Ma Nyein is a dressmaker who lives with her son and extended family in Burma. In early 2016, Ma Nyein had an accident in her home, which resulted in chronic, severe pain on the left side of her head and numbness in her left eye. She was no longer able to work as a dressmaker. After the use of prescribed painkillers did not help, she consulted an eye surgeon. After numerous diagnostic procedures, Ma Nyein was found to have a large cyst on her optic chiasm. The optic chiasm is the point in the brain where the optic nerves cross. The optic nerves are pathways that carry information from the eyes to the brain. The cyst on Ma Nyein’s optic chiasm needs to be surgically removed. On February 8, Ma Nyein will undergo a cyst excision procedure. She needs help to fund this $1,500 surgery. Ma Nyein says, "I am excited to have surgery and get well soon. I plan to start sewing as soon as I recover from this illness."

Kriscous is a jolly, four-year-old boy from the Philippines with cleft palate. Kriscous loves playing with his grandmother and other children. However, he become very shy because other children make fun of his appearance and altered speech. The attention from other children, and the frustration he experiences when his community can't understand him constantly puts him on edge, and he often gets into fights with other children and neighbors. In addition to worrying about his health, his family worries that Kriscous will continue to be unhappy if his condition persists. With $1,464, Kriscous will receive cleft palate repair surgery and follow-up care that will help him speak with less difficulty and give him the confidence to connect with other children. According to his grandmother, "Kriscous is very excited to be treated so he can have self-confidence and fulfill his dreams."

“Ran began having ear discharge from her left ear when she was 10 years old,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Center (CSC). Ran is now an 18-year-old woman living in Cambodia, and her condition has led to further complications. CSC continues, “The recurrent discharge caused hearing loss and an infected perforation of the tympanic membrane (eardrum). Her left ear experiences pain and tinnitus as well.” After learning about CSC from another individual in her village, Ran traveled three hours with her mother to reach our partner. She is married without children, and she spends her days cleaning her home and helping her parents on their farm. Ran tells CSC, “It is difficult to communicate with other people and this makes me unhappy that I can’t hear clearly.” In order to combat her infection and improve her hearing, Ran will need a mastoidectomy, a surgery that will remove cells in the hollow, air-filled spaces in the skull behind the ear. This procedure is used to treat infection and eliminate discharge and pain. For $809, Ran can receive the surgery she requires. Her mother shares: “I hope after the operation is done my daughter’s ear discharge stops, and she can have better hearing.”

Judith is a 20-year-old expectant mother from Uganda. She is married, but is currently away from her husband while she takes care of her sick mother. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, describes Judith as a “cheerful young mother who hopes to go back to her husband after her mother gets better.” The Kellermann Foundation continues, “Judith likes making new friends and sings in a choir at her local church. In her free time, she likes to make mats, which she sells to earn money and uses in her own home for bedding.” Unfortunately, scans of Judith’s stomach have shown that her baby is folding its hand against its face and is in breech presentation: the baby is positioned to exit the pelvis feet or buttocks first as opposed to the usual head-first presentation. This malpresentation puts both Judith and her child’s lives at risk and her doctors say she will need a caesarean section to ensure a safe delivery. Judith’s treatment will cost $303, but because she has been spending most of her time with her ill mother, she has not been able to make enough mats to afford it. She is also working hard to provide food for her family, and is thus in very great need of financial support. “I look forward to holding and carrying my own baby. I would love to help my child go to school and become better off than I am,” Judith shares. “I want to thank everyone, the doctors and the good Samaritans, who are supporting our health care. May God bless you abundantly.”

This is Ngae, a 58-year-old widow from Burma who has three daughters and two sons. Ngae sells a variety of vegetables to support her family, making about $2-4 a day. With a daughter married and living in Bangkok, Ngae works hard to put her young son through school and manage the rest of the family as well. Starting in November of 2015, Ngae’s health began to limit her ability to carry vegetables in a basket and sell her goods by the roadside. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) shares that at one point while selling corn, she suffered an unexpected uterine prolapse. For quite some time, Ngae has been ignoring her prolapsed uterus due to an inability to pay for, or access, treatment. But now, she is experiencing back pain, lower abdominal pain, and frequent urination. With $1,500, Ngae will receive the surgical treatment she requires, which may include a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or repairs to prevent her uterus from falling out. Surgery will better illuminate a solution to her health condition through examination of the pelvic or apical reattachment ligament points. Pelvic examinations, blood work, and post-surgery respite are all included. BBP expects that Ngae will be able to return to her normal routine. Ngae says, “I want to have the surgery as soon as possible and I hope that my surgery will be successful. I want to return to selling vegetables on the roadside.”

