Khin is a 63-year-old woman from Burma who lives in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand, with her two sons, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. About ten years ago, she relocated to Thailand due to the ongoing conflict in Burma. Her eldest son bakes bread and pudding to sell, her younger son volunteers at a local religious school, and her daughter-in-law manages the household. Since August 2024, Khin has been experiencing blurred vision, which continues to deteriorate. She requires constant assistance from her family for walking and performing daily tasks. She wishes to regain her independence and manage her day-to-day activities on her own. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of lens replacement surgery for Khin. On April 11th, doctors will remove the cataracts in both eyes and implant intraocular lenses. After surgery and recovery, she is expected to regain clear vision and resume daily life without support. Khin said, “Thank you BCMF and the donors for helping with my treatment. Without your assistance, I would be blind for the rest of my life. I want to see my grandsons. I pray every day that you can help more people like me, and I wish all of you to be healthy.”

Burke is a 13-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He has a passion for taekwondo and a love for riding his bicycle. He enjoys seeing his mother happy and takes pride in helping his siblings. His favorite subject is English, and he is known for his kindness, sociability, and ability to initiate conversations, making him well-liked among his peers. Burke’s mother is a single parent to three children. She works hard as a bread vendor, baking and selling bread, and washing clothes for neighbors to support her family. Burke was born with hypospadias, a congenital condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Burke is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,231 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Burke's mother said, "I pray that God will help him. I don't know what to expect. If he receives surgery and heals, I will be very happy and grateful."

Lucy is 50 years old and a laboratory technician from Malawi. She has four daughters. For seven years, Lucy has been experiencing lower abdominal pain. She was treated, but the pain reoccurred in 2023. In December 2024, she experienced intense pain and went to a hospital where she was diagnosed with a right pelvic mass. A pelvic mass refers to a growth or enlargement originating in the cervix, an ovary, the uterus, or a surrounding structure in the lower abdomen. Pelvic masses may lead to pelvic, abdominal, or back pain, discharges, or bleeding. If left untreated, it may continue increasing in size, hence worsening symptoms, and may be fatal. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lucy receive surgery. On February 14th, Lucy will undergo a hysterectomy, where surgeons will remove her uterus. Lucy needs help to raise $1,363 to fund her procedure and care. Once recovered, Lucy will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Lucy shared, "I will be the happiest person after getting surgery support, which will enable me to become more productive after surgery both at work and at home as the current breadwinner."

Moe is a 16-year-old girl from Burma who lives with her elder sister, aunt, uncle, and four cousins in Karen state. Her parents live in Bangkok, Thailand where her father works as a mason. Moe’s aunt and her family run an online shop. Moe’s elder sister is currently suffering from heart disease and undertook treatments at the hospital in Karen State. Moe attended school but had to pause her studies due to her ongoing health problems. Moe experiences abdominal pain and is taking oral painkillers. Moe was diagnosed with kidney stones and physicians at Mae Sot General Hospital determined that Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) could resolve his symptoms. ESWL is a procedure that can break up the stones in the urinary system and the fragments will exit in the urine. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on January 7th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. After her surgery, Moe plans to work at a beauty salon to have a regular and support her family with their medical expenses. Moe's aunt said, "Without donors, Moe’s surgery would not have been possible. We even thought to find donors for her surgery through online post but when we learned that BCMF and its donors would cover the costs of my niece’s treatment, our family was very happy." Moe added, “Thank you so much to BCMF and the donors for helping me and I hope you can help more people like me in the future.”

