Tah is a ten-year old boy who lives with his parents and three siblings in Burma. Tah’s family has lived in Burma for their whole lives, living on a small farm where they grow food for their own consumption. His father, U Kyaw Poe, is the only member of the family who earns an income and works as works as an agricultural day labourer. Of his three siblings, Tah is the only one who attends school. He is currently enrolled in third grade, and enjoys his studies very much. His siblings do not attend school, but rather help their mother with farm work and occasionally accompany their father to his job as an agricultural day labourer. On May 18th, Tah was riding in the back of a vehicle transporting a large water jug through his village when the vehicle hit a bump and Tah tumbled out onto the road. The heavy jug of water that had been in the back of the truck also fell out, landing on top of him. He sustained a serious shoulder injury as a result of the incident, and when the pain did not subside in a matter of days his father decided to travel to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) to seek medical treatment. Tah and his father had to walk a few hours out of their village in order to catch a car that would take them to Mae Sot. The journey by car then took between 3 and 4 hours, When they arrived at MTC, clinic staff performed an x-ray of Tah’s shoulder, which revealed that it had been broken in two places. The trauma unit at MTC then referred Tah to Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) in order to receive support for the reparative surgery he will need. Currently, Tah is unable to move his injured arm whatsoever. He is in severe pain at all times, and has had to miss school in order to travel to MTC for treatment. Before his accident, Tah loved to play soccer with his friends and brothers, but he can no longer enjoy this pastime due to his injury. His father wants him to be able to return to school and get a good education so that he can have a career more fulfilling than working as physical labourer. "I want to feel better and return to school without pain," Tah said.

Jonalyn is a happy, 13-year-old student who loves to study and play a game similar to kick-the-can. She lives with her parents and two siblings in the Philippines, where their one-room house has a cement floor and a thatched roof made of nipa leaves. Jonalyn noticed a mass on the right side of neck when she was 12 years old. She told her mother about it, but they did not seek help since they did not have money to spend on medical consultations or medicine. After a few months, she complained of pain when swallowing and difficulty breathing and also noticed that the mass on her neck was getting bigger. She has been unable to concentrate during her classes because of the on-and-off throbbing pain in her neck. During a church activity in May of 2015, Jonalyn felt a throbbing pain in her neck and was examined by a doctor. She was diagnosed with a goiter—an enlarged thyroid gland usually caused by a deficiency of iodine, an important element in the production of thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic for seven days and iron supplements for 10 days and referred Jonalyn to another care facility to undergo tests to determine the type of goiter. Unfortunately, the family was unable to seek further care for Jonalyn until now. She was screened by a health trainer in one of our sponsored communities, consultation was facilitated, and she was advised to undergo a thyroidectomy to remove the thyroid gland. Jonalyn's mother is a housewife, and her father raises pigs. They cannot pay for surgery for Jonalyn because their income is barely enough to sustain the family's daily needs. $1,500 covers the cost of Jonalyn's surgery, transportation to and from the hospital, 10 days of hospital care—including medicine, imaging, and blood tests—and medicine to take after she goes home. The surgery will lessen Jonalyn's discomfort due to her condition. "I am very thankful to you for helping people like me in my condition, especially those who are not financially capable in terms of health treatment," shares Jonalyn. "I was truly blessed because I was given an opportunity to be treated. After the surgery, I plan to continue my schooling to reach my dreams and help my family someday."