Clemensia is a 35-year-old woman. She is a married woman with five children attending primary school. However, the burden of school fees and the costs of her medical treatment weigh heavily on the family. Her husband, a small-scale farmer, collaborates with his wife in cultivating food for their family and a modest surplus for sale. She earnestly appeals for your support to enable a positive transformation in her way of living, easing the financial strain on her family and fostering a healthier and more secure future for their family. For the past 20 years, Clemensia has had epigastric hernia. She has been experiencing swelling around the epigastric region, a condition that worsened about a month ago. This ailment has significantly impacted her daily work performance as a farmer. The pain, discomfort, and difficulty in eating now limits her mobility and work capacity. Clemensia seldom bends, and she avoids sleeping in a supine position, causing considerable inconvenience in her daily life. Without proper treatment, the persistent symptoms threaten to compromise her quality of life. She has sought medical assistance in the past, where she was given only painkillers due to financial constraints preventing her from undergoing a scan to investigate her condition further. On November 16th, Clemensia is scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, requests $230 to fund Clemensia's surgery. Clemensia says, "I am financially unable to afford this cost of surgery. I appeal for your tremendous support to restore my health."

Zerubabel is a 17-month-old, energetic baby boy from Ethiopia. He is the only child of his mother. He already loves to run and play football with other children. Bread is his favorite food. Both of his parents currently have no income. His father used to work at Mekele University at the student's café, but lost touch with their family after the war broke out. Zerubabel's mother has no income and has moved to Addis Ababa where she stays with relatives. Zerubabel was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of cancer and infertility. A year ago, Zerubabel's mother noticed his condition but was unable to take him to the hospital sooner. The neighbor of her relatives told her about our medical parter at BKMCM and she came to the hospital with hope. The doctors have recommended surgery to treat Zerubabel, his mother is appealing for financial assistance. Fortunately, Zerubabel is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 4th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Zerubabel's mother said, “I look forward to seeing him completely healthy. I want to see him grow up. I hope he will be a professional football player. ”

Rayan is a baby from Tanzania with two siblings. Their parents are small-scale farmers and cattle breeders who cultivate maize and wheat, and cattle for milk production. The family's livelihood has been impacted by drought, and recently the cost of maintaining the farm exceeds any profit they make. When Ryan was 11 months old, he crawled to the kitchen where his mother had started an open fire, and burned his right hand on a piece of firewood. The scars from the wound have since made it difficult for Rayan to use his right hand because the skin around the fingers is webbed together. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will help Rayan with treatment. On March 9th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery. After the procedure, Rayan will be able to open his fingers fully and use his hand. Now, Rayan and his family need help to fund this $832 procedure. Rayans’s mother says, “I hope this surgery will be a big step in helping my son’s condition.”

Michael is a beautiful baby who likes playing with blocks and waving his arms in time to music. Michael has a cardiac condition called tricuspid atresia: he was born without one of the four valves that is normally present in the heart. As a result, blood cannot flow through his lungs and body normally, leaving him sick and short of breath. On March 1st, Michael will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will perform a technique called a Glenn procedure to create a conduit to allow blood to bypass the missing valve and more easily circulate through Michael's body. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery, but Michael's family is still in need of $1,500 and have turned to the Watsi community for support. Michael's mother says: "It has been very frightening to see my son have such difficulty breathing, and I am so glad we can finally find a way to help him."

Simon is an 11-month-old baby and the second born in his family. He also has a twin sister. They all came together to our medical partner because the mother couldn’t leave Simon’s twin at home. Their family lives in a remote area in the western part of Tanzania. They are from a community that mainly depends on small-scale subsistence agriculture, depending on the rainy season as their major source of agriculture. They have had a good rice harvest that enables them to provide food for their family. And then they sell the little harvest surplus they have, to afford other basic needs. Simon has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, they visited our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre where surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery to heal his condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Simon's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to wear shoes and walk easily. Simon’s mother says, “I wish my son to be free from this disability so that he will be able to play with his twin sister as they grow old.”

Meet 42-year-old Khin who lives with her husband in Thailand. Both Khin and her husband work in a wool factory. In March 2023, Khin felt overwhelmingly tired. She received an injection at a local clinic, but she didn't feel any better. A few days later she became dizzy, and fainted. Subsequently, she developed back pain and gastrointestinal issues. She has now been diagnosed with a myoma - or uterine fibroid - and advised to have her uterus and cervix surgically removed, to prevent future health complications. Khin is scheduled to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy on May 25th, 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, Khin's overall health should improve, and she will be free of the pain that currently lives with. Khin said: “When I first heard that I would need surgery, I felt stressed because I have no money. But when I learned that I have a donor, I felt relieved. In the future, I will continue to work in the factory.”

