Mu is 43-year-old farmer from Burma. She lives with her husband and five children. In her free time she likes to forage for vegetables in the forest with her friends. She has a gallstone and has burning pain in her lower right abdomen. She also suffers from back pain and sometimes she is not able to sleep or eat well due to the pain. Mu has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Mu's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Mu is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on March 21. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Mu's procedure and care. She says, "I hope that I can get well again so that I can help my husband and my son on our farm."

Chanthoeun is a 48-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. In her free time, she likes to watch both Khmer and Thai dramas on the television. Twenty years ago, Chanthoeun developed a pterygium in both eyes, causing her irritation, burning, and blurry vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Chanthoeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. Chanthoeun needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $201. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for March 5. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, the irritation will stop so I can see again and go back to my rice farming."

Eunice is a 66-year-old woman from Kenya. In January, she fell from a moving motorcycle taxi and fractured her left shoulder. She received first aid from a nearby hospital. Later, Eunice was referred to our medical partner's hospital, AIC Kijabe Hospital, for further treatment. She underwent a closed reduction procedure on her dislocated shoulder. Unfortunately, the procedure was unsuccessful, and Eunice returned complaining of pain. X-ray results revealed that her shoulder was still dislocated. Eunice has been unable to tend to her farm or complete any household chores. Without treatment, she risked continuing pain, a fracture malunion, or disability. Fortunately, on December 16, she underwent an open reduction internal fixation procedure to heal her fracture. Eunice and her husband are farmers. Eunice takes care of four of her grandchildren. The family lives in a three-roomed house. They cannot afford healthcare, so our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $640 in funding. "I want to get well and resume my duties of providing for my grandchildren," says Eunice.

Wai Wai is a 48-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her mother and younger sister. They own a small shop, in which they sell goods made from bamboo. Eight years ago, Wai Wai started to experience pain in her joints. She was diagnosed with rheumatic arthritis. She visited a clinic, where she received injections for the arthritis. After a year of receiving injections, her pain subsided. Wai Wai did not experience any health problems until March, when she began to cough and have difficulty breathing. She grew tired easily, and her joint pain returned. She experienced strong heart palpitations, which sometimes prevented her from sleeping. In May, Wai Wai visited a hospital and underwent a diagnostic echocardiogram. She was diagnosed with mitral valve stenosis, a narrowing of the heart's mitral valve. Inflammatory diseases, such as Wai Wai's rheumatic arthritis, can affect the connective tissues of the body, particularly those in the heart. Her doctor recommended surgery, but she she could not afford treatment. She tried using traditional medicines, but her symptoms did not improve. Fortunately, Wai Wai was referred to our medical partner. She is now scheduled to undergo a mitral valve replacement on December 23. Wai Wai hopes to get well soon. She plans to help her sister with their business, and resume her religious activities, including meditation and teaching children about Buddhism. “I’m very happy now," says Wai Wai.

“My wish is to be able to walk again so that I can at least visit my neighbors, children, grandchildren and have the ability to do a few chores at home and not become completely dependent on other people to look after me,” says Sabas. Sabas is a seventy-year-old man from Tanzania. He is a husband, father of four, and a grandfather. Sabas used to be a farmer. Sabas has difficulty walking without pain, due to osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, in his right knee. The pain on Sabas’s right knee started ten years ago and has been increasing since then. Now, the osteoarthritis has advanced so far that his right knee has bent inwards making it painful to walk. "It has become very difficult for Sabas to walk even a short distance due to excruciating pain on his right knee. It is especially difficult to stand up from a sitting position. If not treated, Sabas will end up becoming a bedridden person and completely dependent on other people," reports our medical partner, the African Mission Healthcare Foundation. A total knee replacement will allow Sabas to walk without pain. He is covered by the national health insurance fund, but this does not cover the whole cost of total knee replacement. Let's raise $960 and help Sabas be the active man he wants to be!