53-year-old Aye lives with her husband, son and two daughters in a refugee camp in Thailand. Her husband is a teacher, and Aye is a homemaker. All of the children go to school. In her free time, Aye loves to plant different types of flowers around her home. One day in the middle of 2018, Aye's friend told her that her neck looked a bit swollen. Aye did not seek medical attention, as she wasn't experiencing any symptoms. Gradually, however, she began developing mood swings, anxiety, and fatigue. Although she was put on medications by the doctor, her symptoms worsened, and she was referred to Mae Sot General Hospital. At the hospital, she was diagnosed with a left thyroid mass and for the next three years, she returned to the hospital for multiple follow-up appointments. During her appointment on September 28th, the doctor told her that she will need surgery to remove her thyroid and cure her worsening condition. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,500 to fund Aye's thyroidectomy, which is scheduled for October 11th, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Aye is looking forward to her surgery, as she feels as if the mass is increasing in size, and is causing her to have fatigue and chest pain. Aye said: “Because of my condition, I feel sad and angry without reason. Afterwards, I feel bad for my family. I believe that after my surgery, I will have normal emotions again, and I will be able to help my family more.”

Baraka is a 15-year-old boy who is in fifth grade, and resides with his uncle in Arusha. Seven of Baraka's ten siblings have passed away, as has his mother, after a prolonged bout of ill health. Baraka's father lives in a different region of the country, and has entrusted his care to the uncle, who has six children of his own. When Baraka was a young child, he fell onto a lighted stack of firewood while playing. He sustained severe burns - which were successfully treated - but which have left him with residual scar contractures around his mouth, and on and under his arm. Baraka lived with these contractures for a long time, until he met a neighbor, who told Baraka and his uncle about Plaster House. Baraka's uncle was unable to bring Baraka to Plaster House, so their neighbor, Charles, undertook to do so. Baraka is looking forward to treatment, as the contractures have negatively affected his confidence when he is interacting with other people. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Baraka receive the care that he needs. On August 16th, surgeons will perform burn contracture release surgery, which will enable Baraka to have improved mobility, functionality and appearance. Now, he needs your help to fund this $874 procedure. Baraka says: “I desire an improvement in my facial appearance. Right now, I lack confidence in how I look. I hold the hope that this treatment will bring about a substantial transformation in my appearance.”

John is a 27-year-old young man from Kasarani in Kenya. He is the second born in a family of four children, and he is studying at Kenya School of Law to become a lawyer. Before his sickness, John enjoyed playing football with his friends. His father is a police officer, and his mother is a homemaker. John's condition started about a year ago when he started having epigastric pain (pain in his upper abdomen), nausea and heartburn. He was treated for H. pylori, a bacterial infection, with no improvement. The condition has affected his studies because it has hindered him from completing his exams. An endoscopy procedure showed that he is suffering from hiatus hernia - a condition where part of the stomach squeezes up into the chest through an opening ("hiatus") in the diaphragm. John is scheduled to have surgery on July 17th with our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) and needs help with $788 to fund the procedure. If not treated, John will continue having the symptoms that may result in complications like gastrointestinal reflux syndrome, severe heartburn, difficulty swallowing, and the development of stomach ulcers. John shared, “I am still young and wish to complete my studies so that I can plan my future. I kindly request for help so that I get this treatment. I have no happiness or peace of mind until I get this surgery.”

Meet Naw Del: a 53 year old woman who has been suffering from multiple kidney stones for the past ten years. In 2012, she started experiencing severe back pain. She finally went to a hospital in Burma, but her treatment was delayed due to the Covid-19 epidemic, and the political turmoil in Burma. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, and Watsi donors Naw Del was able to travel to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in Thailand, where she underwent abdominal scans. In addition to the multiple, small renal stones that were found, a large stone was discovered in her left kidney, which is currently blocking the left urethra. The doctor was able to drain her bladder, but he determined that Naw Del needs a nephrectomy, to remove her left kidney. Burma Children Medical Fund is now requesting $1,500 to fund Naw Del's surgery, which is scheduled for May 23rd, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Until she has this procedure, Naw Del will continue to live with severe back pain. Naw Del said: “Thank you BCMF and the donors for supporting me. I want to help my family again. After I have recovered fully, I want to be able to do my household chores and look after my grandchildren."

Samnang is a 23-year-old army trainee from Cambodia. He lives in Kandal province with his parents and younger sister. Before his injury, Samnang was in boot camp for the Cambodian army. On March 5th, Samnang was in a motor vehicle accident, resulting in the paralysis of his left hand. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can cause the loss of function and sensation. Currently, Samnang is unable to lift his arm and has had to pause his boot camp training as a result. Samnang traveled to Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, which is the only facility in the country where brachial plexus injury surgery is available. On April 27th, Samnang will undergo surgery. After he has recovered, he should regain the use of his arm and hand. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Samnang shared: "I hope I can go back to normal life like before the accident."

