Htwe is a 61-year-old man living with his wife, brother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece, in a refugee camp in Thailand. His wife and his brother-in-law are day laborers, while his sister-in-law is a homemaker. His niece is a student. Htwe is currently unemployed. Since 2021, Htwe has lived with an incarcerated inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him discomfort when he walks and pain. It is because of his condition that Htwe has been unable to work. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Htwe's hernia repair surgery, which is scheduled for October 12th at Mae Sot General Hospital. Once he has recovered, Htwe's symptoms should finally be resolved, allowing him to return to work, and to a more comfortable life. Htwe said: "I want to recover so that I can find work to make money for my family. Now we have a hard time trying to make ends meet, as we do not have a regular income. I am the only one that eats without work. Thank you to all the kind people who are supporting my costs."

Edeau, who is 13 years old, lives in a farming community in southwest Haiti, with his godmother and his godmother's family. He is in the seventh grade. Earlier in his childhood, Edeau suffered from rheumatic fever, which severely damaged one of the four valves of his heart, making it difficult for his heart to pump blood through his body. Edeau requires surgery to correct his condition. On February 6th, surgeons at Welcare Hospital will replace Edeau's damaged valve with an artificial one, a $6,000 procedure, which is being subsidized by Gift of Life International. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs associated with the pre-operative and post-operative care that Edeau will need, and the travel expenses for Edeau and his family. From Edeau: "I would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping me to get this surgery."

Meet Dot, a 63-year-old retired bicycle mechanic from Kampot province, where he lives with his wife, a local rice farmer. Dot is a proud parent to a daughter who is a teacher and a son who works as a car mechanic. Additionally, he is blessed with two grandchildren. At home, Dot likes to read the Koran and tinker with old bicycles to repair for the children in his village. Five years ago, Dot developed a cataract in his left eye, causing photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. It is difficult for him to read the Koran, and he has to rely mostly on touch, not sight, to fix bicycles for the neighborhood children. When Dot learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On July 18th, doctors will perform a minor incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Dot said: "I hope that after surgery, I can see better to easily go out, take care of my family, and help my wife at the rice field."

Anne is a 13-day-old baby from Haiti. She is loved deeply by her parents and big brother. Anne 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, Anne has been experiencing an increased head circumference. Without treatment, Anne will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of hydrocephalus treatment for Anne at Hospital Bernard Mevs, the only hospital in the country where this care is currently available. The procedure is schedule to take place on May 30th. This critical treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Anne's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life as she grows. With proper treatment, Anne will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Anne's family is hopeful that this early intervention will allow her to develop into a healthy young girl!

Srey Pov is a 46-year-old garment worker. She has been divorced for ten years and has one son and one daughter who are both students. She and her children live in Phnom Penh City. When she is free from work, she likes to listen to music on her phone. About ten years ago, Srey Pov developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and poor vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Srey Pov learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one hour seeking treatment. Srey Pov needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for April 28th. Srey Pov said: "I hope after surgery the irritation and burning in my eye will stop. I want to continue my work, do housework and go outside like before."

Kanhchana is a clever 4th grader. She lives in rural Kratie province with her parents and two older brothers. Her mother is a teacher, and her father is a police officer. Her dream is to be a lawyer when she's older. For now, she is busy in school and gets good grades. Before her injury, she liked to jump rope with her friends. On January 23rd, she was playing with her friends when she fell and wounded her ankle. She went to clinic near her house a day later and started taking antibiotics. A few weeks after that, she went to a local referral hospital and had a cast for 20 days, but the wound has still not healed. She experiences pain, wound discharge, and difficulty walking. When Kanhchana's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for five hours seeking treatment. On April 6th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove the damaged and infected tissue from the wound. Now, Kanhchana's family needs help to fund this $324 procedure. After surgery, her family is hopeful that the wound will be able to finally heal and she can grow up healthy, happy, and active.

In 2018, Jerry noticed a palpable mass under his jaw that kept increasing in size. Although he sought medical attention, Jerry and his family were unable to support his continued need for medications and checkups. Over time, the mass kept growing, causing swelling in his neck. Due to his condition, Jerry was unable to receive job orders and support his family. This has affected his self-esteem and confidence in socializing with other people. Fortunately, a few months ago Jerry was referred by his friend to our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines. Doctors assessed Jerry and diagnosed him with a submandibular gland tumor. This condition usually presents as a painless neck mass but may progress into cancer if not treated immediately. World Surgical Foundation Philippines is helping Jerry access the care he needs and is asking for your help to fund his $1,479 procedure on March 11th. Jerry shared, "I’ve been praying to the Lord to heal my condition. Gladly, he sent you as an answer to my prayers. I may not be able to return the favor, but I’ll continuously pray that the Lord bless you more. Thank you so much, WATSI and World Surgical Foundation Philippines for helping me!”

