Seng Leng lives in Mondulkiri province and is the youngest of five children. He enjoys playing volleyball and spending time with his brothers. Seng Leng has Neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes skin abnormalities and tumors to grow on nerve tissue. Since he was a young child, Seng Leng has had a mass on his right cheek. In the past couple of years, it has grown in size. He is worried it will continue to grow and cause further discomfort when eating and talking. In November, a small team of maxillofacial surgeons will remove the mass from Seng Leng's cheek. Other surgical residents and medical students will accompany the surgeons to facilitate training of the next generation of surgeons. Removing the tumor will make Seng Leng feel more comfortable and less scared of further growth. Seng Leng shared, "I hope that the doctors can remove the tumor so I can go back home and go back to work without worrying all the time."

Timoth is a 22-year-old man from Nairobi County, Kenya. He has five siblings and lived with his father in Murang'a for a while after his mother passed away. Timoth decided to move to Nairobi due to a difficult home situation, and for the past year, he has been driving a motorcycle as a casual laborer. On June 17th, 2023, Timoth was driving his motorcycle and was hit by another vehicle. He was rushed first to a nearby health center for first aid and then to our medical partner's care center. X-rays of Timoth's leg showed that he had a closed fracture in his left femur. Timoth said that since the accident, he's been experiencing a lot of pain, but he hopes to receive treatment so he can get back to his normal life. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On June 22nd, Timoth will undergo a fracture repair procedure called open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will relieve Timoth of his pain and enable him to return to work. Now, AMH is requesting $1049 to help fund Timoth's procedure. Timoth is subsidizing $148.00 of this amount. Timoth said, "I had many plans for my life. I had hopes that once I completed paying for the Motorbike and it became mine, I would greatly improve my status. Unfortunately, this happened, and now I can only pray for support so that once recovery takes place, I can get back to my normal life"

Mon is a 40-year-old mother from Thailand. She lives with her husband and son in a small village. She is a seamstress while her husband is unemployed. Her son goes to nursery school. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her son and riding bikes with him. Since 2015, Mon has been experiencing pain in the right side of her abdomen. She has been diagnosed with uterine myoma. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Mon's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Mon is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on July 19th. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCM) is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience pain. She said, “I was depressed when I learned I have to undergo surgery, but my husband comforted me and encouraged me to continue seeking medical treatment so I will feel better.”

Dinavence is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She studied up to the second grade, but had to drop out of school due to a lack of school fees when her mother died and her aunt was unable to support her. Now, she practices farming together with her husband. She is a mother of five children who also were not able to go beyond primary school with their education. For five years, Dinavence has been experiencing severe lower abdominal pains. She has been diagnosed with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease with endometriosis. She visited Rushoroza Hospital and surgery was recommended but she cannot afford it. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $319 to fund Dinavence's surgery. On November 15th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at Rushoroza Hospital. Once recovered, Dinavence will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Dinavence says, “I pray that I may get well through surgery because I can no longer take good care of myself and my family in my current medical condition. I pray for a successful surgery. After my healing, I will continue with farming.”

Leonard is a 41-year-old lumberjack from Kenya. He is a bachelor, has no children, and lives alone in his grandfather’s place. His work as a lumberjack is seasonal and he sometimes works on peoples' farms to earn money for basic needs. His relatives live in faraway places and are of limited socio-economic status. Leonard has no medical coverage and cannot raise the money required for his needed medical treatment. Leonard was injured while felling trees. One of the trees fell on Leonard, hitting him on his right hip. He fell, and the people with him ran away, thinking he had died. Leonard was unable to walk and slept at the scene. Luckily one of his neighbors passed by and found him. Leonard's neighbors carried him to the hospital for treatment as he could not stand or walk. An x-ray revealed that he had a complete fracture of the upper end of his right femur. He is now admitted to the surgical ward on bed rest because his fracture is at a weight-bearing joint. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On October 2nd, Leonard will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. A surgeon will make an incision, realign the bones, and insert hardware to hold the bones together. Subsequently, after recovery, Leonard will be able to walk again. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,247 to fund this procedure. Leonard says, “It is so sad that I cannot now walk but I thank God that I am alive because that tree was big. Please help me so that I may be able to work and be able to sustain myself because I have nobody to depend on.”

Mu Yeh, a 23-year-old woman, resides in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand, along with her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and sister. Her parents run a snack-selling business from their home, while her brother and sister-in-law are currently unemployed. Mu Yeh's sister attends school within the camp, and she herself is a homemaker. In her leisure time, Mu Yeh finds joy in weaving traditional Karen ethnic clothes and visiting her relatives in the refugee camp. Each month, they receive 1,303 baht (approximately 43 USD) on a cash card from an organization called The Border Consortium. Additionally, they raise pigs which they sell when in need of extra cash. Despite their modest monthly income, it barely covers their daily expenses. Fortunately, they receive essential healthcare from Malteser International (MI) Thailand, which is provided free of charge in the refugee camp. In October 2022, Mu Yeh noticed a mass in her left breast. Initially, she dismissed it as normal, but by May 2023, the mass had grown and began causing her pain. Currently, Mu Yeh experiences considerable pain and discomfort in her left breast due to the large mass. The pain radiates towards the left side of her torso, making it difficult for her to carry anything heavy with her left hand. Seeking medical attention, she visited the hospital in the refugee camp, where the doctor referred her to Mae Sariang Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. On July 4th, with the assistance of MI staff, Mu Yeh underwent an ultrasound of both breasts. The results revealed cysts in her right breast and confirmed the presence of a mass in her left breast. Subsequently, she underwent a biopsy. During her follow-up appointment on July 18th, the doctor diagnosed her with fibroadenoma in her left breast and fibrocystic changes in her right breast. The doctor recommended removing the benign mass from her left breast under general anesthesia. Her surgery was scheduled for August 2nd. However, unable to afford the procedure, MI staff referred her to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) for financial assistance to access treatment. BCMF is now requesting $1500 to help fund the procedure Mu Yeh needs. Mu Yeh said, “In the future, I would like to become a medic. When there is training in the refugee camp, I will register because I would like to study medicine.”

