Yin is a 62-year-old woman who lives with her husband, daughter, son in-law, and granddaughter in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. She is a homemaker, and she loves cooking and cleaning around her house. In her free time, Yin loves to play with her granddaughter. Her husband is retried, and her son in-law is unemployed. Yin’s family receives 800 baht (approx. 27 USD) on a cash card every month to purchase rations. This income is just enough for their daily needs, but they cannot afford to pay other costs like healthcare. Currently, Yin has limited vision and can only make out if it is dark or light outside with her right eye. The vision in Yin’s left eye is starting to blur, and she cannot see far with her left eye. She is worried that she will lose vision in both of her eyes. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Yin. On June 8th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Yin's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Yin shared, "Before my vision started to blur, I used to make and sell mohinga [a type of Burmese noodles]. With the money that I earned from selling mohinga, I was able to buy vegetables for my family. However, when the vision in my right eye vision became blurred, I could no longer make mohinga anymore. I hope that my vision will be restored after I complete my treatment.”

Ra Sa is a 67-year-old woman who lives with her nephew in Mae La Refugee Camp in Thailand. Ra Sa is a homemaker and her nephew is a student. Ra Sa’s daughter, who also lives in the camp with her husband, supports Ra Sa with food and visits several times a week. Ra Sa’s daughter works as a domestic worker in the camp, and her son-in-law works as a porter unloading supplies from delivery trucks, but the support they are able to provide for Ra Sa does not always cover her expenses. In her free time, Ra Sa likes to teach children at the local mosque. However, since a hernia appeared last year, she has not been able to teach in the same way. Once she has recovered, she wants to live happily with her nephew and to continue teaching. Since the 7th of March 2020, Ra Sa has had an umbilical hernia. She experiences a lot of pain in her lower abdomen and has three lumps that are increasing in size every day. She can no longer sit for more than 10 minutes before she is in pain, feeling more comfortable when she lies down. Sometimes she cannot breathe well and is having other troubling symptoms. Fortunately, on March 5th, she will 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 Ra Sa's hernia repair surgery, which will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably again. Ra Sa said, “I prayed every day that I would get a donor to cover the cost of my surgery and I feel like my prayers have been answered. I am so happy! I would like to say thank you so much to all of the donors. I will never forget what you have done for me and I hope that you will continue to help more patients in the future.”

Bruce is an 8-year-old boy who lives with his mother and stepfather, and formerly was in his grandmother's care. Bruce’s mother sells baby clothes around the Mwiki area where they live in Kenya. His stepfather is a matatu (public service vehicle) driver who works in vehicles that operate around Thika Road. Bruce has one younger step-sibling. Bruce was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Bruce has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Bruce will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 24th. AMH is requesting $561 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Once recovered, he will grow up to be a healthy boy. Bruce’s mother shared, “I am happy to know that my child will get the help he needs through this program."

Ponna is a 63-year-old woman with two daughters, three sons, and many grandchildren. Ponna's husband is a retired policeman and Ponna sells groceries outside their home. She enjoys looking after her grandchildren and listening to the monks pray on the radio. Two years ago, Ponna developed a cataract in her right eye, which now makes things hard to recognize and has caused blurry vision and photophobia. When Ponna learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled there with her son seeking treatment. On March 11th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Ponna said, "I hope after surgery I can see better so I can go outside by myself and do my activities more easily."

Nang is a 35-year-old garment worker from Cambodia. She is single and has six siblings. Currently, Nang lives with her elderly parents. She enjoys listening to music and the news on the radio. One year ago, Nang developed a cataract in her right eye. As a result, she is not able to see anything, work, eat or carry out any of her daily life activities independently. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Nang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours with her mother hoping for treatment. On February 16th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, Nang needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Nang shared, "I hope after surgery that I can see much better than before. I miss going to work, going outside by myself, and taking care of my parents, who cannot live by themselves any longer and need my support."

Isaya is a 16-year-old teenager from Tanzania. He is the firstborn child in a family of three children. Isaya never had the chance to join school due to his parent’s financial challenges. Despite not going to school, Isaya has been a very hardworking young man who helps his father look after the cattle. Isaya was born healthy and his growth has been normal, until last year when he noticed his right leg was bending inwards. He says the bend was very slight but over time it has increased significantly. Isaya has been walking over a long distance in search of green pasture for his father's cattle. However, due to his leg, Isaya can no longer go out with the cattle. Isaya was diagnosed with right genu valgus, or bowleggedness. His leg is bowed inward so that his knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, he is in pain and discomfort after walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Isaya. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 22nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Isaya's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Isaya shared, “I am unable to carry out my daily chores because of my leg. Please help me get this treatment so that I can return home and help my parents.”

Srey is a 50-year-old farmer from Cambodia with three sons, one daughter, and one grandchild. Her husband passed away two years ago from heart disease. She shared with us that she enjoys watching Khmer dramas on TV. Five years ago, Srey developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her irritation, burning, tearing, redness, and discomfort with her appearance. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Srey learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours with her daughter seeking treatment. Srey needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for September 22nd. Srey said, "I hope the doctors can remove the pterygium so I can feel good and plant rice well again to support our needs."

Anne is a small-scale farmer from Kenya. She plants Maize for consumption. She has been blessed with five children and she is very good at taking care of her large family. Anne separated with her husband many years ago and she and her five children went to stay with her uncle. Anne has worked hard to provide for her children and ensure that they received an education. Eight years ago, Anne began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck disfigurement and difficulty swallowing. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Anne receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 19 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $673, and she and her family need help raising money. Anne says “This condition is making me weak and I can’t work like before. I want to be strong for my children so that they can receive education and get their daily needs.”

Ko is a 35-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has two brothers and two sisters, and in his spare time, his favorite thing to do is watch Chinese dramas on television. One year ago, Ko developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ko learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 5th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. "I hope that my brother will be able to see more clearly and can return to farming at the rice field." -Ko's Brother

Gladys and her husband are farmers in Uganda, they plant maize in their one acre farm. Gladys has been blessed with nine children that are currently aged between 16 and 31 years old. The family is struggling financially due to the low socio-economic status of the area where they live. This area also experiences communal clashes. Gladys began to experience troubling symptoms 20 years ago. She was diagnosed with a goitre, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Gladys receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 16 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $705, and she and her family need help raising money. “I want this mass to be removed for two reasons; so that I can continue with my daily chores and also so that the people in my community can learn from my experience that herbalists cannot cure and should seek medical care at a hospital," shared Gladys.