Mann is a retired farmer with three children and one grandson. These days she is very busy looking after her 3-year-old grandson while his parents work at a construction site. About four years ago, she noticed a mass forming on her cheek. Since then, she has been afraid to see a doctor, but her family finally convinced her to seek help. During her consultation, Mann was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. She currently experiences discomfort and occasional bleeding. When Mann learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at CSC will perform an excision of the mass and skin flap procedure to to help her feel comfortable again and stop the risk of cancer spreading. Now, she needs help to fund this $673 procedure. Mann shared that after surgery she hopes to go back home and resume taking care of her grandson without worrying about her face or cancer.

Jefferson is a three-month-old baby boy from Haiti. He lives with his parents and one older brother. Jefferson has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain, increasing intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, the circumference of Jefferson's head has been increasing in size. Without treatment, Jefferson will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery at Hospital Bernard Mevs, which will treat Jefferson's hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled to take place on February 14th. During surgery, excess fluid will be drained from Jefferson's brain, reducing the intracranial pressure, and greatly improving his quality of life. With proper treatment, Jefferson should develop into a strong and healthy young boy. The family is looking forward to Jefferson growing up happy and healthy.

Peter is a young man who lives with his parents and two siblings. Peter loves soccer, and recently graduated from secondary school with hopes of joining the army. Peter's father, a bus driver, is the sole breadwinner for the family of five. In June of 2022, Peter fractured his right leg during a soccer tournament. He received a cast for his injury, but it became apparent that the extent of his injuries are more severe than initially anticipated. Peter's recent x-ray revealed a tibial shaft fracture along the length of the bone between his knee and ankle. Due to his injury, Peter is unable to walk without the help of crutches. As a result, he cannot play soccer, join the army, or work to help support his family. Fortunately, the surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On January 25th, Peter will undergo a procedure to repair to stabilize his leg and repair his fracture, allowing him to heal and walk again without crutches. Now, Peter's family is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Peter says, “I want to serve my country as a soldier. This fracture is dimming my hopes of joining the forces. I can also not play soccer; that is my passion. I need this treatment to be able to use my leg again.”

Miheretu is a sweet nine month old boy, who loves to play with his mother and other children. Miheretu's father works as a day laborer, while his mother stays at home to care for their children. Sadly, the family's income is insufficient to supply adequate food for the children, leaving Miheretu nutritionally deprived. Due to the concerns of his doctors, Miheretu underwent a colostomy for what was determined to be Hirschsprung's Disease. This is a condition that is present at birth, in which the baby's colon is missing necessary nerve cells. Without these cells, the muscles of Miheretu's gut cannot move contents through his colon, which can result in the contents backing up and causing a bowel blockage. After the colostomy, Miheretu's parents brought him back home, as they were unable to pay for the additional medical care that he needs. Thanks to the intervention of a local charitable organization, Miheretu was brought to BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre, where on January 5th, doctors from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will perform a Hirschsprung Pull Through. During this procedure, doctors will remove the damaged section of Miheretu's colon, which will alleviate the bowel obstruction, and allow for normal colon function. Miheretu's parents cannot afford the $1,500 cost of the surgery, and are looking to you for help. Miheretu's mother says: “If my child gets the surgery and recovers, I will give thanks to God in front of all church members and tell my testimony. I will take care of him to the best of my capacity. I want him to get an education and to get married one day.”

Mary is an eight-year-old girl. She is a talkative and playful young girl. She is the last born in a family of seven children and the family is not well off financially. Both of her parents do casual jobs like ploughing people's farms for a living and such jobs are not easy to find where they live. Sometimes the church members chip in to help them where they can. When Mary was one year old, she was involved in an accident where she sustained burns to her head, some parts of her face and neck. She was rushed to the hospital and was admitted for better care. While in the hospital, a surgery was done on her head where she had sustained more burns. She was then discharged and booked for wound dressing clinics. The wounds were healing well as per the doctors’ plan. Her parents managed to take her for the clinics for a few months but later stopped because of finances. While at home, the wound got infected but due to lack of funds, she was not taken to hospital at that time. Time went by and the infection spread to most parts of the head. When she was three years old, the family met up with a local pastor who started helping them. He started financing Mary’s hospital visits with the help of some church members where he ministered. The wound was dressed again but the recovery process was very slow. In mid this year, the pastor brought them to Kijabe Hospital, she was examined, and the wound was dressed properly. Since then, the wound has been healing as expected. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Mary receive treatment. On December 9th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help the remaining wound to heal properly. Now, Mary's family needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Mary’s father says, "Since the accident, we have been struggling a lot to make her get the required treatment but have failed to some extent. Coming to Kijabe, our hopes have been boosted greatly with the improvement she has experienced, and we hope that she will go through with the surgery and be well again.”