Ko Zin is a 24-year-old man from Burma. He lives in Thailand with his mother, father, and two sisters. His family is from Karen State, Burma, but they moved to Thailand ten years ago for better job opportunities. When Ko Zin was nine years old, he started to experience yellow eyes, low appetite, vomiting, and pale skin. His mother took him to a hospital, where he was admitted for a week, had blood tests done, and received blood and IV transfusion. He was diagnosed with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that causes your body to make less hemoglobin than normal, leading to low red blood cell counts and anemia. Physicians at Mae Sot General Hospital determined that Ko Zin should undergo a splenectomy, a surgery to remove the spleen. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled for September 14th. Once completed, will hopefully improve Ko Zin's quality of life. Ko Zin’s mother said, “One of his older sisters passed away when she was 10 with the same diagnosis as him so for him, we tried our best for his treatment as we can and thank you so much for helping us with the treatment support.”

Elizabeth is a four-year-old girl from the Serengeti District in the Mara Region of Tanzania. She is the youngest of three children, but sadly, her older sister passed away due to severe anemia. Elizabeth was raised by both her parents until recently, when her mother entrusted her care to her aunt. Her aunt, who now accompanies Elizabeth for treatment, is a small-scale farmer who grows maize for their household consumption and to provide income. Elizabeth was diagnosed with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual, and this causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. For Elizabeth, this condition has made walking difficult and affected her balance and stability. In January 2026, Elizabeth's family traveled to Kenya for treatment, where she underwent several rounds of casting to address her condition. Sadly, her condition relapsed, leaving the family discouraged and unsure where to seek further help. Fortunately, in July 2026, their hope was restored when Kafika House, our medical partner's care center, had community partners visit the Serengeti and informed Elizabeth's family that effective treatment for relapsed clubfoot was available. They immediately traveled to Kafika House to begin her journey toward recovery. Elizabeth will now undergo a new series of corrective casts to realign her foot, followed by an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure. Surgeons will begin Elizabeth's clubfoot treatment at Kafika House on July 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,171 to fund Elizabeth's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Elizabeth will have the opportunity to walk comfortably, play confidently, and enjoy a brighter, more independent future. Elizabeth's aunt said, "When her first treatment failed, we feared Elizabeth would struggle for the rest of her life. Today, we have renewed hope. We are grateful that she has another chance to receive the care she needs and dream of seeing her walk confidently like other children."

Emmanuel is a 45-year-old hardworking father from Philippines. He previously worked as driver to support his family, but is currently unemployed, which is challenging while raising two school-going children. His wife is also unemployed, and with no steady income, the family often skip meals and mainly depend on partial repayments of debts from relatives, and occasionally borrow money from the children's uncle. Six years ago, Emmanuel began to experience troubling symptoms, including intense chest pains that radiate to his back, which prevented him from sitting or lying down. He made repeated attempts to seek treatment in public hospitals, but these were unsuccessful due to overcrowding. Emmanuel is growing increasingly worried about not being able to provide for his family, yet he remains hopeful that the surgery could alleviate his painful symptoms and reduce the financial strain on his family. Emmanuel has been diagnosed with cholelithiasis, which are hardened pieces of bile that form in the gallbladder. Doctors have advised him to undergo a cholecystectomy, which the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at a risk of future health complications. Emmanuel is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on April 11th, through our partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP). A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,031 to cover the cost of Emmanuel's surgery and care. Emmanuel says: "Despite our current struggles, I remain optimistic about our future. Once I receive treatment for my condition, I'll return to work so I can provide for my family again. My wife and children keep me strong."

Serah is a jovial lady from Kenya. When you see Serah laughing or talking, you might think she is youthful. However, Serah is 84 years old according to her ID card, although she says she is actually older than that. Serah’s father advised her to remain at her parents’ home, and that is where she continued living, as she had separated from her husband years ago. As she grew older, one of her brother’s sons took her in so she could live with his family. Sometime in the middle of last month, during the ongoing rains and wet conditions, Serah slipped and fell, injuring her left hand. She was taken to the hospital, where an X-ray revealed that she had sustained a closed fracture of the radius and ulna. A surgery was performed. However, a follow-up control X-ray later showed that the screws were becoming displaced, and Serah now requires a repeat surgery. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 9th, Serah will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This treatment will help alleviate the pain and prevent a deformity. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,048 to fund Serah's procedure. "I live a life of disturbing my siblings' children. I hope I can get someone to help me so that I can be operated on and be able to remain independent," said Serah.

