Seven-year-old Bontu lives with her parents in Ethiopia. As an only child, she is the light of her parent's life, and they would do anything for her. About two years ago, Bontu began experiencing fevers, pain, difficulty in swallowing and snoring. Since then, she is often unwell, and her mother constantly needs to stay with her, forgoing the chance to work and to earn money. Bontu's father works long hours as a manual laborer, trying to earn enough to sustain his family. Bontu has been diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, and she needs surgery to treat her condition. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Bontu, which is scheduled to take place on February 11th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Bontu of her symptoms, and helping her to live more comfortably. "We are so excited for this opportunity that will have our daughter attend school every single day, and play happily with her friends. Our hearts long to see her run and laugh without that constant, heavy exhaustion that has kept her so lonely and isolated for so long," said Bontu's parents.

Sovannarith is a 32-year-old security guard from Cambodia. He lives in the suburbs of Phnom Penh with his father, who also works as a security guard. His mother passed away a few years ago. Sovannarith is the second of four siblings, and all of his siblings are married. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family and listening to music. Sovannarith was recently involved in a serious traffic accident that caused a distal femur fracture in his left leg. Since the injury, he has experienced severe pain and has been unable to walk independently. He also has stiffness in his leg, which becomes worse in cold weather, making daily activities and doing his work extremely difficult. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 21st, Sovannarith will undergo a fracture repair procedure, and CSC is requesting $600 to cover the cost of this treatment. This surgery will stabilize the fracture, reduce pain, and restore Sovannarith's ability to walk, allowing him to return to work and support his family. He said, “After the surgery, I hope that I will be able to walk again and be free from pain, so I can return to my job and earn money to support my loving family.”

Isaka is a 5-year-old from Tanzania who is the third-born in a family of five children. His parents rely on animal husbandry and small-scale farming for their livelihood. Isaka is very active and loves playing football with his friends as they go out to take the cattle for grazing. Isaka has not yet started school and speaks mainly the Maasai language. Isaka has been diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. When he began walking at the age of two, his parents noticed that both of his legs were bowing outward, a condition that continued over time. Several factors can 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. Although Isaka does not currently complain of pain, his walking pattern affects his balance and movement. He has not received treatment before due to limited access to healthcare services. Now, through our medical partner's care center, he will undergo bilateral proximal tibial osteotomy (PTO) surgery, which will help treat the condition and ensure healthy growth and mobility as Isaka gets older. His parents hope this treatment will allow him to start school strong and confident. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $810 to fund treatment for Isaka. The procedure will take place on January 9th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will restore Isaka's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and significantly decrease his risk of future complications. Isaka's father said, "It is our hope that Isaka will grow up with normal legs and be able to play with other children in the community."

Given is a four-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the second-born in a family of three children and lives with his parents, who rely on farming to meet their daily needs. Given is an active and playful child who enjoys being outdoors, but his ability to move freely has been compromised. Given was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, a condition that causes his legs to bow outward. 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. The condition has made walking difficult and sometimes painful for young Given, limiting his ability to keep up with other children. As he grows, the condition continues to affect his mobility and could impact his future independence if left untreated. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $810 to fund treatment for Given. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 14th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Given's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Given's father says, "He struggles to walk properly and cannot keep up with other children when playing."

Amos is a 23-year-old man from Kenya. He recently got married and is hopeful about starting a better life for himself and his new family, despite the many challenges he faced growing up. Amos studied only up to Class Seven, as his education was cut short due to a lack of school fees after his family’s circumstances worsened. In 2017, his mother sadly passed away due to complications related to chronic alcoholism. Since then, life has been extremely difficult for the family. His father also struggles with alcoholism and has been unable to care for or provide for his children. As a result, none of Amos’s siblings completed their education. Despite these challenges, Amos has always worked hard to provide for himself through casual jobs. Unfortunately, tragedy struck again just one week ago. While pruning trees in his compound in an attempt to earn a living, Amos accidentally cut his arm, sustaining a fracture of the ulna with an associated tendon rupture. He is now unable to use his hand and is in severe pain, making it impossible for him to work or support his family. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On December 16th, Amos will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This treatment will go a long way in restoring his ability to use his arm. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,014 to fund this procedure. Amos says, "I have been admitted to the hospital, but I could not afford the washout procedure. Now that I need surgery, it will be very difficult for me to raise the full hospital bill. I humbly request your support so that I can receive treatment, go back home, and recover. I promise to work hard to provide for myself and my family once I am well.”

