Ko Tin is a 34-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his parents and his younger brother in a village in Yangon Division, Burma. He used to be a driver before his condition got worse but now he has stopped. Currently, Ko Tin is living with his parents who are farmers and support him. The whole family’s income is just enough for their basic expenses and basic health care. Ko Tin has a wife who went to Thailand for work about four months ago but he has lost contact with her. When he has the energy and free time, Ko Tin likes playing football with friends. Ko Tin was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires replacement 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. In mid October, Ko Tin experienced fever, cough, body pain, difficult breathing, and severe fatigue when he walks a short distance. After he visited the cardiologist in Yangon Hospital, he was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation and doctor recommend that he should receive surgery. Currently, Ko Tin feels tired, coughs often, and is experiencing difficult breathing. Sometimes, he feels pain from his legs and his arms, and he cannot sleep well at night. He will feel extremely fatigued with shortness of breath when he lays down on the floor. He also cannot walk long distances. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Ko Tin. The treatment is scheduled to take place at Pun Hlaing Hospital on December 3rd and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Ko Tin said, “I would like to recover as soon as possible. My parents are worried about me, and they have difficulty earning enough money to pay for my treatment. I hope my wife to return, and I would like to live as a happy family.”

Mikaeli is a 12-year-old boy. He is the oldest of three siblings in his family and a student. Unfortunately, he had to discontinue his studies due to mobility challenges caused by a congenital condition in his left foot. His father is struggling to find appropriate treatment for him, which is causing a lot of stress for the family. The condition causes an inward and downward twist in his left foot, and his parents are concerned about the potential implications on his future if left unaddressed. Mikaeli’s father, a farmer, serves as the primary breadwinner for their family of three children. Despite his efforts on the farm, the income generated from sales is insufficient to cover all their expenses. In response to this financial gap, the father takes on casual jobs to supplement their income. However, even with these combined efforts, the funds they currently generate are inadequate to meet the medical costs associated with their son’s condition. Fortunately, Mikaeli's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on December 29th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Mikaeli's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Mikaeli will eventually walk comfortably and wear regular shoes. Mikaeli’s father says: “I wish for my son's leg to be normal so that he can return to school and continue his education.”

Sokhon is a 49 year-old soup seller. She moved from a rural province to the capital Phnom Penh around 20 years ago, when she first got married. Her husband is a rickshaw driver, and together they have three daughters. One daughter is recently married, and the other two are in their final years of high school. Sokhon sells soup from a street cart. In her free time, she enjoys sleeping and watching Cambodian sitcoms. Around two years ago, Sokhon had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Sokhon experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and persisitent ear discharge. It is difficult for her to hear and she experiences constant discomfort. Sokhon traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 14th she will undergo left ear surgery. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She shared, "I hope I can go back to work and speak clearly with my customers, friends, and family."

Yi is a 52-year-old mother who lives with her husband, two sons and a daughter in a conflict area called Rakhine State. Her husband, daughter and younger son are unemployed while she is a homemaker. Her older son works as a taxi driver but does not always have work. They are financially supported by Yi's third son, who is also a taxi driver and lives separately. In her free time, she like to meditate and read Facebook posts relating to health. Yi first felt unwell in 2010 when she experienced severe joint pain. Later on, she also developed difficulty breathing and heart palpitations. She was diagnosed with a heart condition requiring surgery, but she could not afford to pay for it. Over the years, she tried to manage her symptoms through medication, but they would only help her feel better temporarily. Currently, Yi tires easily and does not have energy to do anything. She cannot walk long distances, and she cannot walk downstairs. If she does, she experiences chest pain and difficulty breathing. When she talks a lot, she feels tired. She has no appetite and cannot breathe well. She also has chest pain and cannot sleep at night. In May, she went to Pun Hlaing Hospital in Yangon, where the doctor diagnosed her with mitral valve stenosis and tricuspid valve regurgitation. She now needs to undergo surgery to have two valves in her heart replaced. Yi is scheduled to have this surgery on July 20th with our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). They are requesting $1,500 to fund her procedure. Her son said, “Thank you so much to the donors and the organization [BCMF] for helping with the cost of my mom’s surgery. I worry about my mom and want her to get surgery as soon as possible.”

