Dany is a 29-year-old mother from Cambodia. In her free time, she likes to play with her son and follow updates on Facebook. Seven years ago, Dany had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Dany experiences ear discharge, hearing loss, itchiness, and headaches. It is often difficult for Dany to hear, and she has a difficult time understanding and communicating with others. Dany traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 13, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $842 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, I will be able to hear clearly again and my ear will heal."

Guertha is a mother of one from Haiti. She lives with her parents and young son on a small farm in the mountains of northern Haiti. Guertha has a cardiac condition called severe rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of her heart cannot open and close properly due to an infection she suffered several years ago. As a result, her heart cannot adequately circulate blood through her body and she is weak and short of breath. Guertha will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 1, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove her damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Fundacion Heart Care Dominicana, is contributing $10,000 to pay for surgery. Guertha'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 Guertha's family overseas. She says, "I am hopeful that after this surgery I will have my health and energy back!"

Maung is a man fom Burma. Last week, Maung stepped on a hot charcoal and burned the toe on his left foot. He tried to treat himself with help from his neighbor, who cleaned the wound for him. However, his toe never healed. Maung visited a doctor, who told him that he would have to amputate his toe. The doctor referred him to our medical partner for help in accessing treatment. Currently, Maung is in a lot of pain. Fortunately, his surgery is scheduled for March 21. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. He says, “When I recover, I will find work repairing umbrellas and shoes. That is something that I can do very well.”

Muoysean is an 18-year-old food seller from Cambodia. She likes to cook and help around the house in her free time. Since she was three years old, Muoysean had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Muoysean experiences discharge, tinnitus, and hearing loss. She has recurrent infections which cause irritation and poor hearing. Muoysean traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 4, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right 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 that after my surgery, my ear will be able to heal and I will regain my hearing."

Mi is a 47-year-old woman who lives with her husband and elderly mother in a village in Hpa-an Township, Karen State, Burma. While she looks after her mother and their house, her husband works as a subsistence farmer on their small piece of land. Mi also has a daughter who works in a textile factory in Bangkok. Around three years ago, Mi started to experience what she thought were muscles aches. Later, the muscle aches developed into back pain in the area around her left kidney. For one year, she took pain killers. Later, an x-ray indicated that she had a renal stone in her left kidney. Mi decided to visit our medical partner's care center. Now, she needs surgery to remove her kidney. Surgery is scheduled for February 4 and will cost $1,500. “I just want to recover, go back and look after my mom and the house,” says Mi.

Han is a 24-year-old Karen man from Burma. He is an army medic. Han was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Han is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on February 10 to correct his condition and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Han's procedure and care. He says, “I cannot sleep at night. Before coming to BCMF I was very worried about my health condition. Now I am a bit relieved. I am looking forward to go back to my duty as a medic again when I am fully recovered.”

Kheng is a rice farmer from Cambodia. She has four sons and three daughters. She likes to spend time at home and cook in her free time. Four years ago, she was in a motor vehicle accident and developed hip pain on her right side. She cannot walk and was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, which is death of bone tissue due to lack of blood supply. Fortunately, Kheng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Kheng of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for November 9, and Kheng needs help raising $1,025 to pay for this procedure. She says, "After surgery, I hope I can walk and return to work to support my family."

Jibens is a student from Haiti. He lives in a very rural area in the mountains of southwest Haiti with his parents and three siblings. His parents are farmers. Jibens is in the second grade and enjoys going to school. Jibens has a cardiac condition called pulmonary stenosis. One of the four valves in his heart is too narrow, preventing blood from flowing through it and causing the blood to back up into his heart. Jibens will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On November 14, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will insert a catheter with a balloon on the tip into his valve, and then inflate the balloon to stretch the valve open to a more normal size. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $12,000 to pay for surgery. Jibens'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 Jibens's family overseas. His mother says, "I am very happy that Jibens can have this surgery so that he can walk to school without getting tired."

Austine is a farmer with six children from Malawi. He enjoys doing home crafting work in his free time and playing with his 12 grandchildren. Since before 2014, Austine has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Austine's surgery. On September 25, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. He is expecting good results from the surgery. He says, "I am thankful for this program which will finally help me after I was turned away by several other hospitals; I hope this program can continue to help others like me. Thank you very much!"

Naw December is a mother of eight children from Burma. She lives with her husband and eight children. Naw December and her husband are farmers. In November 2017, Naw December noticed that she could not sit due to pain in her stomach and back. She went to the nearest clinic, where the doctor examined her and prescribed medication. The medication did not help, and the pain continued to worsen. The doctor then suggested that she visit Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), our medical partner's care center. Once there, she was referred to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for an x-ray. She was diagnosed with gallstones. Naw December has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Naw December'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), Naw December is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on August 28. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Naw December's procedure and care. Naw December says, "Now, I experience the abdominal pain and a dry throat, and am stressed because I do not have money to continue visiting hospitals. I hope to get better soon and help out on the farm."

Bo is a 10-month-old baby boy from Burma. He lives with his family in a village in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State. When he was born, his mother noticed a lumbar bump near his spine. The bump grew larger, and his mother brought him to our medical partner's care center. A medic examined Bo and informed his mother that Bo has a meningocele. Doctors want Bo to undergo an MRI, an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs. This scan will hopefully help doctors formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Bo's MRI and care, scheduled for August 8. His mother says, "I hope that my son will receive the treatment for his meningocele and he will be able to grow up well like other children."

Brahim is a young farmer from Cambodia. He has a brother and five sisters. He likes to tend to the farm and spend time at home. For the past 13 years, Brahim had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Brahim experiences hearing loss, ear discharge, and tinnitus. It is difficult for him to hear, and he is often uncomfortable from the ear discharge. Brahim traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 11, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $842 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. He says, "I really hope the infection goes away and I can hear clearly again."