Phionah is a cashier at a local bank. She is a confident and outgoing lady in her late 20s. She is single and the youngest of ten children, with two brothers still studying. Three of her elder sisters are married and work as farmers, while the rest are still in school. Phionah loves music and singing, and she is a member of the church choir. She holds a degree in business management, but despite her qualifications, she has been unable to secure a job in her profession. She works as a bank teller, where she earns $27 a month. She uses her salary to support her parents by contributing to fund her siblings' education. In 2020, Phionah began to experience troubling symptoms, including anterior neck swelling. Initially, it was small, but over time it increased in size, causing her shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and even protrusion of the eyes. She was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Phionah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 4th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Phionah says “This has caused me a lot of pain yet without support, I may not raise the money needed for my surgery, I appeal for your support.”

Allan is an eight-year-old boy from Kenya who lives with his sibling and mother. One day while playing at school, Allen fell and fractured his leg. Since the accident, he has not been able to put weight on his leg and has been using crutches. Allan and his mother were initially unable to seek medical attention for his injury due to a lack of funds. With the help of his relatives, who fundraised in order to help him seek medical care, Allan was connected with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Doctors there diagnosed Allan with an infection in his fractured left leg that requires immediate treatment. After the tibia sequestrectomy surgery, Allan will be able to use his leg comfortably once again and return to school. Allan and his family need support raising funds for the $1,500 surgery, which will take place on March 10th. Allan's mother says, "Allan stayed at home after the accident due to lack of funds. His leg has picked an infection. He is at risk of losing his leg if not treated. He needs this surgery to walk.”

Jackson is a 28-year-old young man from Kenya. He is the second born in a family of three children and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, which caused paralysis on one side of his body. He lives with his parents in a rural county. His father is a pastor at a small church in their hometown, and his mother is a homemaker. He loves to learn and was sponsored to take a computer-networking course at a local technical institute in the capital city. On July 29th, Jackson was involved in a road traffic accident that caused a fracture on his left leg. He was hit by a speeding vehicle along a busy highway as he was trying to cross the road. He was rushed to a nearby local hospital where an x-ray revealed a broken bone that needed surgery. He had a cast applied and requested to return to the facility once he raised the amount needed for the surgery. Jackson is currently confined to a wheelchair and unable to walk on his own. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. On August 3rd, Jackson will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The procedure will relieve him of pain and help him walk easily again. He will also be able to resume his studies. AMH is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Jackson says, “I can feel the bones pricking my legs from the inside. I cannot walk, and I am in pain. I have so far missed my classes because of the accident.”

Veasna is a student in the fifth grade and has many friends, even though he describes himself as shy. In addition to his friends, Veasna loves spending time with his mom and older brother. Sadly, his dad passed away in a motorbike accident before Veasna was born. Veasna has strabismus in both eyes. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye caused by injury or dysfunction in the associated nerves and muscles. He is having trouble reading, which is his favorite subject at school. Left untreated, he could face permanent vision problems, including double vision and issues with depth perception. Veasna's family traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to align his eyes. Now, Veasna's family needs help to raise $331 to fund this procedure. His mom said, "I hope Veasna can have surgery and not be shy about his eyes."

Emmanuel is a 39-year-old father of two from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He lives with his wife and children and works in sales at an electronics store. He has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect. There is a hole between the two upper chambers of his heart, which causes blood to leak out without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Because the care he needs is not available in Haiti, Emmanuel will fly to the United States to undergo cardiac surgery on February 27th. Doctors will sew a patch over the hole in his heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital is contributing $10,000 to help pay for this surgery. His family now needs $1,500 to help fund costs of the surgery preparations, including labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments, and travel expenses. Our medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance will accompany Emmanuel overseas and ensure he safely undergoes treatment. Emmanuel says, "I am excited for this surgery so that I can focus on taking care of my family without worrying about my health."

Chom is a loving grandmother: a mother of three sons, four daughters, and has 13 grandchildren. She has lived in Svay Rieng province in Cambodia with her youngest daughter, a rice farmer, since her husband's passing. At home, she enjoys going to the pagoda with other villagers on holy days. Six years ago, Chom developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her vision to blur. She has difficulty seeing clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking. Thus, she is unable to travel places on her own anymore. When Chom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she came four and a half hours from her province seeking treatment. On January 24th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and implant an intraocular lens in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Chom needs help to raise $253 to fund her procedure and care. She said: "I hope after surgery I can see well again. I can walk and eat by myself and feel useful to my family."