Soe is a 35-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband and youngest son in Mae Sot, Tak Province. Soe has a bile duct stone. Currently, she experiences from back pain as well as lower abdominal pain. Soe has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Soe's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Soe is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on February 13. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Soe's procedure and care. Soe says, “I want to be healthy and stay happy with my family in my own house.”

Zembere is a farmer from Malawi. He lives with his wife and four children. When he finishes working in the fields, he works in their garden. He also sings in the choir in his free time. Since November, Zembere has had a right inguinal hernia. This hernia causes pain and prevents him from working, making it difficult for him to grow food for his family. Fortunately, on December 4, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $334 to fund Zembere's surgery. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and six nights of hospital stay. He says, "I am so happy for this help, may God bless you and this program!"

Ranny is a woman from Cambodia. She has been married for eight years. She likes to cook, watch TV, and spend time at home. For the past three years, Ranny has had back pain. One of the nerves on her spine is being compressed due to herniation of one of the discs. This causes immense pain. She is unable to walk and move, and thus is unable to work and support her family. Ranny needs to undergo a laminectomy and discectomy procedure to relieve the pressure and pain in her back. Surgery is scheduled for December 4 and will cost $930.

Srey Mech is a mother of two from Cambodia. She sells clothes at a shop. She has two sons. She likes to go for walks and watch TV. Fifteen years ago, she fell down and broke her hip. She had a hip replacement surgery, but now it needs to be replaced because she has been in chronic hip pain for the past two years. She cannot walk. Fortunately, Srey Mech learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Srey Mech of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for November 7, and Srey Mech needs help raising $1,025 to pay for this procedure. She says, "I really hope I won't be in pain and will be able to work after the operation."

Rosenie is a young woman from Haiti. She lives with her older sister and her husband in Port-au-Prince. Rosenie has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects including a hole between two chambers of the heart, and a blockage in one of the heart's valves. Rosenie will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On November 9, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in her heart with a patch, and remove the muscular blockage. Another organization, The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, is contributing $45,000 to pay for surgery. Rosenie's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Rosenie's family overseas. She says, "I am very happy to have this surgery so that I can have more energy and stop worrying about my heart."

Joy is an infant from Kenya. Joy’s mother is a full-time mother, while her father is a subsistence farmer. Both Joy and her twin sister were born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Luckily, the National Health Insurance supported their spina bifida closure and her sister's hydrocephalus treatment. Joy 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, Joy has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Joy will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Joy that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 6 and will drain the excess fluid from Joy's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Joy will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. “We are kindly seeking help to have Joy treated,” says Joy’s mother.

Esther is a single mother of two from Kenya. She is under the care of her mother because she has epilepsy. Esther has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Esther. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 8. After treatment, Esther will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Esther says, “My hope is to be treated and help my mother raise my children."

Stanley is a baby from Kenya. He has one sibling. His mother is a laborer, and they live in a single-roomed rental home. Stanley 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, Stanley 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 Stanley's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 9. This procedure will hopefully spare Stanley from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. “I want my boy to be treated and lead a normal life," says Stanley’s mother.

Srey Mom is a student from Cambodia. She has five sisters. She likes to read and is studying accounting. She hopes to work in a bank. When she was six years old, Srey Mom had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her left ear to perforate. For this reason, Srey Mom experiences recurrent infection and hearing loss. She has difficulty hearing and communicating with others at school. Srey Mom traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 5, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She says, "I hope my hearing improves after surgery so I can continue my school work."

Irene is a young girl from Tanzania. She is an only child to her parents. She loves school and making new friends. Irene is currently in grade four. Her parents are both subsistence farmers. Irene has clubfoot of her right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Irene traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on May 3. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Irene's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk easily. Irene says, “I am grateful that I will be able to walk well like all of my friends. Thank you for getting me treated.”

Samnang is a construction worker. He has three sisters and one brother. He enjoys listening to pop music, watching TV, and playing football with his coworkers. In October 2017, he was in a motor vehicle accident, during which he fractured his clavicle and wrist and sustained a brachial plexus injury to his right arm and shoulder. He was treated for his fractures at a Thai hospital and then was sent home to recover. He went to a clinic in Battambang for physical therapy, and was referred to come to our medical partner for more treatment. He is unable to move his right shoulder, elbow, and arm. He is in chronic pain and needs a nerve and tendon procedure to help him regain mobility in his arm. Fortunately, surgery is scheduled for April 5. Now, he needs help to fund this $497 procedure. He says, "After surgery I hope I can use my right arm normally again and have no more pain."

Naserian is a student from Tanzania. She is nine years old and in second grade. She lives in a family of six people, with one brother and two young sisters. Her father is a cattle breeder, and her mother is a stay-at-home mother. In December 2016, Naserian was burned by the gas stove in their home. Her clothes caught fire, burning her back and stomach. Her parents brought her to the hospital, where she stayed for three months. She now requires surgery to release the contractures that have formed around the burns. The contractures cause her constant pain and have prevented her from returning to school. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Naserian receive treatment. On March 5, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery. After recovery, Naserian will return to school. Now, her family needs help to fund this $832 procedure.