Ignitius is a 12-year-old boy - the second in a family of four siblings in junior secondary school, grade seven. His elder sibling has just completed class eight; the rest are in primary school. He dropped out of school in grade four and went to look for a job as a house helper to support the family. Ignitius' father does any casual job available to bring food to the table for his family. Ignitius' mother is also a simple laborer. She works on other people's farms where she digs, weeds, and sometimes washes clothes for a small wage. They have a small piece of land where they have kept two goats and three chickens. They reside in a three-roomed timber house and have a small kitchen built of poles. It was late in the evening on November 16th. His mother sent him to the nearest open-air market to buy cabbage and potatoes. Unfortunately, he was hit by a speeding motorbike, which disappeared immediately after the accident. His parents were informed of the accident over the phone. They rushed him to a clinic, where they were referred to Maua Hospital. He arrived to the hospital with an open tibia fibular fracture and was in much pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ignitius receive treatment. On November 17, surgeons will perform surgery to restore his limb function. Now, Ignitius and his family need help to fund this $741 procedure. Ignitius' father says, "Please help my son; he is in deep pain. Kindly help us to fund the surgery costs."

Peace is an 80-year-old farmer facing difficulties maintaining a comfortable life in the wake of a debilitating gynecological condition. For two years, Peace has suffered from a protrusion that has left her fatigued, in constant pain, and with other worrying issues. Peace has been widowed for 33 years and had 6 children; sadly, 2 of her children have passed away. The living 4 are married, self-employed, and unable to provide full-time care for their mother. Due to the sensitive nature of her condition, Peace faces ostracization in her community and is unable to find a caregiver. Previously, Peace worked on a farm to support herself, but has been unable to farm since the onset of her symptoms, leaving her in a tenuous financial state. If left untreated, Peace's persistent symptoms will continue to make her life exceedingly challenging. She has been unable to seek treatment at a hospital due to the financial burden, relying instead on painkillers from a clinic to alleviate her discomfort. Peace earnestly requests your support to raise $243 for surgery, which will improve her overall quality of life. Peace says, “I have been battling with this condition for quite long; I do request for any possible support to restore my health to enable me to get back to farming.”

Phanith is an 18-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. He recently married and lives in Kampong Speu province with his wife, who works in a shoe factory, and her parents. In his free time, Phanith likes to exercise to keep in shape for his physically demanding job, as well as play volleyball with his friends. In January 2023, Phanith fractured his right arm (humerus bone) in a motorbike accident. His family took him to a local government hospital where orthopedic hardware was put in place to help heal the fracture. However, Phanith soon developed an infection at the surgical site, and a friend recommended that he visit our medical partner's care center. The doctors confirmed he has an active infection that must be treated soon, as an infection involving hardware can jeopardize the bone healing process. Additionally, Phanith is experiencing pain and cannot use his hand. Moving forward, Phanith needs new hardware to correct the displacement of his bone and a skin graft to cover the affected area. Fortunately, on October 18th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a skin graft procedure to cover the area and heal the bone, which will allow Phanith to use his arm again to work. CSC is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. Phanith contributed $100 to his care. Phanith shared: "I hope my arm will heal quickly, and I can use my hand again to work and buy a house for my wife."

Hannafy is a 13-year-old 7th-grade student from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Chnang with his parents and two younger siblings. His parents work in construction and Hannafy cares for his siblings after school. He enjoys his Cambodian history class and hopes to attend university to become a Cambodian-Mandarin translator. In January, Hannafy and his parents noticed a mass growing near his two front teeth. Hannafy experiences pain near the growth and has missed several days of school due to it. Hannafy's parents are worried about the growing size of the mass. Hannafy traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 5, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Now, Hannafy's family needs help to raise $273 to fund this procedure. Hannafy said that he hopes that he can stop having pain and return to school without taking sick days.

Doeur is a 26-year-old father from Prey Veng province, Cambodia. He is married and has a two-year-old daughter. His wife works in a nearby clothing factory, and he has recently started a job as a welder. In his free time, he likes to play volleyball with his friends and spend time at home with his wife and daughter. Three years ago, following a motorbike accident, Doeur developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him loss of vision in the affected eye. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Doeur learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled 4.5 hours seeking treatment. On August 7th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery (cataract surgery that employs ultrasound energy) and an intraocular lens implant (an artificial replacement for the lens of the eye) in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Doeur is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of the surgery and is asking for help to raise the remaining $253 to fully fund the procedure. Doeur shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly again. I can go to work well again and can take care of my family well."