. Making things harder, the price of food has increased so the monthly 2,050 baht (approx. 68 USD) support they receive on a cash card is not enough to purchase necessities. By the end of each month, they have to purchase food from the shop on credit, which they try to pay back at the end of the month. They also grow vegetables in their neighbour’s garden, sharing the food they grow with them. This has made funding for medical care for their family very limited right now. In early 2019, Naw Hser started to become very tired when she walked short distances. She also experiences back and lower abdominal pain almost every day. This has impacted her appetite and she has lost weight over the past year. She shared that she cannot sleep at night because of the pain and because of the stress she feels about her condition. She is worried it is not treatable and her family feels sad seeing her in pain. Naw Hser has been diagnosed with uterine myoma. She has been advised by her doctor to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Naw Hser's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Naw Hser is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on January 25th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience pain and she will be able to get back to more of her normal life. Once Naw Hser recovers, she is looking forward to being able to live happily with her family as she wishes. Naw Hser said, “I want to live happily with my children and look after my grandchildren. Now, my daughters do not want me to cook or wash clothes for my grandchildren anymore. They want me to rest because of my condition. They really feel sad when they see me in pain and sometimes, I also cannot control my tears when I see them cry. I really want to have surgery to recover.”

Esbon is a three-day-old baby and the fourth born in a family of four. His parents are both farmers, and also do casual jobs in order to sustain their lives and those of their children. Esbon's mother hopes that he gets well soon so they may go back home to be with her other children. Esbon was born with the umbilical cord tied around the calf muscle of his left lower limb, sustaining a wound around it that was deep. He was also born with a congenital condition of the feet, with missing digits in both lower limbs and the left upper limb. His mom is worried that he feels a lot of pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Esbon receive treatment. On March 10th, surgeons at their care center will perform a surgery to release the amniotic construction band with a skin graft. Now, their family needs help to fund this $1,478 procedure. Esbon's mother shared, "Kindly help my son so that he can be relieved from pain and be able to live normally in the future."

Kheng is a 69-year-old widow and a retired farmer. She has one son and three daughters, and lives with her youngest daughter. Sadly, her husband died several years ago and she took over the work of the farm, which has been difficult. She enjoys taking care of her grandchildren and visiting the local pagoda to pray with the monks. In January 2019, Kheng was in a motorbike accident where she fractured her left femur and lost consciousness for several days. At the time, she visited a Khmer traditional healer, and eventually, she had a pin placed in her femur to aid in healing, but she continues to experience pain and cannot walk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 11th, Kheng will undergo a fracture repair procedure where she will have a bone graft and a pin replacement. The procedure should alleviate her pain and allow her to walk again. Now, she needs help raising $465 to fund her procedure and care. Kheng shared, "I am thankful I will be able to have this procedure so I can walk again and help my family."

Brighton is a 6-year-old boy and the 1st born in a family of two children. He is a very bright and social boy. His mother reports that he likes reading and English is his favorite subject. The family hails from Jogoo village in Kisii County in Kenya and his parents are small-scale farmers. Brighton has clubfoot of his left foot. He was born with this condition and he limps as he walks and often falls while playing football, his favorite sport. Fortunately, Brighton traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 24th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Brighton's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily, wear both shoes and enjoy playing football. Brighton's mother says, “Please, I am pleading for help for my son’s foot to be corrected so that he can walk, play as he wishes, and enjoy life."

Kiliani is the last-born in a large family of seven children. He was born prematurely along with a twin brother, who sadly did not survive. Kiliani works hard and is now in class three in school. His best subject is mathematics. Currently, he walks to school every day on his crutches because he cannot use his right leg. Kilani was born with a condition impacting his leg and was further made challenging when he had a fracture when learning to crawl. When he was young, his parents tried to seek treatment for him but due to financial challenges, they were not able to continue with treatment. Unfortunately, Kiliani has lived with this condition until now, enduring a lot of pain. Their family depends on small-scale farming where they raise their food for daily use. They are working hard to make ends meet due to the change weather where they live, which is affecting the amount of harvest each year. Our medical partner met Kiliani through a community outreach program. After a medical team reviewed his condition, he has been scheduled to have amputation below his knee which will enable him to use a prosthetic leg. This will make walking for him easier and relieve him from the challenges he is going through. Kiliani’s father says “If this treatment can help my son have ease in walking, please help make it possible, we cannot afford the cost of treatment.”

Mark Gabriel is a two-year-old boy from the Philippines. He loves singing the alphabet and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He is the oldest son of his parents. His father works as a call center agent, while his mother is a stay-at-home mom. Mark Gabriel was born with a birth condition that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needed to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is helping Mark Gabriel receive treatment. On December 8th, he will undergo colostomy closure surgery to correct his condition. After his recovery, Mark Gabriel will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Now, World Surgical Foundation Philippines is requesting $1,279 to cover the total cost of Mark Gabriel's procedure and care. Mark Gabriel's mother shared, "after his surgery, we hope that he will live a life without carrying a colostomy bag."

Win is a 40-year-old man. He lives with his mother and step-father in Tak Province in Thailand. He used to work in a restaurant until his vision deteriorated and he could no longer work. His mother and his step-father are agricultural day labourers. The income they earn is not enough for their family and sometimes they make and sell charcoal to earn extra money. Win has cataracts in both his eyes but the doctor plans to do surgery on his right eye first. The vision in both his eyes are so poor that he can only perceive light. His mother has to help look after him, washing and feeding him since he cannot see well. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Win. On November 9th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Win's natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. "I was so happy when I heard that I will be able to see again," he said. "I want to work once I can see again, so that I can repay our loan. I want to look after my mother and step-father in the future, and one day I want to become a [Buddhist] monk."

Yee is a 48-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband, her daughter and a granddaughter in northern Tak Province. Yee's husband works in a rose farm and she is a homemaker as well as a caretaker of her granddaughter at home. Their family income is enough for their daily expenses and they are able to pay for basic healthcare but not for major treatment like Yee now needs. Currently, Yee feels that the right side of her head is achy and she experiences on-and-off pain around her right eye. When Yee feels the pain, she takes a pain medication, but she is worried because she cannot see anything with her right eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Yee. On October 12th, doctors will perform a lens replacement surgery, during which they will remove Yee's natural lenses and replace them with intraocular lens implants. After recovery, Yee will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. “When I recover from surgery, I want to raise chickens and pigs for my family to eat and sell some too. I will also be able to plant vegetables for my family to eat and sell some of those,” said Yee.