Tin is a 29-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her family in Koh P’long Village, Hpa-An Township, Karen State. Since 2014, Tin has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and troubling gynecological symptoms. She has been diagnosed with a pelvic mass. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Tin's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Tin is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on November 16. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Tin will no longer experience lower abdominal pain and she will be healthy again.

Samai is a woman from Cambodia. She has three daughters. She likes to spend time at home when not working. One year ago, Samai was in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in her falling off her bike. Ever since, she has had a lot of back pain and has difficulty walking on her own. She has been unable to work and support her family. Samai needs to undergo a type of spinal surgery called a laminectomy that will relieve the pressure on her spinal cord. Surgery is scheduled for November 1 and will cost $930. She says, "I hope after the operation that I don't have anymore back pain and I can walk."

Mark is a jovial four-year-old boy who loves playing. Mark's father is a school bus driver, while his mother takes care of their home. Their income is quite limited. Mark has cerebral palsy and was previously in surgery for undescended testes. He also has impaired hearing. If not treated, Mark will have difficulty learning to speak, which might affect his social and academic performance. Fortunately, Mark was brought to our medical partner's facility, where hearing aids were recommended. He will receive the hearing aids on September 6. Now, Mark's family needs help raising $929. Mark’s mother says, “My hope is to see my son grow healthy and be able to talk.”

Aung Si is a 51-year-old man from Thailand. His cousin runs a small tea shop, where Aung Si helps as a waiter in exchange for food and boarding. In April 2017, Aung Si started to experience pain in the right side of his abdomen. One day in April 2018, he suddenly felt a severe pain. He visited our medical partner's care center, where he received an ultrasound and received medication. According to the ultrasound results, he has a stone in his gallbladder. Aung Si has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy to treat the condition. If left untreated, Aung Si's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Aung Si is scheduled to undergo his cholecystectomy on August 27. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Aung Si's procedure and care. “If I feel better after surgery I will help in my cousin’s tea shop as much as I can and I will help my sister on her farm in Burma,” says Aung Si.

Aleaza is a baby from Haiti. She lives with her mother, grandparents, and three older siblings in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. Aleaza has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sick and short of breath. She also has a condition called pulmonary hypertension, in which the blood pressures to her lungs are higher than normal. As a result, before she can be considered for surgery, she needs to have a diagnostic catheterization procedure to ensure that surgery can be done safely. To determine if Aleaza's condition is operable, she must undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that is not available in Haiti. During the procedure, a catheter probe will be inserted into her heart to perform the necessary measurements and tests. On August 20, she will travel to the Dominican Republic to receive the scan at our medical partner's care center, Clinica Corominas. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Aleaza's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. Her mother says, "Our family has been working very hard to try to keep Aleaza healthy so that she can have a chance for surgery."

Salina is a farmer from Kenya. She is a mother of seven. Salina plants maize and beans and is struggling to pay school fees for her children. Last week, Salina fell on a hard surface, injuring her right knee. She is not able to walk and is in constant chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On June 28, Salina will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. Salina will be able to walk easily again after the treatment. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. Salina says, “Please help me and my family to raise the funds for the surgery.”

Faith is a baby from Kenya. She is the youngest in a family of eight children. She lives with her parents and siblings in a one-room house in the Rift valley region of Kenya. Faith 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, Faith 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 Faith's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 6. This procedure will hopefully spare Faith from the risks associated with her condition, instead allowing her to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. “I am still in shock and trying to recover from the fear of this nightmare condition my child suffers,” shares Faith’s mother.

Kenedy is a baby from Tanzania. His mother is a stay-at-home mother, and his father is a motorcycle taxi driver. Kenedy is an only child. For some time, Kenedy has had an inguinal hernia. The hernia causes him pain, and if not treated, Kenedy may suffer intestinal tissues damage. Fortunately, on May 3, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $539 to fund Kenedy's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Kenedy’s mother says, “Please help us get our son get this treatment. He complains of pain a lot. Some days he is not able to walk completely. He is really in pain.”

Winston is a farmer from Malawi. He lives with his wife, and they have eight grown children who help with the family farm. To supplement the family income, Winston raises chickens. In his free time, he likes to attend his local church and worship with his family. Since September 2018, Winston has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Winston's surgery. On April 3, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Winston was thrilled to learn his surgery would be funded, and he is looking forward to going back and again tending his land and animals. He says, "Thank you for the support."

Khaing is a 19-year-old farmer who lives his parents, two siblings, and cousin. In Khaing’s free time, he enjoys playing football and volleyball with friends. In the summer of 2017, Khaing noticed that he had difficulty breathing and was constantly having a runny nose. He visited the hospital, where the doctor diagnosed him with a nasal polyp. Khaing is now scheduled to undergo sinus surgery on March 5 to treat the condition. He needs help raising $1,500 to fund the procedure. Khaing said, “I feel self-conscience because it is not easy to go out, travel or visit others. I don’t feel happy so I would rather stay at home. I hope to get better so I can continue working as a farmer and pay back my family’s debt."

Thorn is a rice farmer from Cambodia. He has five children and enjoys spending time at home looking after his rice field. Thorn has been in pain for about four years, following an accident in which he was knocked over by a cow. He has difficulty walking, including walking with his cows on the rice field, and thus is unable to work most of the time. Fortunately, Thorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total knee replacement to relieve Thorn of his pain and allow him to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for January 11, and Thorn needs help raising $1,025 to pay for this procedure. He says, "I want to be able to work and take care of my family."

Abdulwaheb is a cute seven-year-old who loves to play and laugh with his friends. His parents are not currently working because they can't find employment. Abdulwaheb was born with a congenital anomaly called bladder extrophy. This means his bladder is exposed above the skin. This leads to urinary abnormality and exposes him to infections. His parents are very worried about the condition. Fortunately, the family visited our medical partner's care center. There, he will undergo a corrective surgery on February 20. His family needs to raise $1,500 to pay for this surgery. His father says, “Our area is not economically stable. It is very hard for us to get work. We have been in different hospitals but we couldn’t get the necessary treatment anywhere. We are here by the help of another organization with a hope to get the treatment, though we can’t afford the medical bill.”