Nan Lay is a 22-year-old woman from Burma. She works as a medic at a clinic near her village. In her free time, she enjoys reading health-related books to gain more knowledge on the work she does. In 2014, while she was attending the medic training at Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), she had a fever which was followed by pain in her back and her right abdomen. Although she had ultrasound done at the clinic, the result showed normal. She was just treated for urinary tract infection, and she felt better after five days. In 2016, she again experienced pain in her abdomen but this time was on the left side. She went to a clinic in Taunggyi, Burma, where she again had an ultrasound imaging test. The result this time revealed a stone in her left ureter. The doctor told her to undergo surgery to remove the stone but because she could not afford the surgical cost 800,000 kyat (approx. 800 USD), she just asked for medication. Since then she had a few episode of severe abdominal pain, and she went to different hospitals in Burma to seek treatment but the doctors kept telling her that she needed surgery. One day in 2019, Nan Lay ran into a friend who also had the same kind of health condition as hers. Her friend told her about the assistance she received at Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) and advised her to ask for help there. Nan Lay then went to MTC, a partner organisation of BCMF. After confirming her diagnosis, MTC referred her to BCMF. Nan Lay still is experiencing back pain at the moment. She worries that her pain will increase when she has to travel. She has pain at her back and at suprapubic area, especially when she sits for a longer period of time and/or when she drinks insufficiently. Although she wants to continue learning and attending more training on medical and health, her health problem has limited her ability to finish her trainings. Nan Lay said, “After I recover from this condition, I will save money so that I can open a small shop, for my parents, to sell dry foods."

Mark is a young boy from Kenya. Mark, second born in a family of two boys, is an ambitious second grader who aspires to be a doctor upon school completion. Mark’s father passed on in October 2017 after a short illness. His mother sells groceries in order to support the family. Mark was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Mark has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Mark will be receiving medical assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 13th. AMHF is requesting $535 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor,” says Mark.

Hasani is five-year-old boy and the first born child in a family of three children in Tanzania. Hasani has always been a hard working boy according to his father. He would help graze the cattle and look after his siblings when his parents were out working in their small farm where they grow maize and vegetables for their living. Hasani has been burnt severely after being involved in a fire accident that has left him with very severe burns on the face. One fateful Sunday, Hasani woke up complaining of a headache so his father gave him pain relief medication and asked him to rest and not go out to graze the cattle while his father took the cattle out for grazing. His mother prepared breakfast for them and left the fire place with a few charcoal burning and went for church leaving Hasani and his siblings at home. His father returned at around one in the afternoon only to find Hasani with facial burns. His father says it took him time to realize it was really Hasani due to how severely he had been burned. No one knows how it happened, but Hasani’s grandfather says he just heard someone crying in the hut and went in to check only to find Hasani hiding in a dark corner crying in pain. He is in pain and at risk of infection. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Hasani receive treatment. On March 9th, surgeons will perform a skin graft procedure to help him heal and prevent infection. Now, Hasani needs help to fund this $711 procedure. Hasani’s father says, “Please help my son get this treatment which will help close up his wound and help him heal.”

Viden is a 7th grade student from Cambodia. He is the youngest of four siblings and enjoys playing soccer, swimming, and listening to music. He hopes to become a police officer when he grows up. In April 2019, Viden was in a severe motorcycle accident and was in a coma for three days. Afterwards, the accident left Viden with injuries to his left arm. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He has pain in his arm and is unable to flex his wrist or move his shoulder or elbow. Viden traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On December 6th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will be able to use his arm again. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $637 to fund this procedure. "I hope that I will be able to move my arm normally again and I will be able to return to school without difficulty."

Turyagyenda is an accountant from Uganda. She is 46 years old and married with three children. Turyagyenda has had a swelling on the thyroid gland for 30 years. She also experiences troubling symptoms, including difficulty speaking and breathing. She was diagnosed with a multinodular goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Turyagyenda receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 6 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Turyagyenda says, “I hope to get better and continue with accountancy.”

Joseph is a toddler from Haiti. He lives in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince with his parents and older sisters. He is a friendly and outgoing child and likes drawing and music. Joseph has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart, and blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen. This leaves him sick and short of breath. Joseph will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On April 11, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use a catheter to insert a device into the hole, sealing it off. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $15,000 to pay for surgery. Joseph'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 Joseph's family overseas. His mother says, "Our family would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping Joseph become healthy!"