Nimrod is a pupil from Kenya. He is an 11-year-old boy with big dreams and aspires to become the best footballer in the world. He is a passionate Manchester City supporter and looks up to Phil Foden, one of the team’s top goal-scorers. Nimrod is the second-born in a family of three and comes from Kipyemit village in Kericho County. He is a bright, determined boy full of hope and ambition. We met Nimrod at the hospital, where he was accompanied by his mother, Betty. His mother is a housewife and his father is a peasant farmer who depends on farming to provide for the family’s needs. Nimrod was born with a condition called bilateral clubfoot, which affects the alignment of both feet. He began treatment with serial casting when he was just one week old. In 2019, he underwent surgery on his left foot at St. Luke’s Hospital. Although the surgery helped, his left foot still requires an Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO) to fully correct the condition. For the past four weeks, Nimrod has been undergoing serial casting to prepare for surgery on his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Nimrod traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 10. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Nimrod's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk comfortably, play football, and pursue his education without any physical challenges holding him back.. Nimrod told us, "I am looking forward to a quick healing so that I can walk and play football without any hindrance."

Yee is a 19-month-old baby girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, two sisters, two cousins, aunt, and two uncles in a house in Mandalay Division. They are originally from Magway Division and they fled to their rented house in Mandalay in August 2022 due to constant armed conflict near their village. Yee’s mother is a homemaker and her father works as a car broker. Even though her father's income is not steady, he makes enough to cater for their monthly living expenses. Additionally, her aunt and uncle, who reside within the house, contribute to the home's rent fees and general household expenses through their shop's profits and as a chef at a hotel. When Yee was nine months old her mother noticed she had a prolonged fever, abdominal distension, and weight loss. Yee's mother took her to a local specialist clinic where the doctor took an abdominal ultrasonography (USG), and the result revealed a tumor in her abdomen. Yee’s parents contacted their relatives and friends for recommendations for surgical options and hospitals. One of their friends suggested they go to Thailand for further treatment. Yee arrived in Thailand and was referred to Chiang Mai hospital (CMH) for investigation. After medical review, the doctor recommended that she would need to complete four cycles of chemotherapy, then proceed to the surgical removal of her tumor. She started her chemotherapy and a CT scan after every two cycles. After four cycles of chemotherapy and CT results, the doctor told Yee's parents that size of the tumor decreased from 9 cm to 7cm and it is ready for the surgical procedure. The doctor also explained to them that she would need another cycle of chemotherapy depending upon the surgical outcome. Currently, Yee's abdominal distension has decreased, she does not have a fever, and she is alert now. She has to take daily vitamins in the long term. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is helping Yee receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on November 14th. Now, her family needs help to raise $1,500 for the procedure and care. Her mother said, “Our family was very worried about my daughter’s health condition. I would like to thank BCMF and the donors for helping her. I hope that her surgery goes well so she can be healthy and grow up to be whoever she wants to be."

Samuel is a 16-year-old student from Kenya. He is the third born child in a family of four children, and is currently in Form 1 at secondary school. His father, a widower, is the sole provider for the family. He works casual jobs around the neighborhood, to ensure his children are provided for, and can go to school. Samuel was riding a bicycle on his way from the local shopping center when he accidentally collided with a motorbike. He was injured on his left side, and an X-ray confirmed a closed fracture of the femur (thigh bone). Samuel needs to undergo fracture repair surgery, but his father is unable to raise the required funds for treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Samuel receive treatment. On October 14th, he will undergo a procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. The treatment will enable him to walk properly again, and alleviate his pain. Samuel's family is able to contribute $80 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $1,048 more to fund the procedure. Samuel's father says: “My son has been in a lot of pain, and I wish to see him treated, but I don’t have the money. I love all my children and want them to continue their education and lead normal lives. I would greatly appreciate any assistance to help Samuel receive the treatment he needs so he can recover and return to school.”

Diana is a student from Bolivia. She lives with her mother, a law student, in a neighborhood of La Paz. She is at the top of her class in school and is reading at a very high level for her age. She likes to read and play with her friends from school. Diana has a cardiac condition called coarctation of the aorta. A major blood vessel connected to her heart is too narrow; this causes blood to back up into the heart, causing heart failure. On September 18th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, Surgeons will inflate a balloon inside her aorta to stretch it to a more normal size so that blood can flow through it more freely. Diana's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Diana's mother shared, "Our family is so happy to know that after this procedure, our daughter will be able to be healthy!"