Lomi is 50 years old and a mother of nine from Ethiopia. Her husband is a laborer, while she manages their household and cares for their children. Six months ago, Lomi started to experience pain in her right foot. This causes discomfort and affects her ability to complete her daily tasks. Lomi visited our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, to seek treatment. On November 15th, surgeons will perform an excisional biopsy to remove the mass. Now, Lomi needs help to raise $750 to fund this procedure. Lomi shared, " My pain doesn't matter; I am needed. I must be strong for my babies and my husband, because they rely on me to hold our home together."

Say is a four-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents and her older sister at the refugee camp in Tak Province, Thailand. Say and her sister go to school during the week. Her mother is a teacher, while her father is a security guard in the camp. Their family's combined income is enough to cover their daily expenses, and they are fortunate to receive free basic health within the camp. However, they can't afford the expensive treatment costs outside of the camp. On February 14th, Say was playing with her friends. There was a pickup truck parked beside the small road in their camp. Say and her friends don't travel by car very often, so they were excited to see a vehicle parked so close to their home. While playing in the truck bed, Say suddenly fell off the truck and fractured her right forearm. Currently, she is in severe pain and has been crying a lot since it first happened. However, painkillers are alleviating some of her discomfort. Say can't grab anything with her right arm or use it to eat or write. Fortunately, with the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Say will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for February 16th. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her care. Say's mother said, "I would like to say thank you very much to the donors for supporting my daughter's treatment cost. Without your support, I would have to look for someone to borrow money from, as we do not have the money to pay for Say's treatment costs. We have already borrowed money from our neighbor to get her to a hospital outside of the camp, and we do not want to ask for more. Thank you again."

Myo is a 51-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, four children, and father-in-law in a refugee camp in Thailand. His wife is a homemaker, his father-in-law, who is retired, and his children. Myo is a teacher in the refugee camp. For the past five years, Myo has had a right inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain, a burning sensation, and aching in his right groin. Due to the pain and discomfort he experiences, he cannot focus when he teaches. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1468 to fund Myo's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 9th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Myo said, “I would like my discomfort to disappear, and I would like to be able to work properly. I am hoping that my condition will be resolved after surgery.”

Dah is a 21-year-old young man from Burma. He lives with his mother, his wife, two daughters, and other family members in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. They moved to the camp due to conflict happening between armed groups in their village in Burma. His wife is a homemaker, and Dah is a day laborer. During his free time, he likes to play volleyball with his friends in the camp. Two days ago, Dah began to experience troubling symptoms, including abdominal pain, accompanied by a fever. He was diagnosed with appendicitis and now needs surgery to prevent his condition from worsening. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Dah receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo an appendectomy, a surgery to remove the appendix when it becomes infected, on January 16th. This procedure will cost $1500, and Dah and his family need your support. Dah said, “I never experienced pain like this before. I would like my pain to go away.”

Hla is a 35-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her two children in Tak Province, Thailand. She is originally from Bago Division, Burma, but she moved to Thailand in 2022 because the Burmese military was collecting money from people in her village, and she and her husband could no longer afford to pay. She was previously an agricultural day laborer, but has not been able to work since early July 2025 due to her medical issues. Her husband is also an agricultural day laborer who lives separately from her, as he works for a different employer. He provides about 2,500 Thai Baht per month for Hla, which is enough to cover her basic household expenses. In early July 2025, Hla noticed heavy vaginal bleeding. She tried to continue working, but that made the symptoms worse. On August 14th, she went to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), where she had an ultrasound and the doctor told her she had an unidentified mass in her uterus. Currently, Hla continues to have heavy vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain, and it is particularly uncomfortable for her to walk due to the bleeding. Hla sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on August 27th. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Hla is worried because she can no longer work or look after her children. “My sister is looking after my children, But I am still worried about my family’s income and about feeding my children, who are still in school.” After her surgery, she looks forward to getting her children back and being able to work again.