Sokhon is a 49 year-old soup seller. She moved from a rural province to the capital Phnom Penh around 20 years ago, when she first got married. Her husband is a rickshaw driver, and together they have three daughters. One daughter is recently married, and the other two are in their final years of high school. Sokhon sells soup from a street cart. In her free time, she enjoys sleeping and watching Cambodian sitcoms. Around two years ago, Sokhon 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, Sokhon experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and persisitent ear discharge. It is difficult for her to hear and she experiences constant discomfort. Sokhon traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 14th she will undergo left ear surgery. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She shared, "I hope I can go back to work and speak clearly with my customers, friends, and family."

Jemusi is a 29-year-old man from Kabwazi Village in Dedza District in Malawi. Jemusi lives with his mother and brother. He has one child from his previous marriage, who lives with his former wife. Jemusi works hard to support his child through small-scale farming. Since he was young, Jemusi has experienced painful swelling on the left side of his scrotum. He was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia and underwent hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital in 2012. Recently, Jemusi noticed that the painful swelling has returned and he went back to Nkhoma Hospital, where he was diagnosed with recurrent left inguinal hernia. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $500 to fund repeat hernia repair surgery for Jemusi, which is scheduled to take place on April 19th at Nkhoma Hospital. Jemusi's hernia has impacted his life negatively, causing him constant pain and discomfort. Treatment is essential to improving Jemusi's quality of life and ensuring that he doesn't suffer any serious complications in the future. Jemusi says: “I am glad that help has been found for me to receive treatment. I am looking forward to finally getting healed of this condition.”

James, who is 51 years old, enjoys sharing entertaining stories that elicit laughter from those around him. He and his wife have four children, and live in Uganda. James teaches at a local secondary school, which provides him with a small salary to live from. His wife works as a farmer to help support their family. James also engages in farming when he isn't teaching. Thirty years ago, James began to experience troubling symptoms, including an anterior neck swelling. As the swelling was painless, he never considered seeking treatment. However, when he began experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, and high blood pressure, he resorted to traditional remedies. Unfortunately, nothing he tried helped, so he decided to consult a doctor. He was diagnosed with bilateral thyroid nodules, and he has been told that he will need surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping James receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 8th at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale, during which surgeons will remove all or part of his thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and James and his family need your help to raise this money. James says: “I hope for a complete recovery, and I will be relieved from the symptoms I’ve been experiencing for so long."

Mana, a 14-year-old from Cambodia, is a loving son and brother. His father is not involved in the family, and Mana stopped attending school to help support his mom at home. Mana is a rice farmer, and his mom sells home-grown vegetables at their local market with the help of Mana's sister. When Mana is not looking after the rice paddies, he likes to play football with his friends! When Mana was seven years old, he was playing with his friend in the kitchen when he fell into a wood fire where his mother was cooking, causing him to burn his left hand and fingers. They could not afford care at that time. After the burn healed, the skin around his fingers retracted and bent his fingers. Skin contractures have developed, tightening the skin around his burn, and one of his finger joints has become partially dislocated. Mana experiences pain and cannot move his fingers or hold objects in his hand. When Mana learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On September 12th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the function of his hand and fingers. Now, he needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Mana and his family contributed $100 to his care. Mana's mother shared: " I hope Mana's fingers can be straightened and he can work easier."

Thu Zar is a 47-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her daughter and son-in-law. She is a homemaker, her daughter is a babysitter and her son-in-law is a construction worker. Thu Zar spends most of her time doing household chores, allowing her daughter and son-in-law to concentrate on their work. Since March 2023, Thu Zar has been experiencing occasional heavy bleeding and a gradual enlargement of her abdomen which she had initially thought was caused from gaining weight. Now, she has been diagnosed with leiomyoma--a tumor in the uterus, also known as uterine fibroids. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Thu Zar's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Thu Zar is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on August 21st. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Thu Zar will no longer have her worrying symptoms. Thu Zar said, “Because of my condition, I feel worried, fearful, and sad. At the same time, I feel relieved and happy that my condition is treatable through surgery and that it is not cancerous. I am grateful to everyone for their support in facilitating my treatment."

Wine is a two-year-old boy living with his family in Burma. Wine was born with hydrocephalus and nasal encephalocele. Nasal encephalocele is a rare birth defect that occurs when the skull does not close completely during fetal development. However, his treatment was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As he grew, the lump on the bridge of his nose and his head both increased in size. Wine also experiences occasional seizures, watery eyes, and cannot fully open his eyes due to the lump on his nose. Doctors want Wine to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which X-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan should help doctors in fully diagnosing Wine's condition and enable them to formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Wine's CT scan, which is scheduled to take place on April 26th at Mae Sot General Hospital. Wine's mother said: "I want my kid to get treated and become healthy. I used to cry a lot whenever I see my baby crying but now I feel relieved. Thank you [BCMF] for helping us."

