Gay is a one-year-old boy living with his family in a refugee camp. His family is originally from Burma, but they left for Thailand due to conflict in the area. Gay lives with his parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and brother. Gay and his brother are too young to go to school, so they stay home with their mother. Gay's aunt and uncle are in school, while his father and grandfather work on a farm near the refugee camp. Gay was born with an inguinal hernia. The condition causes him severe pain, and he often cries, so his mother sits quietly with him to help reduce the pain he is experiencing. Gay needs to undergo surgery to finally heal. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), can help Gay receive treatment. On May 27th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery to help him live more comfortably in the future. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund his procedure and care. Gay's mother shared, “I have to be with him constantly. He cries and does not let anyone else hold him except me. I also have to look after my mother and sister, and sometimes we do not have time to cook. I cannot take care of everyone. I felt so happy when I heard that an organization will pay for my son's surgery. I would like to say thank you to all the donors who will help my son. I believe my son will get better soon and that he will grow up without feeling ashamed of himself due to his condition. I want him to become an educated person in the future.”

Vanna is a 22-year-old driver. He has a brother and sister, and his mother works as a rice farmer. In his free time, Vanna enjoys listening to music, watching TV, playing games on his phone, and helping his mother with the housework. In October, Vanna was in a car accident that fractured his right femur and wounded his right foot. After the accident, he went to a government hospital, where he underwent surgery to address the fracture. However, Vanna is still experiencing a skin defect and swelling on his right heel. He was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment, as he is experiencing pain and difficulty walking. When Vanna learned about CSC, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On February 8th, surgeons will perform a skin graft procedure to heal his wound and allow him to walk again. CSC is requesting $474 to fund his procedure. Vanna shared, "This treatment will help me return to work and help my family. My life will change because I will be able to use my right foot without pain again."

Romeo is a 67-year-old former carpenter and driver from the Philippines. Romeo has five children, and one his sons lives with and supports Romeo through part-time work as a call center agent. In January, Romeo was diagnosed with a hernia, a condition that causes Romeo severe pain on the left side of his abdomen. Romeo has had to stop working due to worsening symptoms. Fortunately, on March 30th, Romeo will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is helping Romeo raise $1,130 to fund this life altering surgery. Once completed, this procedure will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Romeo's son shared, "We pray and hope that this treatment will be the way for my father's body to be healthier and his life to be even longer. We want to thank Dr. De Leon who referred us to World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi. Because of this, our father will get the much needed surgical treatment."

Kyaw is a 50-year-old man who lives alone in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. He used to work as a day laborer for a grocery shop, loading and unloading items from cars. However, he stopped working one month ago, when the vision in his right eye worsened. In his free time, he enjoys reading books and cleaning in his house. Kyaw has a cataract in his right eye and can't see more than light in that eye. Because of his vision, he will often not recognize his friends while he walks past them. Though he likes to read, it now gives him headaches. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), can help. They are requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Kyaw. On February 23rd, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Kyaw's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this procedure. Kyaw shared, “I am so happy that you will support the cost of my surgery. I hope your organisation will continue to help patients in the future. Thank you so much for helping me."

Kiliani is the last-born in a large family of seven children. He was born prematurely along with a twin brother, who sadly did not survive. Kiliani works hard and is now in class three in school. His best subject is mathematics. Currently, he walks to school every day on his crutches because he cannot use his right leg. Kilani was born with a condition impacting his leg and was further made challenging when he had a fracture when learning to crawl. When he was young, his parents tried to seek treatment for him but due to financial challenges, they were not able to continue with treatment. Unfortunately, Kiliani has lived with this condition until now, enduring a lot of pain. Their family depends on small-scale farming where they raise their food for daily use. They are working hard to make ends meet due to the change weather where they live, which is affecting the amount of harvest each year. Our medical partner met Kiliani through a community outreach program. After a medical team reviewed his condition, he has been scheduled to have amputation below his knee which will enable him to use a prosthetic leg. This will make walking for him easier and relieve him from the challenges he is going through. Kiliani’s father says “If this treatment can help my son have ease in walking, please help make it possible, we cannot afford the cost of treatment.”

Mark is eighteen days old and has been diagnosed with a serious birth condition called anorectal malformation. His mother first had a concern when he was 6 days old, but hoped that it was normal. A few days later she noticed that Mark was experiencing trouble going to the bathroom and took him to hospital. After finding out that he would need surgery, a friend of their family referred them to BethanyKids Hospital for treatment. Upon arrival, he was examined and scheduled for emergency surgery that will help heal his condition and ensure he can grow up healthy. Mark is the only child in their small family. His mother works as a lab technician in a small hospital, but her earnings are limited right now. Mark's father does farming and is able to sell the farm produce. Their family does not have national insurance and can not raise the required amount of money for Marks’ surgery. They have come a long way from Kericho County and are in need of support for his care.

