Lomoyana is a six-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the fifth child in his family, and his parents are farmers. Lomoyana developed a wound on his lower right leg. As time went by, the wound kept getting worse; it become infected and Lomoyana could not walk. By the time his family visited the hospital, his wound and bone were infected, and doctors were forced to amputate his leg. Unfortunately, during Lomoyana's recovery, his bone was protruding through the healing wound. This raised concerns, and he returned to the hospital, where doctors have recommended a re-amputation. Now, Lomoyana is scheduled for surgery at our medical partner's care center. The procedure will cost $1,035 and will help him re-start a healthy life. His guardian says, “He lost his leg due to lack of money for treatment. We are now concerned if he does not get treatment for this it might be worse. Please help.”

Blessing is an infant from Kenya. She is the last born in a family of six children. Both of her parents are laborers. Blessing was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Blessing is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,097 to cover the cost of Blessing's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 11. This procedure will hopefully spare Blessing from the risks associated with her condition, instead allowing her to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Blessing’s mother says, “My wish is to have my child receive quality healthcare as early as possible. I am hopeful she will be well."

Moh is a 40-year-old mother of three children from Burma. She lives with her brother and her three children. Her husband passed away two years ago. They work on a small farm, where they grow and harvest betel nuts, leaves, and vegetables, which they sells to support the family. Moh's three children are students. In her free time, she enjoys cleaning the house. Since April 2018, Moh has been experiencing a lot of abdominal pain. She has been diagnosed with ovarian cysts. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Moh's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Moh is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on June 25. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Moh will be able to return home and help her brother work on the farm. Moh says, “I cannot sleep well because I am always thinking about my condition. Sometime I have back pain and it is not comfortable to walk. I really want to be healthy again, so I can go back to work and save money to support my children."

Happyness is a student from Tanzania. She is the fourth child in a family of six. She is a bright young girl who loves to study and wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Happyness’s parents are subsistence farmers. Happyness was diagnosed with genu valgus. Her legs bow inward so that her 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, she experiences pain and discomfort while walking to and from school. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Happyness. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 22. Treatment will hopefully restore Happyness's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Happyness says, “I will be very happy when I am be able to walk without pain or discomfort, to go to school, run and play with my friends. I don’t want to miss any day of school but some days I am in so much pain I cannot walk. Please help me get treatment.”

Jean Marc is a teacher from Haiti. He lives in Port-au-Prince, where he is a high school math teacher. Jean Marc has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of Jean Marc's heart was severely damaged as a result of a rheumatic fever he suffered as a teenager, and it can no longer adequately pump blood through his body, leading to heart failure. Jean Marc will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On February 19, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will remove the damaged valve and insert a mechanical replacement. University of Virginia is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery. Jean Marc'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 Jean Marc's family overseas. He says, "I am so thankful to everyone for giving me this chance to recover my health!"

Ye is a 15-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his younger sister, brother, and mother in Yangon Division. Ye was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, he experiences chest pain and fatigue. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Ye. The treatment is scheduled to take place on January 17 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. “If I feel better after surgery, I will go back to school to continue my education. I want to become an educated man one day," says Ye.

“After I receive surgery I will be able to go back to working in Bangkok to save money for my family,” shares Moe, a 32-hear-old woman. For the past 10 years, Moe has worked in Thailand as a domestic worker. She lives in her employer’s house and works six days a week. She sends the money she earns home to Burma to support her father and younger brother’s family. For this reason, she has not been able to save up any money for medical expenses. This has been a major problem lately. Four years ago, Moe started to feel unwell. She felt unusually fatigued and experienced occasional heart palpitations. In October of 2017, however, she had an especially frightening episode of heart palpitations and decided to visit a hospital in Bangkok. There, she received a diagnosis of mitral stenosis, meaning that a valve in her heart is not opening properly, which inhibits blood flow. If left untreated, this condition can lead to blood clots and heart failure. There is a surgical procedure that can correct the problem in Moe’s heart. However, she has been very anxious because she knows she cannot pay for it. She is also worried about how her family would survive without her income if she were to pass away. But there is hope for Moe. When we raise $1,500, we will be able to sponsor her operation on January 5, as well as her lab tests, medications, and 10-day hospital stay. “One day, it is my hope to move back to Burma to be with my family,” shares Moe. With your help, Moe will soon be healthy enough to be able to make that dream a reality.