Yi is a 67-year-old woman from Bruma who lives in a monastery with 40 other monks, nuns, and villagers. Although she does not have an income, all of her basic needs are met by the monastery. Yi enjoys spending most of her time reading religious books. Over 15 years ago, Yi's vision in her right eye became blurred, but she did not seek treatment because she thought it was simply something that was destined to occur due to her aging process. However, she eventually sought medical care at a hospital with the support of donors because her vision progressively worsened. There, she was diagnosed with a cataract and was scheduled to undergo repair surgery. On the day she was supposed to receive treatment, her son unfortunately passed away, so she did not return to the hospital for the procedure. Over the next couple of years, Yi began to also experience blurred vision in her left eye. The vision in both of her eyes deteriorated to the point where she could no longer recognize people. Fortunately, she was able to undergo cataract surgery of her left eye two months ago with the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Now, she is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery on August 10th. During this procedure, surgeons will perform a lens replacement on her right eye. BCMF is requesting $769 to cover the total cost of Yi's procedure and care. Yi shares, "As long as I am alive, I want to see and I do not want to depend on others to help me. I felt so happy when I learned that donors will pay for the cost of my surgery. Thank you so much to all the donors.”

Abigaelle is an 18-month-old infant from Haiti. She has two siblings: one brother and one sister. She is a happy and cheerful baby who loves to smile and play! Abigaelle has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Abigaelle has been experiencing an increase in head circumference. Without treatment, Abigaelle will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Abigaelle at Hospital Bernard Mevs to treat her hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 13th. This critical treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Abigaelle's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, she will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Abigaelle's family shares that they are looking forward to their child being healthy.

Kasaine is an 8-year-old boy, living with his family in a mud and grass thatched house in Southern Kenya. Kasaine's father is a farmer and a herder, while his mother stays home to take care of their family. Kasaine was born with a condition known as Rt hemiplegic CP, which means that his right side is weak, affecting his mobility, and the use of his hand. He tiptoes when he walks, and is able to walk only short distances. Kasaine also has clubfoot of his right foot, which causes his foot to be twisted, making it even more difficult for him to walk or to wear shoes. Fortunately, Kasaine's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on June 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Kasaine's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he'll be able to walk much more easily, play with friends, and continue with his education. “My prayer is to see my son walking normally like other children.” Kasaine's mother told us.

Teriki is a 74-year-old woman with three children. She is proud that all have grown up healthy and have children of their own now. Teriki’s husband passed away many years ago, and she lives with her grandchildren. Teriki’s children farm a small piece of land and take on labor jobs to help provide for their families. Alongside farming maize and vegetables, Teriki also helps on peoples’ farms to support her grandchildren in school and provide basic needs for herself. Teriki was recently in an accident when she had to separate some animals who were fighting on the farm. Now she has swelling and bruises, and her leg is broken. Teriki is experiencing severe pain and must use a wheelchair to move around, which has been challenging for her to do. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Teriki heal. On May 18th, Teriki will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Upon recovery, Teriki will be able to walk easily again. AMH is requesting $1,145 to fund her medical treatment. Teriki says, “I really feel sorry right now. I have been depending on myself, yet now I cannot walk by myself. Please help me get back on my feet so that we do not suffer more for my grandchildren.”

Lhory, a 30-year-old woman from the Philippines, experienced severe right-side abdominal pain starting in January. She went to the closest hospital and was advised to undergo a whole abdominal ultrasound. The test showed that she has gallstones that need to be surgically removed. With her husband’s limited income as an Air Conditioner Technician, they’re unable to cover the cost of her treatment. Fortunately, she was able to reach out to our medical partner, the World Surgical Foundation Philippines. Lhory is now scheduled on May 3rd to undergo surgery to treat her condition. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,253 to cover the total cost of Lhory’s procedure and care. After her recovery, Lhory will no longer experience severe abdominal pain or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. “My current condition hinders me from doing my usual day-to-day chores. My condition makes it hard for me to bend, sit or lift objects," Lhory shared. "We don’t have the capacity to finance my surgery. So, I’d like to thank the World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi for helping me. I hope that after this surgery, I can fully take care of my family again,” says Lhory.

Meet William, a quiet 54-year-old man. William is a maize farmer from a humble background. He never received an education and speaks his local native language. William has been blessed with nine children and lives in a semi-permanent house built from mud. William's eldest son helps his father farm and provide for his younger siblings. William has been experiencing abdominal pain for nearly three years. The pain is intermittent, but has recently caused vomiting and digestive complications. William went to a health center where he was treated for gastritis. Unfortunately, his condition did not improve, rather it worsened. William visited our medical partner's care center to have an ultrasound and was subsequently diagnosed with a hernia. Fortunately, William is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on April 1st. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping William raise $737 to fund this surgery so that he can continue to support his family. William is grateful for help so that he can get healthy again. He shared, “My hope is to get treated, be well and continue supporting my family.”