Eduardo, a baby boy from Guatemala, is only a month old, but is already having developmental trouble and has lost significant weight since he was born. At birth, his mother was unable to produce enough milk for him grow at a normal rate. More recently she has been able to breastfeed for 30-45 minutes at time, but Eduardo, unsatisfied, still cries afterward. His mother is doing everything she can to force production of breast milk, but Eduardo still hasn’t been receiving as much as he should. His mother cannot afford formula, so in some instances when she cannot provide milk, she gives her son water to stop him from crying. Eduardo is the youngest child of a single mother: he has a 4-year-old sister and a 2-year-old brother. They all live together with one of their mother’s friends. Eduardo’s mother has limited access to education; she stopped after her first year in secondary school because her family could not afford it. Now to earn money, she washes clothes for her neighbors. Eduardo is at risk of dehydration and starvation. “His mother is ashamed and afraid that she cannot produce sufficient breast milk to feed her child,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). With $1,016, medical intervention will be possible for Eduardo. His mother will be given formula to provide her son with the calories he needs to grow. She will also receive one-on-one health education to prepare her the time when Eduardo will begin eating solid foods. The doctors are certain that the simple treatment will strengthen Eduardo’s immune system and allow him to become a healthy, energetic baby. “I just want him to grow,” Eduardo’s mother shares.

Meet Phanith, a 21-year-old from Cambodia who works at a nearby water purification factory. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), shares that besides working, Phanith enjoys listening to classical music in his free time. Since birth, Phanith has had a visual condition called esotropia where his right eye turns inward. Because of this, he is shy around others. Phanith shares, "I am shy because other people always call me 'cross eyed man'." He does not enjoy doing work at the factory or being outside for fear of being seen and mocked. This lack of coordination between Phanith's ocular muscles prevents him from having depth perception or general binocular vision. For $290, Phanith can undergo correction surgery where one of those extraocular muscles will be shortened or lengthened to align the eye properly. The cost of both surgery and recovery will be covered. CSC believes that after the surgery, Phanith's right eye will realign and he will be able to return to work with more confidence. Phanith's father hopes that his "son is good looking with a straight eye, so he isn't shy with anyone anymore and he can feel good about his work and go anywhere he wants to."

Jerry is a five-year-old boy from Tanzania where he lives with only his mother and supporting grandmother. Jerry enjoys asking curious questions and staying active by playing hide and seek or rolling an old tire. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares that Jerry attends kindergarten and loves to learn the alphabet, numbers, and sing. From a very young age, Jerry began to have troubles swallowing and experienced constant fevers, his immune system was weak. When he was brought to the hospital, Jerry was diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids due to infection. Jerry's grandmother and mother could not afford Jerry's necessary surgery as their only source of income is his grandmother's small tea business. With $545 in funding, Jerry will receive a tonsillectomy in which his tonsils will be removed to prevent the infection from spreading or impairing his ability to breathe further. Jerry's mother shares, "I just hope my baby gets better; eats, breathes, and sleeps well."

“This bleeding is making me worried," Philis shares. "If it continues I feel like I am going to die. Please help me so that I can be safe. I have to be okay and be there for my family." Philis is a 51-year-old mother of five living in Kenya. She was healthy until she began experiencing heavy bleeding and abdominal pain few weeks ago. Philis went to the hospital at the first signs of her symptoms and was given medicine but the bleeding persisted. Philis was then referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), where she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids and anemia. "If not treated, Philis will continue to bleed which could lead to severe anemia with other cardiovascular complications," AMHF shares. For $790, Philis will receive a hysterectomy to remove her uterus and the fibroids causing pain, excessive bleeding, and anemia. This surgery will allow Philis to get back on her feet and regain her energy to work as a small scale farmer, and also a mother to five loving children.

Arpahxad is a two-year-old boy from Kenya who is just learning how to speak. "Three months ago, Arphaxad developed a swelling in the groin area that was on and off. It mostly appears when he coughs or cries," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Arpahxad has been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia in his left pelvic region, which means his organs protrude through the wall of his abdominal cavity. The swelling causes discomfort and puts him at risk of intestinal obstruction. His father is a cleaner at the supermarket while his mother takes care of the house. Their small income prevents them from raising $430 needed for hernia repair surgery. “Your help towards Arphaxad’s treatment would relieve me of a lot of stress, and anxiety. This help will make it possible for me to focus on getting funds to improve my overall financial situation for the better,” says Arphaxad’s father.

Sothy is a six-year-old boy living in Cambodia with his mother. Like many other children his age, Sothy goes to kindergarten and enjoys playing with toy cars. He also has some stranger shyness. However, his shyness has grown worse as a result of his strabismus. Strabismus, commonly known as “cross-eyes,” is caused by the lack of coordination of the eye muscles. Sothy was born with his eyes turned inwards, and this has impaired his depth perception and visual acuity. If left untreated, Sothy could eventually lose vision from one or both of his affected eyes. For $290 Sothy will receive extraocular muscle surgery that will correct the alignment of his eyes by tightening the muscles behind his each eye until they are aligned. The cost of surgery will also cover three days of inpatient care. Extraocular muscle surgery is very routine, and is the third most common surgery in the United States. After treatment, Sothy will no longer be at risk of losing his vision as a result of his strabismus, and will no longer feel shy about his crossed gaze. Sothy and his mother are excited for the procedure. “I won’t have to worry about him feeling shy around everyone when he grows up,” Sothy’s mother shares.