Felix is a young man from Haiti. Felix lives with his parents, older sister, and younger brother in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. His father is a maintenance worker at a local hospital, and his mother is a market vendor. He attends high school and would like to become a teacher. Felix has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral stenosis. One of the four valves in his heart is severely damaged as the result of an infection he suffered earlier in childhood. As a result, his heart cannot adequately pump blood through his body, leaving him weak and short of breath. Felix now has the opportunity to fly to United States to receive treatment as the care he needs is not available anywhere in Haiti right now. On October 21st, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove Felix's damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $26,000 to pay for surgery, but Felix's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and follow up. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Felix's family overseas. Felix is excited for the future, and says "I am looking forward to being able to re-enroll in school once I have recovered from my surgery."

Saing is a 47-year-old man who resides in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. He serves as a volunteer teacher, dedicating his time to educating the children in the camp. He owns a small garden where he cultivates vegetables for his own consumption and generously shares the surplus with others. During his free time, Saing spends time reading books. Saing has suffered from a right inguinal hernia for the past 5 years. Initially, he could push the swelling back into his abdomen, but since August 2023, this has become increasingly difficult. He has also experienced severe pain in his groin since then. Saing has been diagnosed with a right irreducible inguinal hernia. Saing's doctor has scheduled him to undergo a right herniotomy with mesh repair on September 4th to repair the hernia. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) will be helping Saing access treatment and he needs help raising $1,486 to fund the procedure. Saing said, “I would like to receive surgery to recover from my condition because I feel uncomfortable and I cannot do what I want to do. After the operation, I hope my condition improves and I can continue teaching.”

Peter is a 28-year-old artisan from Kenya. He creates and sells lampshades made from recycled materials to support his family. Peter's wife stays at home with their three-year-old daughter. In his free time, Peter and his friends run a boxing group that helps keep unemployed youths around his home area busy. One month ago, Peter sustained a fracture to his right pinky while boxing. He went to a local health facility where he received pain medication. However, Peter saw no improvement in his pain. He currently can't work or grip using his right hand and is at risk for future complications. Peter sought out care again, and his doctors recommended he undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. However, Peter's medical coverage is not currently active and he can't afford the surgery on his own. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On June 21st, Peter will undergo surgery to repair his fracture. After surgery, he will be able to grip objects again and resume work. Now, AMH is requesting $979 to fund this procedure. Peter says, “I use my hand to work. I am unable to make the lampshades because my hand is injured, this is what I use to earn a living. I hope to get treatment to be able to go back to my Jua-Kali work and feed my family

Roem is a mother of four from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Chnang province with her husband. She is a retired rice farmer and her husband still works in the nearby rice fields. All of their children have left the province to seek work closer to the capital city. At home, Roem likes listening to music and cooking. In 2019, while she was walking near her house, Roem tripped over a rope and broke her left hip. After enduring pain for six months, she decided to travel several hours to a hospital in the north of the country where she had surgery. After surgery, her hip improved slightly, but she is still having trouble walking and takes regular pain medications. She often wakes up at night from the pain. Fortunately, Roem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Roem of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for December 4th, and Roem needs help raising $1,118 to pay for this procedure. She shared, "I hope I can walk again and be able to stop the pain so I can help more around my house."

Nya is a 62-year-old woman from Burma. Nya lives with her husband, mother, daughters, son-in-law, and grandsons. Nya, her mother, and her husband are retired, while her son-in-law works for a community-based organization. In her free time, Nya enjoys foraging for vegetables in the forest. On August 18, 2022, while fleeing from airstrikes on their village by the Myanmar military, Nya fell and broke her right hip. Since then, Nya has experienced pain in her right hip which worsens at night and in cold weather, making it difficult for her to walk. She must rely on crutches to get around. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Nya will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 3. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund the surgery. This procedure hopefully will help Nya walk more easily and alleviate her chronic pain. Nya said, "I would like to pay respect and give thanks to kind people like BCMF staff and all the donors who are willing to help people like me. May you all be more blessed and successful in your work."

Marites, who is 50 years old, is a dedicated wife and mother, living with her husband and two children in the Philippines. Currently, Marites is facing a challenging situation, as she deals with a painful mass in her left breast. While the mass was only mildly uncomfortable in the beginning, Marites did not seek medical attention because of her family's financial struggles. When she did finally meet with a doctor, she opted not to undergo the recommended surgery, because of the financial burden it would impose on her family. Over time, as Marites has lived with the breast mass, she has been left to endure sudden bouts of numbness, sleepless nights, and feelings of hopelessness. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer, it is imperative for Marites to undergo surgery, to prevent the cancer from spreading. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Marites receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a mastectomy on July 19th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP needs to raise $1,058 to cover the remaining cost. After treatment, Marites will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Marites said: "It's a tremendous help because we don't know where else to turn to for the operation. I also want to extend my life for the sake of my children and my husband, who is also ill and relies on me. He's already 62 years old. I hope the assistance for people like us who are truly in need continues, and I hope you can help many others too."