Luz is a sweet baby from Bolivia, where she lives with her parents and two older brothers in a small mountain village. Her parents work as farmers to support their family. Luz, in addition to being diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was born with a ventricular septal defect, a heart condition where a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. As a result, blood leaks through the hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance who is expanding their work in Bolivia, is helping Luz receive treatment. On January 19th, Luz will undergo surgery where doctors will sew a patch over the hole, allowing for blood to flow completely through her heart and reach her lungs, obtaining oxygen and, ultimately, allowing her to grow as a healthy baby girl. Luz's family needs help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. From Luz's mother: "Our family is all praying that after the surgery our daughter will be stronger and healthier."

Chamroeurn is a 25-year-old father of one from the Kampong Thom province of Cambodia. He is a construction worker, and his wife stays home to care for their 18-month-old daughter. They raise ducks and chickens at home to support the family's nutrition needs. In March of 2021, Chamroeurn fell at his construction worksite, fracturing his left humerus (upper arm). He didn't have the funds to visit the hospital and used a bamboo splint to help. Unfortunately, his fracture has not healed properly. He is in constant pain and unable to work construction anymore, making it challenging for him to support his family. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On January 3rd, Chamroeurn will undergo a fracture repair procedure to correct the unhealed fracture with a plate and add a bone graft. This will help his arm heal properly so he can eventually return to work. CSC is requesting $483 to cover the cost of this procedure; Chamroeurn's family gathered $100 to contribute to his care. Chamroeun shared: "I hope I can use my arm and will no longer have pain. I need to work to feed my family."

Choury is a shy, 18 year old girl living with her widowed mother in Kandal province in Cambodia. Her brothers are all married and live away from home, while her mother works as a rainy day rice farmer. In her free time, Choury enjoys playing tennis, swimming, cooking, listening to music, and meeting with her friends. Since Choury was about three months old, she has had problems with her mouth. For the past ten years, she has had frequent infections, accompanied by fevers, near her left ear, and stiffness near her temporomandibular joint - which connects the jaw to the skull. Because her father has passed away, her mother has not been able to afford any medical care for Choury. Choury is unable to open her mouth, which makes it difficult for her to eat and drink, and she always wears a mask due to her low self-esteem resulting from her face and frequent infections. Choury has been diagnosed with recurrent ankylosis and chronic osteitis. The ankylosis - and the constant inflammation in her jawbone - cause severely limited jaw function, as well as oral hygiene and nutritional problems. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. They plan to do surgery on December 6th at Kien Khleang Rehabilitation Centre. Her family needs help with the $469 cost of her surgery and hospitalization. After surgery, Choury hopes she will be able to open her mouth, to speak better, and to no longer feel ashamed of her appearance. Choury said: "I hope the doctors can help me open my mouth better, and look like other people my age. I am embarrassed at work and feel poorly. I have not been able to eat real food. This would make me very happy."

Bright is a three month old baby who lives with a single mother, who works in small scale, subsistence farming. Bright was born with with bilateral clubfoot, which will make it difficult to wear shoes or to walk. Because of limited income - and because she is young and this is her first child - Bright's mother has been struggling to find the right care for Bright since he was born. Fortunately, Bright and his mother were connected with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. With their assistance, Bright has been scheduled for clubfoot repair surgery on November 4th, at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. Bright's mother needs your help to fund this procedure, which will cost $935. Bright’s mother says: “After seeing the work that you do here, I have hope that my baby will grow up to have a normal life.”

Ju is a 27-year-old woman from Thailand where she lives with her friend. She used to work as an assistant cook with her friend until her accident. In her free time, she enjoys exercising and watching movies. On January 2nd, her friend was driving Ju home from work on her motorcycle when they were in an accident. When Ju regained consciousness three days later, she found herself in a hospital and learned that she had fractured her left pelvis. She cannot walk, and cannot sit up due to the pain. She has to stay in a reclining position. She experiences pain in her left pelvis, especially at night when it is cooler. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Ju will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for February 18th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help her walk again and regain her independence. She will no longer be in pain and she will be able to work again. "I planned to earn money, but instead I brought a problem home. Now my mom has had to come here to help look after me. I feel stressed because now I am in debt. I will need to go back to work to earn money and pay back my debt", Ju said.