Heng is a 33-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. He has six siblings in total and lives with his mother, oldest sister, and two nephews in Phnom Penh. His mother is a housewife, while his oldest sister, who is divorced, works at a local retail shop to support the family. In his free time, Heng enjoys watching soccer and boxing on his phone. In January this year, Heng accidentally injured his right foot while playing soccer. He visited a clinic where surgical hardware was affixed to stabilize the injury and aid in the healing process. Although the initial surgery helped, Heng still experiences some discomfort from the hardware, and has not been able to resume work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On December 5th, Heng will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will help him walk comfortably again, and allow him to go back to work. Heng is able to contribute $50 towards the cost of his treatment and needs help raising $254 more to fund the procedure. Heng says, "I look forward to having the surgery so that I can return to work to support myself."

Ni is a 48-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her son and two daughters. During her free time, she likes to pay homage to Buddha and walk around her neighborhood. Seven years ago, Ni lost vision in her left eye. Over the last five months, she started to experience pain, itchiness, and redness in the same eye. Eventually, her eye became swollen, inflamed, and watery. Her eye eventually protruded from its socket, with extreme swelling, pain, and discomfort. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), has determined that Ni needs to receive a CT scan to provide additional information. This scan will hopefully help BCMF diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. BCMF is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Ni's CT scan and care, which is scheduled for February 17th. Ni says, "I was so worried about my condition. I have been blind in my left eye for so long, and now, it has become swollen. I am hoping for a complete recovery as everyone does."

Boti is a 3-year-old toddler who enjoys playing with toys with his friends around the house, drawing pictures, and going to the market with his mother. His favorite meal is fresh milk and porridge. Boti was born with polydactyly of both hands. This means that he has an extra thumb on both hands. It is difficult for him to use his hands and he can't hold objects very well. Fortunately, on May 17th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), our medical partner, will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digits. CSC is requesting $299 to fund this procedure. After surgery, he will be able to use his hands easily and handle objects like his friends. His mother said: "I hope the extra thumb on Boti's hands will be removed safely."

Ma Cho, a 53-year-old Burmese woman, moved to Thailand eight years ago in search of better job opportunities. Recently, she was referred to our medical partner for an investigative CT scan. A few months ago, Ma Cho began to experience abnormal symptoms. By September, she was experiencing heavy bleeding, pain, and dizziness. Ma Cho found herself constantly tired and had difficulty sleeping. A local midwife diagnosed her with an infection and gave her medication to treat the pain. However, her symptoms did not improve. At the local hospital, Ma Cho underwent a pap smear, a ECG, an x-ray, and blood and urine tests. Unfortunately, the pap smear showed evidence of cervical cancer. On October 26, she underwent a CT (computerized tomography) scan to gather more information. Ma Cho's family, especially her daughter, is very concerned about her health. However, they are very encouraging and supportive. Her sons live at home and work as day laborers, but they cannot afford to pay for their mother's $414 CT scan. "I am looking forward to feeling better, so I can take care of my house and my grandchildren again," says Ma Cho. "I love playing with them and making sure they are safe. I also want to go to the monastery to pray and meditate on the future."

Esther is a 27-year-old mother of two from Kenya. She takes care of her children and grows kale in her garden to supplement her husband's small income. Her daily routine is becoming impossible, though, because of large uterine fibroids that put her in a lot of pain. For only $885, we can ease that pain. Esther says she "longs to see her children grow up to be successful." With a total abdominal hysterectomy, Esther can return to focusing on her children and this dream.

Ma Aye is a 57-year-old grandmother who lives in a small village in Burma. She has seven adult children and three grandchildren. Her husband passed away ten years ago, so she now lives with her daughter and son-in-law. The family grows rice and livestock on their farm, which provides enough food to eat, but brings in very little money for other necessities. Recently, Ma Aye was diagnosed with a large, painful mass in her uterus. The growth is pressing on her bladder, causing intense discomfort and sapping her energy. The situation has become so bad that Ma Aye is having difficulty completing her daily tasks. Ma Aye says she "wants to see her grandchildren grow and help take care of them." For $880, we can remove this mass via a hysterectomy and improve Ma Aye's quality of life. This surgery will enable Ma Aye to get back to living a productive and full life.

Ann is a loving, hardworking woman who has been faced with some impossible challenges. She lives with her husband in a 10-foot iron sheet house in a small village in Kenya. Ann sells clothes to make a living and her husband sells kerosene. They make barely enough to live on. Ann and her husband have a son, Ian, but they can’t support him. He lives with Ann’s sister in a neighboring district, where he is cared for, fed, and getting an education. Ian is in the fifth grade, and Ann visits him every chance she gets. Like many mothers around the world, Ann dreams of seeing her son graduate from college and become a doctor. Recently, Ann was diagnosed with cervical dysplasia. She needs surgery to remove her cervix; otherwise doctors at African Mission Healthcare Foundation worry that her condition could evolve into cancer. It would take Ann more than two years to make the $750 she needs for surgery. We need to cover the cost of the procedure so Ann can live the healthy life she deserves.