Mdoe is a 14-year-old boy from Kenya. Shortly after his birth, Mdoe showed signs that his intestines were not working properly. He was brought to several hospitals, but was not given a clear diagnosis. Mdoe's condition worsened. He was visibly in pain, restless, and crying constantly. Mdoe's mother was determined to find help. She took him to a larger facility, where doctors explained that his intestines were intertwined and that he would need surgery. He would require a colostomy bag to help him pass stool. After a few days of monitoring, they were discharged. But only days later, complications arose, and Kinago underwent surgery at the same hospital. Life after surgery was far from easy. His mother took him for clinic checkups several times, striving to remain consistent with his care. But back at home, reality pressed in. Both parents engage in small-scale farming, stretching each harvest to provide for their eight children. Eventually, the cost of continued clinic visits became impossible to sustain. Now fourteen, Mdoe has never been able to attend school. It breaks his heart to watch children his age walk to class while he remains at home. His condition requires him to change his colostomy bag regularly, yet he has been using the same one since early childhood. Some schools refused to admit him. Over time, discouraged and burdened by school fees, his mother stopped trying. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On February 12th, Mdoe will undergo abdominal surgery that will improve Mdoe's quality of life. His family needs help raising $1,081 to fund his procedure and care. Mdoe's mother shared, “It is painful when your child asks you why he cannot go to school like other children. I see the longing in his eyes, and I wish I could take this condition away from him. I may not have wealth, but I have never stopped fighting for him, even when the journey felt too heavy for my shoulders.”

Mili is a five-month old baby girl from Bolivia. She lives with her mother, who is a homemaker; her father, who is a truck driver; and two older siblings in a neighborhood of La Paz. When Mili was born prematurely, doctors informed her family that she had Down syndrome and a heart condition. Since then, Mili has had difficulty breathing and gaining weight, and needs this surgery to become healthy. Mili has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two blood vessels next to the heart. This condition prevents Mili's blood from circulating properly, causing her weakness, and leaving her at risk of heart failure if the condition is not treated. On January 13th, Mili will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew the hole closed so that blood can no longer leak through it. Mili's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Her mother says: "I trust my child will have a successful surgery. I'm grateful for the kindness that people at the hospital have shown me; the doctors and nurses and everybody here are very nice to me and my daughter!"

Faith is a 15-year-old 5th grader from Kitui County in Kenya, the firstborn in a family of two children. Her mother, who is a single parent, works as a hawker, selling shoes to support the family. Despite challenges, Faith and her mother have always remained hopeful. Faith loves plaiting and braiding hair, and she dreams of one day being able to stand and walk like other children. Faith was born with diplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP) and clubfoot (CTEV), conditions that have limited her mobility since childhood. She cannot stand on her own and uses a wheelchair to move around. Faith was brought to our medical partner's care center, AIC CURE Hospital by her grandmother. At the moment, she is undergoing serial casting in preparation for club foot surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Faith receive treatment. On December 9th, she is scheduled to undergo repair surgery, providing her the opportunity to stand, walk on her own and gain independence. Now, Faith's family needs help to fund this $1,286 procedure. Faith's grandmother says: “My prayer is to see Faith stand and walk like other children, and to continue with her education without any challenges."

Chorb is 76 years old and a doting grandmother from Cambodia. Five months ago, after her husband passed away, Chorb moved in with her eldest child. She has four other children and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. For the past four months, Chorb has suffered from hip pain that prevents her from walking. Because of this, she cannot move around freely or visit the pagoda, which was part of her daily routine. She worries about losing her independence and being limited in her activities. Chorb was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), by a friend from her village. On November 11th, Chorb will undergo a hip replacement procedure on her left hip. Her family can contribute $100, but needs help to raise $1,400 more to fund her procedure and care. After surgery, Chorb hopes to regain mobility, to be free from hip pain, and to return to visiting the pagoda independently. Chorb said: “After the surgery, I hope that I will no longer have hip pain, and I can walk on my own."