Ko Zin is a 24-year-old man from Burma. He lives in Thailand with his mother, father, and two sisters. His family is from Karen State, Burma, but they moved to Thailand ten years ago for better job opportunities. When Ko Zin was nine years old, he started to experience yellow eyes, low appetite, vomiting, and pale skin. His mother took him to a hospital, where he was admitted for a week, had blood tests done, and received blood and IV transfusion. He was diagnosed with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that causes your body to make less hemoglobin than normal, leading to low red blood cell counts and anemia. Physicians at Mae Sot General Hospital determined that Ko Zin should undergo a splenectomy, a surgery to remove the spleen. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled for September 14th. Once completed, will hopefully improve Ko Zin's quality of life. Ko Zin’s mother said, “One of his older sisters passed away when she was 10 with the same diagnosis as him so for him, we tried our best for his treatment as we can and thank you so much for helping us with the treatment support.”

Nellie, who is 41 years old, lives in Malawi. She and her husband have six children, ranging in age from 5 to 24 years old. Nellie relies on tomato selling as her main source of income. In 2018, Nellie began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small lump on her neck. At that time, the lump did not interfere with her daily activities, and she did not seek medical attention. In 2022, the swelling increased in size, and was accompanied by neck pain, frequent coughing, and persistent tiredness. She sought medical care at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, where she was diagnosed with a goiter. Over time, her condition progressively worsened. She began experiencing breathlessness, difficulty swallowing, persistent neck pain, and reduced physical capacity, including difficulty carrying heavy items and climbing steps. These symptoms severely limited her ability to work and to function normally. On March 29th, while at the market in Lilongwe, Nellie was advised to seek care at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH), for possible surgical assistance. At the hospital, the initial diagnosis of goiter was confirmed, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth and other bodily functions. Nellie needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Nellie receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 14th at Partners in Hope Medical Center, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. Nellie is contributing towards the cost of her treatment, but needs help in raising $1,015 more to fund the procedure. Full of hope, Nellie says: "I count it a blessing to have found at PIH. I am hopeful that my health issues will soon come to an end after surgery. This is my year of favor, and I am patiently looking forward to your generous support."

Mili is a five-month old baby girl from Bolivia. She lives with her mother, who is a homemaker; her father, who is a truck driver; and two older siblings in a neighborhood of La Paz. When Mili was born prematurely, doctors informed her family that she had Down syndrome and a heart condition. Since then, Mili has had difficulty breathing and gaining weight, and needs this surgery to become healthy. Mili has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two blood vessels next to the heart. This condition prevents Mili's blood from circulating properly, causing her weakness, and leaving her at risk of heart failure if the condition is not treated. On January 13th, Mili will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew the hole closed so that blood can no longer leak through it. Mili's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Her mother says: "I trust my child will have a successful surgery. I'm grateful for the kindness that people at the hospital have shown me; the doctors and nurses and everybody here are very nice to me and my daughter!"

Faith is a 15-year-old 5th grader from Kitui County in Kenya, the firstborn in a family of two children. Her mother, who is a single parent, works as a hawker, selling shoes to support the family. Despite challenges, Faith and her mother have always remained hopeful. Faith loves plaiting and braiding hair, and she dreams of one day being able to stand and walk like other children. Faith was born with diplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP) and clubfoot (CTEV), conditions that have limited her mobility since childhood. She cannot stand on her own and uses a wheelchair to move around. Faith was brought to our medical partner's care center, AIC CURE Hospital by her grandmother. At the moment, she is undergoing serial casting in preparation for club foot surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Faith receive treatment. On December 9th, she is scheduled to undergo repair surgery, providing her the opportunity to stand, walk on her own and gain independence. Now, Faith's family needs help to fund this $1,286 procedure. Faith's grandmother says: “My prayer is to see Faith stand and walk like other children, and to continue with her education without any challenges."

Roth is 32 years old and lives with his parents in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia. His four siblings have all married and moved out of the family home. Roth helps his parents in the rice fields. In his free time, Roth likes exercising and checking his social media. One year ago, Roth began experiencing pain in his right hip, which has made it difficult for him to walk and to go about his daily activities. The condition appeared to develop naturally, without trauma or accident. He had previously undergone a total hip arthroplasty on his left hip in 2012 at our medical partner's care center, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Roth decided to travel back to CSC for treatment on his right hip. On November 10th, Roth will undergo a hip replacement procedure. His family can contribute $100, but needs help to raise $1,400 more to fund his procedure and care. After his surgery, Roth should be able to walk without pain and return to work. Roth said: “I hope that I will be able to walk easily and no longer have hip pain, so I can help my parents in the fields again.”

Jai is a six-month-old baby boy from Burma. Jai lives with his parents, grandmother, and aunt in northern Thailand. His father is a vegetable vendor for his employer, his mother is a homemaker, and his grandmother is retired. Two months ago, Jai appeared to be experiencing reduced vision with a white spot in both of his pupils. He was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in both eyes. 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 October 6th at our medical partner's care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. Once completed, Jai will hopefully live more comfortably. Jai's father shared, "He is my firstborn. I feel sad, and I don't want him to suffer from this condition. I am the only one working, but I accompanied him and his mother for his treatment, and I cannot work during this time."

Lorna is 34 years old and a teacher from the Philippines. Her husband works as an assistant at a dental clinic. Fifteen years ago, when Lorna was in High School, she noticed a lump on her leg. As it did not bother her, she ignored it. However, with time, it grew bigger and started to cause discomfort, affecting her ability to perform her duties as a teacher. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, can help. On September 12th, she will undergo a mass excision, which will help address her discomfort and regain her mobility. A portion of the cost of the procedure will be covered by the government health insurance, but she needs help to raise $1,385 more for her procedure and care. Lorna shared, "I am very grateful for programs like this that help us, especially in this time of need. It brings comfort and hope to me and my family now that I can avail a free surgery for my condition so I can go back to work."

Sreylin is a 14-year-old student from Prey Veng province, Cambodia. She is the oldest of three children. She has a 12-year-old brother in grade six and a seven-year-old brother in grade two. Her parents are farmers who grow rice to support the family. Sreylin is currently in grade 10, and likes reading books and helping with housework. She dreams of becoming a teacher in the future. Her favorite food is lemongrass sour soup. Sreylin has been living with scoliosis, a lateral curvature of her spine, since she was eight years old. This condition developed naturally and has resulted in difficulties with breathing and sitting for long periods. It also causes her back pain and limits her daily activities at school. In the past, Sreylin visited a hospital in Thailand where doctors examined her back and informed her that surgery would only be possible once she turned 18. Now, at 14 years old, she is very aware of her poor posture and back issues, which have led to teasing from other students in her class. Recently, she learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, through social media and came with her grandmother to seek treatment to correct her spine. On August 12th, Sreylin will undergo surgery with metal implants to correct her scoliosis and stabilize her spine. This surgery will improve her posture and allow her to live a healthier life. Her grandmother hopes an operation will help her live more comfortably and avoid future complications, but they need help with the $1500 cost of the surgery. This will include surgery, anesthesia, medication, and postoperative care. Sreylin's grandmother said, "After the operation, I hope that Sreylin's back will be normal like the other girls, and she will be healthy and happy at school as well as at home."