Ma Zin is a 22-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her older sister, who works as a seamstress in a factory. Her parents and older brother live in Burma as well. Her father is retired, while her mother works as a day laborer and homemaker. In 2019, Ma Zin began feeling tired very often. She also began having heart palpitations and occasionally difficulty breathing. She was examined by a doctor who gave her medication and referred her to a local hospital for a chest x-ray. The doctor diagnosed her with heart disease, and prescribed medication to treat her symptoms. However, in January of 2021, Ma Zin began experiencing greater fatigue and difficulty breathing. She quit her seamstress job due to her condition and visited a local hospital where she received an echocardiogram. She was diagnosed with atrial septal defect (ASD) and surgery was recommended. Fortunately, our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is helping Ma Zin receive treatment. On December 19th, she will undergo an atrial septal defect closure at BCMF's care center. Now, she needs help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. In talking about her dreams for the future, Ma Zin shared, "I want to become a designer in the future. I want to recover quickly so that I can go back to work. After I recover, I will learn how to design clothes and sew them myself. I will work hard for my family. I would like to see my parents smile and be happy. I would also like to live with my family in my village."

Yvonne is a 15-year-old student and the youngest in a family of two children. She's in grade eight in primary school. Her favorite subjects in school are social studies and mathematics. She enjoys reading and would like to be a lawyer in the future. Her mother is a single mom and works as a farmer. Yvonne has clubfoot of her left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Yvonne receive treatment. She traveled to visit AMH's care center, where, on November 22nd, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery. After treatment, she will be able to walk without pain, wear shoes, and her self-esteem will improve. Now, AMH is requesting $1,286 to fund Yvonne's procedure and care. Yvonne shared, "please help me undergo the surgery. I hope after this, I will be able to walk normally like others with no pain. I will be very grateful."

Edna is a 48-year-old single mother and small-scale farmer who grows food crops for home use. Her four children range in age from 17 to 29 years and have been depending on her. Unfortunately, Edna is now unable to walk due to lower limb weakness. She has been suffering from goiter for over 15 years and the thyroid malignancy has now spread to her spine impacting her mobility. Accompanied by her daughter, who had to push her in a wheelchair, Edna recently visited our medical partner's care center AIC Kijabe Hospital for help. She has been to other facilities but still hadn't been able to get the help she needs due to a lack of funds. After a multi-disciplinary team meeting comprising of Head & Neck and Ortho surgeons, she has been scheduled for a Total Thyroidectomy, Neck Dissection, and Spine Decompression and Fusion to help her heal and walk again. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,500 to cover this intensive procedure, a ten-day stay at the hospital, and wheelchair adjustments, tests, and physical therapy for Edna. Edna says, “I lost my ability to walk after this disease attacked me. I am afraid if not attended to I may be confined to a wheelchair for good. But my hope is up and alive now that doctors have scheduled me for surgery. This treatment is meant to rectify the situation and help me to walk again.”

Ndaanya is a five-year-old boy and the youngest child in a family of three children. His mother is not married and works as a farmer to support her family growing maize, sunflowers, groundnuts and vegetables. Ndaanya has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Ndaanya traveled to visit our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), to receive treatment. On September 14th, surgeons at AMH's care center will perform clubfoot repair surgery. Now, AMH is requesting $935 to fund Ndaanya's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and start schooling. Ndaanya’s mother shared, "I had lost hope... I knew this problem could only be corrected when he was a small baby and because his treatment was not successful I thought he would live with this disability for the rest of his life. I will be so happy and grateful if you help correct my son’s feet.”

Suraiya is a young three-year-old girl and the last born child in a family of two. Her parents depend on small scale farming of maize and vegetables to feed their family and they sell the surplus to make ends meet. Suraiya's mother also sells food at a local food joint commonly known as Mama Ntilie to supplement their income. Suraiya was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. She is currently having a hard time walking due to her legs bending outwardly. Her mother noticed the condition when Suraiya learned to stand and walk. They tried to seek treatment for her at the district hospital but the cost was too high for them to afford. They were advised to get national health insurance for her but due to financial challenges, they could not afford to get the insurance. During a medical outreach program organized by Plaster House, Suraiya's parents were advised to take her to ALMC Hospital for review. Her condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Over the years Suraiya's legs have worsened making walking more difficult and painful for her. Suraiya and her family are appealing for help for her to be treated. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Suraiya. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 19th. Treatment will hopefully restore Suraiya's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Suraiya’s mother says, "Money to cover our daughter’s treatment cost has been our biggest challenge because the cost is too high for us to afford. Please help treat our daughter.”

Maria Jose is a cute and intelligent baby from Colombia. She lives with her single mother, Sandra, and her godmother and aunt. Sandra only has good wishes for her daughter, and works really hard to see her baby happy. Maria Jose has clubfoot on both feet, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This will cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes in the future. Fortunately, Maria Jose's family traveled to visit our medical partner, Clínica Noel. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 31th. Our partner is requesting $1,500 to fund Maria Jose's bilateral clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to crawl, walk and run with ease. Sandra shares her hopes for Maria Jose's development, "I really wish to see her grow as a normal child, and enjoy every step of her life. After the surgery I deeply want to see her crawl, walk, run, and play with other kids."

Caren is a 17-year-old student and the oldest in a family of four children. She is a social girl who enjoys singing and reading books. In school, her best subjects are biology, chemistry and physics, and she hopes to be a doctor one day. Caren's father used to own a fish shop, but unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his business closed. Caren was diagnosed with genu valgus, which means that her legs bow inwards and her knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones which often comes from contaminated drinking water. As a result of this condition, she has difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Caren. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 8th and treatment will hopefully restore Caren's mobility, allowing her to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decreasing her risk of future complications. Caren shared, "my legs hurt when I walk and the pain is usually too much during the evening and the morning hours. Each day they keep bending please help correct my legs."