Dennis, a 17-year-old student from Kiambu County in Kenya, faced unimaginable tragedy at a tender age. In 2011, his mother fell gravely ill. One night, a candle left burning in their home went out of control, setting the house ablaze. With his mother too sick to save him, Dennis was trapped in the fire. Tragically, his mother lost her life, leaving Dennis an orphan. Though he was rescued, Dennis suffered severe burns on his head, face, hands, and body. With no one left to care for him, he ended up on the streets, which hindered the healing of his wounds. In 2012, hope arrived when a children's home took Dennis in, providing him with food, clothing, shelter, and education. However, the scars from his injuries made him a target for teasing by his classmates, which deeply affected his self-esteem. In 2016, Dennis’s journey to recovery began at our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. He underwent a series of surgeries to treat his forehead, cheeks, face, and nose. By 2018, a surgery successfully opened one of his blocked nostrils, greatly improving his ability to breathe. For a while, Dennis enjoyed a sense of normalcy and the joy of playing with other children. However, after six years of relying on a single nostril to breathe, it became increasingly ineffective. Dennis now struggles with breathing and requires constant monitoring at night to prevent suffocation. During a visit to the hospital this year, doctors recommended surgery to create a new nostril and enhance his breathing. Unfortunately, the children's home cannot afford the cost of this essential surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Dennis receive treatment. On August 12th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help him breathe properly and alleviate the fears he experiences due to his condition. Now, Dennis needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Dennis says, “I want to be an engineer in the future and build beautiful houses.”

Lightness is a four-year-old girl who lives with her grandmother in the remote village of Endakasi, situated in Mbulu district in Tanzania. She is one of two siblings cared for by their grandmother after their mother died and their father abandoned them. The family's daily life revolves around farming. However, due to her age, the grandmother cannot fully participate in farming activities and mostly relies on her children to help with provisions and care. Lightness was born with clubfoot on her left foot, a condition where one's foot is twisted or bent out of shape. Due to their limited knowledge about the condition, her family did not seek treatment for her. One day, a glimmer of hope emerged, when Lightness' grandmother crossed paths with someone familiar with our medical partner's program. After an assessment, it was determined that Lightness is suffering from neglected clubfoot, which will require a series of casting sessions, and surgery to complete her treatment. Lightness' care will take place at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House, beginning on July 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,119 to fund Lightness' casting and surgery, which will enable Lightness to live more comfortably. Lightness’s grandmother said: “Please help my granddaughter, because I’m too old to provide and to make sure she gets the treatment she needs.”

Soe is a 55-year-old man from Burma. He fled to Thailand last year where he lives with his daughter, her husband, and their four kids. In Burma, he was a farmer on his own farm but because of the conflict, he stopped working outside on the field. His son-in-law works at his father’s shop while his daughter is a homemaker and his grandchildren are students. In October 2023, Soe started experiencing a small swelling on his upper left eyelid. Currently, Soe cannot open his eye as usual and cannot see far. As he is also experiencing pain in his eye whenever it is windy, he is spending most of his time inside. Unfortunately, his eyes also hurts when looking at his phone, so he is mostly sitting without doing anything. He was diagnosed with sebaceous carcinoma of right eye. Doctors recommend enucleation, the removal of the eye, to treat this condition. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this surgery. The treatment is scheduled to take place on June 17th at our medical partner's care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. Once completed, Soe will hopefully live more comfortably. Soe expressed his feelings, “I want to thank the donors. I really hope that they have a good job and that they and their families are healthy.”

Enzo is a 7-month-old infant from Haiti. He lives with his parents and his older brother. He has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure, resulting in increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Enzo will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Enzo at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on February 27th. This critical treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Enzo's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Enzo will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. The family is hoping this surgery will be successful so that he will be able to grow up healthy.