Sak has six children and one grandson. A few months ago, she moved in with one of her daughters, her daughter's husband, and grandson. Her daughter works in a clothing factory to support their family. Her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family, especially her grandson. Last December, Sak was doing housework when she fell and broke her hip. Since then, she has not been able to walk and is in pain. She has trouble sleeping and is no longer able to care for her grandson. When Sak and her family learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On January 29th, surgeons at CSC will perform a hip hemi-arthroplasty procedure on her right hip. This will help her to regain mobility. Sak and her family need help raising $544 to fund her procedure and care. Sak said, "I hope after surgery I can walk again."

Srey Tin is a clever third-grader from Cambodia. She lives with her parents and her 2-month-old sister in Banteay Mean Chey province. Her parents work in their village as rice and potato farmers. Srey Tin's favorite subjects are science and reading, and she would like to be a nurse someday. For the past two years, Srey Tin has been experiencing a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Her symptoms have affected daily activities like attending school and eating. Srey Tin was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if left untreated, will cause her symptoms to persist and potentially intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a procedure to remove Srey Tin's tonsils and adenoid glands. The surgery is scheduled to take place on March 16th. After the procedure, Srey Tin will hopefully be relieved of her symptoms and live much more comfortably. Her mother hopes she will feel better after surgery and be able to return to school.

Yin is a widowed, 74-year-old grandmother, living with one of her daughters. In total, she and her husband have two sons, three daughters and nine grandchildren. Yin has retired from farming, and making grass and bamboo mats. One year ago Yin developed a cataract in her left eye, which causes tearing in that eye, and blurry vision. As a result of the cataract, she is unable to go outside in the bright sun because of light sensitivity, or visit her local pagoda on her own, one of her favorite activities in the past. Yin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and traveled some distance to seek their help. Now she is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery on October 20th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, when doctors will remove the cataract, and implant an intraocular lens in her eye. After she has recovered, Yin will be able to resume an independent life. Now, she needs your help to fund this $253 procedure. Yin shared: "I want to be able to see well again so I can take care of myself and do all my day to day things at my house that help our family."

Ibrahim is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. He comes from a big family and he is the fourth born child. His father works as a bodaboda driver. His mother used to work at a market selling produce, but now stays at home taking care of the couple's youngest child, who is an infant. Ibrahim has been diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, which means that his legs bow outward so that his knees do not touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result of his condition, Ibrahim has difficulty walking. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On January 6th, Ibrahim will undergo corrective surgery at AMH's care center. Treatment will hopefully restore Ibrahim's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decreasing his risk of future complications. Now, he and his family need help raising $880 to fund his procedure and care. Ibrahim’s mother shared, "I pray that my son does not grow with this disability because it keeps getting worse as he grows."

Queen is an adorable 4-month-old baby from Tanzania. Her mother is a sole proprietor who has recently started a new small business, while her father works as a security guard. Queen has an older sibling. While their current income is limited, her mother is confident that her new business provide for their family's basic needs. Queen has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Queen's parents took her to a nearby hospital, but they lacked the needed specialized medical staff. Concerned about waiting a long time for a consultation, Queen's father visited another hospital but experienced the same issue. Queen's father then visited the hospital of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), where the doctors were able to diagnose the condition and recommended surgery. On November 18th, Queen will undergo clubfoot repair surgery that will allow her to learn to stand and walk as she grows. AMH is requesting $935 to fund this procedure. Queen's father shared: "We have been traveling far and wide in pursuit of a cure for our daughter. We're determined to see her feet get back to normal. We appeal for your financial support to help our daughter receive treatment."

Naw Eh is a 32-year-old woman who lives with her parents, her husband, and her children in a refugee camp. She supports her family by caring for her children and managing their home. Her husband is currently unemployed. Three of her children are enrolled in primary school, but her fourth child is too young to attend. During her free time, Naw Eh enjoys sewing clothes. Naw Eh is currently expecting a new baby and her doctors recommend that she undergoes a caesarean section to deliver her child because she is already 40 weeks pregnant and her baby is still in the wrong position, laying horizontally instead of vertically. With a C-section, doctors will be able to ensure the safety of both Naw Eh and her baby during the delivery. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Naw Eh undergo a C-Section on July 7th. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Naw Eh's family needs your support to help fund her care. Naw Eh shares, “In the future, I will search for a job in the refugee camp, and I will also take good care of my children.”