Thara is a nine-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her mother, grandmother, elder brother, and cousin in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. Thara has cerebral palsy, and her mother takes care of her full time, helping her with her physiotherapy exercises. Her aunt supports the family by working as a housemaid in Bangkok. In August, Thara's mother noticed that her left cheek was swollen and that she was crying a lot and appeared to be in pain. Her mother brought her to a nearby clinic where the doctors performed a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. Thara was diagnosed with a dental infection, given an injection, and prescribed medications. This treatment initially reduced the swelling and helped Thara feel better. After a few days, the swelling returned, and Thara had lingering symptoms. The doctors asked for Thara to undergo a second CT scan so that they could formulate an appropriate treatment plan and, hopefully, completely resolve Thara's symptoms. Since Thara's mother had borrowed money for the first treatment, she was worried she could not afford another scan. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can help. BCMF is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Thara's CT scan and care, which will occur on November 10th. Thara’s mother said, “I am relieved that my daughter is feeling better. When the doctor said that she needed another CT scan, I asked if it could be skipped because I could not afford it. Thank you, donors and BCMF, so much for your help."

Immy is a 27-year-old father of four children in Uganda. He separated from his wife about a year ago, and currently lives with his mother. Growing up, he attended school until Senior 2, but was unable to continue due to financial difficulties. He presently runs a small business, buying and selling coffee, which earns him a modest income. For the past two years, Immy has been experiencing intermittent swelling in his right scrotal region. He is unable to walk long distances, and suffers from severe pain, frequent fevers, and a loss of appetite. He visited several clinics, but was only given painkillers, which did not help much. A friend advised him to seek care at our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital. He underwent a scan that revealed a hydrocele, a condition caused when abdominal fluid fills the scrotal sac, causing it to swell. The surgeon advised Immy to undergo a hydrocelectomy, but Immy is unable to raise funds needed for his treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Immy receive treatment. On October 7th, he will undergo a hydrocelectomy to relieve his painful symptoms. Now, Immy needs help to fund this $210 procedure. Immy says: "I am hopeful that the pain will go away after recovery."

John is a 52-year-old farmer who lives in Uganda. He and his two wives have fifteen children, and subsist on the food that they grow for home consumption, selling what they can to earn additional income. For the past three years, John has lived with a right inguinal hernia. He visited several clinics, but he was only given painkillers, which did not help. He also tried using herbal remedies, but they were ineffective. Over the past eight months, his condition has worsened; he can no longer lift heavy items, and he experiences lower abdominal and back pain. John was referred to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Health Center, for further evaluation. There, he was advised to have hernia repair surgery to alleviate his symptoms and to prevent any further complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund John's surgery, which is scheduled to take place on October 7th. John said: "I hope to get relief from the pain and resume working on my farm."

Makoye is a 15-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the fifth child in a family of eight. His parents work in cotton farming to sustain their household. Makoye was diagnosed with right genu valgus, which means his legs bow inward at the knee so that the knees touch. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. Because of the long distance between his home and school, Makoye found it increasingly difficult to attend classes. Over time, he became discouraged and eventually dropped out of school. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $631 to fund treatment for Makoye. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 3rd at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment should restore Makoye's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Makoye says, "I miss going to school with my friends, I hope this treatment will make it possible for me to go back to school and continue studying."

Julieta is a three-year-old girl from Colombia. A year ago, she was referred by her doctor for a pediatric dental assessment. During the examination, widespread early childhood tooth decay was detected. Given the diagnosis, her doctor recommended starting treatment under general anesthesia to eliminate the infection that has affected several of her teeth. Our medical partner, Clínica Noel, is requesting $868 to cover the costs of Julieta's treatment, scheduled for December 19th. After a brief period of observation in the hospital, Julieta will be able to return home with specific recommendations for oral hygiene, a balanced diet, and regular pediatric dental checkups to ensure proper healing, prevent new lesions, and promote healthy oral development for her future. Julieta's mother shared, "I want to thank the donors who support Julieta. Your generous gesture is much more than material aid; it is a sign of selfless love, faith in dreams, and light at a time when we urgently needed it. Thanks to your noble hearts, Julieta will be able to receive the treatment she so desperately needs and, with it, regain the smile and quality of life that every child deserves. Seeing someone who does not know her personally supporting her is the purest reflection of human kindness. May God continue to bless you in the work you do."

Ritah is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She has two children. She earns a living from small-scale farming, where she mostly grows food crops for home consumption and sells the surplus to generate income for the family. Her husband is a security guard. During her free time, she enjoys taking care of her family. Ritah is currently expecting her third child and her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of a high-risk pregnancy. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ritah undergo a C-Section on December 23rd. This procedure will cost $252, and Ritah needs your support. Ritah says, “With your support, I hope for the best of my surgery, and I expect to have a healthy baby I will continue with farming to sustain my family after I have fully recovered.”