Anderson is an 8-year-old student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and younger brother in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He likes math and science in school, and would like to grow up to be an engineer. Anderson has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect. A hole exists between the two upper chambers of his heart. Anderson will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On November 26th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in his heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $8,000 to help pay for surgery. Anderson's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from Haiti Cardiac Alliance who will accompany Anderson's family overseas. Anderson shared: "I am excited to have this surgery so that I won't have to worry about my heart any longer!"

Kyaw is a seven-year-old boy who lives with his mother and two older brothers in a refugee camp in Tak Province, Thailand. Kyaw is a student in grade two but unfortunately, due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in camp, all schools in the camp have been closed since July 1st. His oldest brother is unemployed and his mother is homemaker. Kyaw’s family receives 1,240 baht (approx. 41.30 USD) per month which is just enough for their monthly expenses. Kyaw’s mother also grows vegetables in a small garden just for themselves. In his free time, Kyaw like to watches movies and play with his friends. Kyaw also like to watch and listen to fairy tales before he falls asleep. At noon on October 24th, Kyaw climbed a tamarind tree to collect its fruits, carrying a bag with his favorite toy inside. He hung the bag on a tree branch, but his toy fell out when he accidentally bumped into his bag with his shoulder. While climbing down to retrieve his toy, his foot slipped, and he fell out of the tree onto his right arm. He immediately experienced severe pain in his right wrist and saw that it looked deformed. The next day, International Rescue Committee (IRC) referred Kyaw and his mother to nearby Mae Sot Hospital. There Kyaw received an x-ray and a doctor told Kyaw and his mother that Kyaw’s right wrist was fractured and that he would need to undergo surgery for it to heal properly. Currently, Kyaw is experiencing severe pain in his right hand, and his right wrist is swollen and looks deformed. He cannot grab anything with his right hand, and he cannot raise his arm above his head. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Kyaw will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for October 27th and will cost $1,500. This treatment will help Kyaw be able to use his hand again and he will no longer be in pain after surgery. Kyaw said, “I am so happy to receive support from the organization and I am thankful to the donors who will support me. I am so happy to have a chance to undergo surgery to repair my wrist. I want my hand to heal and be like before so that I can grab anything I want to.”

Roy is 1-year-old baby boy and the only child in his family. After he was born, his father stopped supporting Roy and his mother. Roy and his mother moved to his grandmother's home, and his grandmother sells farm products to sustain them. His mother is not able to work because Roy needs her attention, but sometimes she does some casual jobs when she can bring Roy along. The family does not have insurance and is asking for financial help. Two weeks after Roy was born, his mother noticed that his stomach was swollen and he was not passing stool. She rushed him to a nearby hospital for examination and Roy was urgently referred to another facility where he underwent a colostomy. His mother was informed that Roy was born with a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. The facility Roy was at stopped offering surgeries and so he was referred to our medical partner's care center Bethany Kids Hospital for surgery. Roy is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on September 16th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Roy's procedure and care. After his recovery, Roy will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Roy’s mother says, “I would like my child to grow up healthy as other kids so that I can be independent and provide for him.”

Naw Lah is a 24-year-old woman who lives in a refugee camp in Northern Thailand. She is 40 weeks pregnant with her first child. She recently went into labor and was brought to our medical partner's care center by Malteser International (MI) Thailand staff. The doctor there initially expected her to deliver the baby vaginally, but when labor stopped progressing, the obstetrician suspected that her baby was in distress. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is helping Naw Law to deliver her baby safely. On August 25th, she will undergo an emergency C-Section at BCMF's care center. Now, she needs help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care.

Ma Htun is a 60-year-old woman from Thailand who lives with her son. She and her family moved to Thailand from Burma about 17 years ago in search of better job opportunities. Since early 2020, Ma Htun has been retired. She is now a homemaker and takes care of the household chores. In her free time, she forages for vegetables in the forest. She has a daughter who is married and a son who works as a day laborer. On July 27, Ma Htun was walking home in the rain after visiting a shop to buy food. She slipped and fell and experienced a sharp pain in her right leg. Her son and her neighbor took her to the hospital where an x-ray confirmed that Ma Htun had fractured a bone in her thigh. Currently, she is unable to move her right leg or walk due to pain, and she has difficulty sleeping. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Ma Htun will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for July 30th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Ma Htun to be free from pain and to walk again. Ma Htun's son shared, “I want my mother to receive surgery and get well soon. I feel bad that I cannot afford to pay for her surgery.”

Heng is a 31-year-old nurse at a government hospital in Cambodia. His wife works as an accountant and together they have a young son who is five-years-old. When Heng himself was five-years-old, he had a severe ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in his ear. Due to the abnormal growth, he experiences ear discharge, pain, and hearing loss. It is difficult for him to hear and communicate with others Fortunately, Heng has now traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 28th, he will undergo a procedure to surgically remove the cholesteatoma in his right ear. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $925 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Heng is excited about the prospect of hearing again, "I hope the infection will go away so I can regain hearing and my ear drum will heal."