Sandra is a 14-year-old 7th grade student. He lives near the capital city of Phnom Penh with his parents and his older brother, who is in 8th grade. Sandra's parents sell rice near their home. In school his best subjects are physics and math. Sandra enjoys playing sports and reading books. In the future, he wants to be a police officer. When playing volleyball, Sandra sustained a closed fracture of his right distal tibia and fibula. Now it is difficult for him to walk and he is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 11th, Sandra will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will help him walk easily again. His family hopes he can walk easily again and be free of pain.

Kay is a 34-year-old woman who lives with her husband and two sons in a village on the Thai-Burma border. Her husband is a day labourer at a construction site, while both of her children are students. Kay used to work in a factory but stopped last year when her health deteriorated. Kay remembers first feeling the pain she has in her abdomen in April of 2014, a month after she gave birth to her second son. Five years later, the pain in the left side of her abdomen returned. Kay also could not eat or drink anything, and vomited every time she tried to eat. At the hospital, she was given medication and was instructed to take it regularly. Though Kay felt better at a follow-up appointment, some of her symptoms were still persistent, so the medic referred her to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. At that hospital, Kay received an ultrasound, blood test and urine test, and the results revealed that she had stones in her left ureter. The doctor recommended that she undergo laser treatment to breakup these stones and treat the pain she has been experiencing. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Kay receive treatment. On March 2nd, she is scheduled to undergo a shockwave lithotripsy treatment at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $1,500, and she and her family need help raising money. Kay shared, “I really want to recover. I cannot work at the factory [because of my condition] but I want to earn money. In the future, if I recover, I want to open a small shop to sell dry goods.”

Paw is a 21-year-old who lives with her parents, a brother, three sisters, a daughter and a niece in a refugee camp. Her father used to be an agricultural day laborer, but had to stop working due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Her sisters go to school and her brother is unemployed. Paw looks after her daughter and niece, who are too young to go to school, while her mother looks after the household chores. In her free time, Paw likes to play with her daughter and visit her friends. On March 9th, Paw left the camp alone to collect firewood. While climbing a hill, she slipped, falling onto her right shin. She was in so much pain that she could not stand up. She got herself to a nearby road where a motorcyclist drove her back to the camp. At home, Paw was treated by a traditional healer, and a couple of days later, a second traditional healer told her family that Paw had fractured her leg. Paw's father made a bamboo brace for her leg, and carried her to the hospital in the camp run by International Rescue Committee (IRC). Knowing that she would need surgery, IRC staff referred her to Burma Children Medical Fund to receive treatment at a local hospital. Currently, Paw experiences a lot of pain when moving her right leg. She cannot stand up by herself and she cannot sleep at night when the pain is severe. Since she injured her leg, she feels more tired and she has lost her appetite. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Paw will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure will help her walk and live pain-free. The procedure is scheduled for March 12th and will cost $1,500. Paw shared, "once recovered, I will take care of my parents. I will work and save money for my daughter, so that I can make sure that she has food and clothes."

Su is a 16-year-old girl from Burma. She has three siblings. Su’s mother is a home maker, and her older brother works as a day labourer. Su and her youngest sister are students and this year Su is in grade seven. Her family's combined monthly income is around 200,000 kyat (approx. 200 USD) per month, which is just enough for their daily expenses, but not enough to pay for basic healthcare. When she has free time, Su loves to play football with her friends at school and she likes to be the goalkeeper. She also loves to read books and watch movies. Su plans to continue her studies as soon as she finishes her treatment. Su 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, Su still feels tired, but not as much as before she started taking her medication. When she feels more tired, her breath quickens. Su has stopped attending school since she got sick. Although she wants to go back to school, her mother worries for her as her school is a little far and she normally walks there. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Su. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 12nd and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Su's mother shared, “Su really wants to go to school but I worry that the long walking distance from our house to her school will make her tired and worsen her condition. So, I asked her to stay home for a while until she can get treated.”

Marline is a 7-year-old boy from Kenya. He is a cheerful boy and a Grade 2 student at Jayden Academy. Marline wants to be an engineer when he grows up. Marline's mother says that he loves to dismantle and assemble electronics in the house, and is well on his way to his career dreams. Additionally, Marline has a condition called spina bifida. Earlier in April 2020, Marline was playing with his friends when his mother noticed a small pimple-like wound on his right foot. It was small at first, but slowly started to grow bigger in size. His mother rushed him to a nearby health centre in their hometown, where he has been undergoing dressing in the facility but they have not seen much improvement. Since Marline has been coming to Kijabe Hospital for his spina bifida clinic, he opted to seek review in the hospital and get this wound checked. He was reviewed a week ago by the plastic and pediatric surgical teams, who recommended that he undergoes debridement, excision of calcaneal ulcer, and flap cover surgery to clean and heal his infected wound. Currently, Marline is in pain and at risk for further infection. If left unattended, the wound may result in severe infection and possible amputation. Unfortunately, these procedures are costly for Marline's family. His mother is a single mother raising two kids on her own. Their family lives in a bedsitter house in Ruai, at the outskirts of Nairobi. Marline's father left the family and his responsibility. Marline's mother is the sole breadwinner of the family and she has a small grocery kiosk. The total profit from the venture is very small, and her close relatives are not able to assist with financial support. Their family appeals for help. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Marline receive treatment. On January 6th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help heal the wound and prevent possible complications. Now, Marline's family needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Marline's mother says, “This wound is worsening by the day. If left unattended, doctors say that he might lose his leg. This would be hurting all of us. Kindly help us as we really don’t have a way out."