Fikir is a thirteen-month-old baby from Ethiopia. He is playful and loves spending time with his mother, playing with other children, and watching cartoons. He loves drinking milk and eating foods made from corn flour. Fikir has an older brother who is three years old. His father works as a shoe-shiner and sells plastic bags and socks. His mother used to sell coffee and tea and now stays at home taking care of the children. Fikir was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will eventually be at risk of cancer and infertility. Fortunately, Fikir is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Fikir's mother said, “Once he gets well, I will educate him. I want him to help people in the future. I hope he will be a doctor.”

Kim Huoy is a 13-year-old girl who lives in Kampong Cham province, Cambodia, with her parents and two brothers. Her mom works long hours in a factory making medical gloves, and her father works at a nearby construction site. Kim Houy's favorite subject is Cambodian history, and her dream is to get good grades so she can study to become a writer. In her free time, she likes to read and play hide and seek with her friends in the village. For the last few years, Kim Houy has had bad posture, and occasional discomfort in her back. Then, in June, she fell off the top of the stairs at the front of her house, which caused her back pain to worsen. Her parents took her to a nearby clinic, where her x-ray showed curvature of the spine, and she was diagnosed with scoliosis. Kim Houy and her family traveled 3 hours by shared taxi hoping to receive treatment at our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). On July 31st, she will undergo a scoliosis correction procedure with implants to improve the position of her spine. Surgeons will realign and fuse together the curved vertebrae so that she feels comfortable and can stand straighter. Her mom shared, "I hope my daughter can feel better after surgery and go to school without any problems."

Meet Zephania, a jovial, 34 year old farmer, living in the highlands of Kenya with his wife and three children. Zephania has a small piece of land, on which he plants maize and potatoes, mainly for his family's consumption. He dropped out of high school early because his family could not afford to cover the necessary fees. He has been a casual laborer working on people's farms, clearing bushes and carrying loads, in order to earn a living. His wife is not working currently, as she is expecting a child. Zephania was involved in an accident while riding his motorbike. When he arrived at the hospital, he was unable to stand or to walk, and he complained of a lot of pain in his left leg. Upon examination, it was revealed that his leg had been shortened, and there was also some swelling of the limb. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, can help. On January 10th, Zephania will undergo a fracture repair procedure at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. As a result of this surgery, called an open reduction and internal fixation, Zephania will no longer be in pain; his leg will heal, and he will be able to return to work and to provide for his family. Now, African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Zephania says: "My family depends on me for their daily needs, so it is really difficult for them. I don’t want to see them struggle when I am living.”

A (Aye) is a 37-year-old homemaker who lives with her husband, father, and son in a village in Thailand. Her father cannot work as a result of having suffered a stroke and her son was born with a disability. A's husband works as an agricultural day laborer. Since April 2022, A has been experiencing back pain and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms are caused by a large mass on her ovary. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, A's symptoms will continue to intensify, and she will be at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, A is now scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on April 23rd at Mae Sot General Hospital. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once she has recovered, A should be free from pain and able to comfortably sleep through the night. “I really want to be healthy again so that I can take care of my father and son. My husband had to stop working for the past week to look after our son, so now we have no income. But I am happy that I have a donor [to pay for my surgery], and I hope that I will get better soon. After I recover, my husband can go back to work and save money to pay back our debt,” said A.

Reasey is a 26-year-old rubber farmer. He lives at home with his parents and has five siblings: four brothers and one sister. He and his siblings support his elderly parents by working at a local rubber plantation in Kampong Cham province. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, watching TV, listening to the radio, and helping with housework. In September 2021, he was in a car accident with trauma to his left knee. His family took him to a local hospital for x-rays and he received a brace to support his knee. Because he could not afford any surgery, he visited a Khmer traditional healer for ongoing care. However, he continues to have pain in his knee and his kneecap is unstable. He takes medication to ease his symptoms, but he is still in pain, and cannot extend his knee or work on the rubber plantation anymore. When Reasey learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform a left knee fusion to create a stable, immobile joint in order to relieve his debilitating pain. Now, Reasey needs help to fund this $600 procedure. Reasey shared: "After surgery, I hope my knee will have no pain, I can walk better, and return to work to support my parents."