Emily is a cheerful eight-year-old girl from Villatina La Torre. She lives with her mother who is her sole caregiver. Emily loves learning new things and enjoys playing and exploring the world around her. Her favorite meal is lentil and bean soup, which she eats with delight. Emily was brought by her mother to our medical partner's care center, Clinica Noel, due to enlarged tonsils and swollen tissues in her nose. Due to her condition, Emily has difficulty in breathing and swallowing. She tends to avoid dry food because she often chokes while eating. She also has difficulty running or playing with her friends, as she runs out of breath quickly. The condition has also been causing her frequent fevers and inflammation, making it painful for her to eat and impacting her overall well-being. Our medical partner, Clinica Noel, is helping Emily receive treatment. On February 11th, she will undergo a tonsillectomy to alleviate her symptoms, improving her quality of life. Now, Emily's family needs help to fund this $1,022 procedure. Emily’s mother shared her hopes for the surgery: 'Thanks to your support, Emily will have the chance to improve her quality of life in ways we never imagined. Your kindness and help will not only enhance her physical well-being but also bring immense peace to our hearts as a family.'

Faith is a cheerful 20-year-old student from Kenya and the youngest of three siblings. Hailing from Makueni County, she has just finished high school, achieving a grade that allows her to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Faith's parents are both small-scale farmers, primarily growing maize and beans to support their family. Faith was born healthy, but when she was seven years old, she began experiencing pain in her right foot. Initially, her parents took her to a nearby hospital, where they were told that her foot was fine. Concerned but without a solution, they sought help from APDK, where Faith received a brace, but her condition did not improve. Eventually, a friend recommended our medical partner's care center, AIC CURE Hospital. Faith has clubfoot in her right foot, a condition that twists the foot out of shape, making walking and wearing shoes difficult. She is currently undergoing serial casting to prepare for surgery to correct her condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Faith receive treatment. On November 12th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery to help Faith regain her foot's function. Now, Faith's family needs help to fund this $1,286 procedure. Faith says, "I am looking forward to complete healing so that I can walk easily, continue my studies, and achieve my dream career."

Srey Pov lives in Kandal province with her husband and parents. Srey Pov's husband works for a local bank, and her parents are rice farmers. She stays home to manage the household. Most of her day is spent keeping the house clean, cooking for her family, and helping her parents during rice harvest season. On 31st October 2024, Srey Pov fell off her motorbike during monsoon rains. As she stretched her right hand out to break her fall, she fractured her right radius bone, which is close to her wrist. Her wrist became swollen, bruised, and very painful. She cannot move it properly, and it hurts when she tries to lift things. Her family took her to a local hospital for X-rays, but they could not afford further care. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) can help. CSC surgeons were able to see her immediately and will repair her fracture on November 1st. After her surgery, the physiotherapy team will apply a cast to maintain the position of the bone. Srey Pov needs help to raise $460 for her procedure and care. Srey Pov hopes to continue her daily activities to support her family. She said, "I hope I will be healthy again soon so I can cook for the family."

Lilian is a 25-year-old woman who works as a helper for another family. A mother of two young children, she is raising them alone, since she and her husband are separated. She says that despite struggling to sustain them, she loves them a lot. Six years ago, Lilian began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swollen neck, snoring, difficulty breathing especially at night and feeling the weight of a growth in her neck. She has also been experiencing low self-esteem due to the neck swelling. She was diagnosed with large Right Multinodular Goiter, and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Lillian could not go to the hospital for lack of money until one of her neighbours who had been supported through the Watsi program brought her to Nazareth Hospital for possible support. She was advised to have an ultrasound scan and thyroid function tests. For three months, she did not return to Nazareth, until last week when she had finally managed to raise money for the tests. Now our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Lilian receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on October 24th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $657, and she and her family need help raising money. Lilian is very optimistic and says, “Now I have the results and I am very hopeful that the sponsors will answer to my plea, so that I can regain my normal life, self-esteem and take care of my small children.”

Vanna is a 66-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She has three sons, three daughters, and 10 grandchildren. Vanna lives with her husband and their oldest daughter, who is a rice and vegetable farmer. Vanna and her husband enjoy listening to the monks pray on the radio and at the pagoda. Four years ago, Vanna developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Vanna learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for seven and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 17th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help raising $253 to fund her procedure and care. Vanna shared, "I hope my vision improves after surgery so I can feel happy, walk places on my own, and take care of my grandchildren."

Jonathan is a 23-month-old boy—the last born with three older brothers. The family lives in a single roomed rental house. His mother is a farmer while his father operates a Boda Boda taxi business. Their income is limited to make ends meet and cover the surgery costs that Jonathan needs. Since birth, Jonathan has had inguinal hernia. The hernia presents as a swell around his inguinal area and gives him restlessness and pain especially when the swell is visible. He requires an inguinal hernia repair, which his parents are not able to pay for and requests help. Fortunately, on December 8th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Jonathan's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Jonathan's family shared that Jonathan has been suffering for a long time and they wish to see him grow up happy, healthy, and able to play with other children.