Hla is a farmer from Burma. She owns a piece of land with her five children, and they plant rice for their own consumption. Her husband passed away many years ago. About a year ago, Hla started to feel pain in her abdomen and her back. She visited several clinics in Burma and received traditional medicines, but her symptoms did not improve. Due to her medical condition, she has been experiencing fatigue and loss of appetite. Finally, she visited Mae Tao Clinic and was then referred to Mae Sot Hospital, our medical partner's care center. She learned that she has a gallstone and surgery is required. Hla has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Hla's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Hla is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on November 23. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Hla's procedure and care. Hla says, "I am looking forward to recovering from my symptoms so that I can return home and help my children with farming."

Emmanuel is an eleven-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the second-to-youngest, with three older siblings and one younger sibling. Emmanuel’s father is a plumber and his mother sells vegetables from her garden. He enjoys studying Swahili, English, and science when he is able to attend school. One of Emanuel's favorite things to do is play football with his friends. When Emmanuel began third grade, he developed an abscess on his left hip. His parents thought it was a boil and so they emptied it. The wound healed well, but Emmanuel soon began experiencing pain in his left leg. Within a short time, he was unable to walk to school and his entire leg began to swell. An operation to drain excess fluid left him unable to move his ankle and produced two openings on his foot that continuously drain pus. His parents brought him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe, chronic osteomyelitis—a serious bone infection—which unfortunately cannot be treated with a simple operation and antibiotics. In order to save the rest of his leg, Emmanuel's foot will need to be amputated. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,035 to fund Emmanuel's operation. He is scheduled for surgery on October 20 at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. After treatment, Emmanuel will be able to heal and eventually regain use of his leg with a foot prosthetic. He will be able to return to playing football on foot instead of in a wheelchair and will be able to walk to school with ease. "I would like to become a pastor like my uncle when I grow up," Emmanuel says.

Tha is an 18-year-old living in Burma with her family. Before becoming ill, Tha lived in Bangkok, where she worked as a domestic helper. Tha has a congenital heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This rare heart condition is caused by a combination of four heart defects that occur at birth, resulting in oxygen-poor blood being circulated around the body. Tha began experiencing symptoms of her condition at the age of 10. Doctors originally thought she had asthma so her true condition remained undetected. While working in Bangkok, Tha developed severe fatigue, heart palpitations, blue-tinged skin, and clubbed fingers. She would have trouble standing throughout the day because she was so exhausted. She was forced to return to Burma when she became too weak to work. Once home with her family, she sought medical treatment and her condition was properly diagnosed. Doctors have recommended that Tha have surgery to repair her heart so that it can function normally. Our medical partner, Burma Children's Medical Fund, is request $1,500 for Tha's surgery, which will be performed on September 16. Tha hopes that after the surgery she will regain her energy and be able to live on her own again. She says, "After getting treatment I will work again and probably go back to Bangkok."

Meet Wine, an 11-year-old student from Thailand. She lives with her sister and mother. Wine enjoys school and shares that she would "like to become a teacher one day." Wine has been diagnosed with a case of congenital clubfoot in her left foot, and this prevents her from being able to walk. On August 1, surgeons at our medical partner's care center, Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital, will perform an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure to correct Wine's clubfoot. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover Wine's surgery, month-long hospital stay, and post-op physiotherapy sessions.

Hoeun is a 56-year-old woman who has one daughter, two sons, and eight grandchildren. In her free time, Hoeun enjoys listening to the monks pray at the pagoda and watching Khmer dramas on TV. About a year ago, Hoeun developed cataracts in both eyes. The cataracts have caused her to experience blurred vision, burning, tearing, and cloudy lenses. It is difficult for Hoeun to see things and people clearly, do any work, and go anywhere by herself. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $398 to fund small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant for each of Hoeun's eyes. The surgery is scheduled to take place on July 6 and, once completed, will hopefully restore Hoeun's vision to its former state and allow her to live more comfortably.