Na is a 54-year-old homemaker from Thailand. She lives with her husband and her niece in a refugee camp. Her husband is a mechanic and her niece helps her with household chores since her vision worsened. In her free time, she likes to pray and listen to the news. She also enjoys helping her husband repair bicycles and motorcycles. Na has cataracts. The vision in her right eye is very blurry and she can only perceive light with her left eye. Her niece now has to do most of the household chores since her vision is so poor. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund eye surgery for Na. On November 27, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Na's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. "I have no children to take care of me and my husband," Na said. "Because of this, I want to receive surgery as soon as possible so that I can recover."

Kuong is a 76-year-old retired rice farmer. She is a mother to four sons and four daughters, and the grandmother to 13. She and her husband live in Battambang province, but no longer work in the rice fields due to their age. They live with their youngest son who is a rice farmer. At home, Kuong cooks for the family and likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Kuong developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her light sensitivity, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus she is unable to travel on her own. When Kuong learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for six and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 7th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and implant a new lens in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Kuong said: "I hope after surgery, I can see again. I can see my grandchildren's faces and take care of myself better."

Sai is a six-year-old kindergarten student. He lives with his parents and siblings (a 12-year-old brother who is in grade four and a 11-month-old sister) at Mae Sot District, Tak Province in Thailand. His father is a daily worker and works as a blacksmith. Sai’s mother is a homemaker who looks after the children at home. Sai was born with a healthy delivery however just after his sixth birthday, his mother noticed that Sai’s left eye was red. He told her that it was not painful, so they did not worry about it. In June 2022 though, his mother saw that there was a white dot in the pupil of Sai’s eye. When his mother covered Sai’s right eye and asked if he could see, he answered that he did not see clearly. Sai had his eyes checked at Mae Tao Clinic and the medic suspected that he had a cataract. He was sent to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. He was referred to the ophthalmology department which later the doctor diagnosed him with mature left eye cataract. Currently, Sai’s vision in his left eye is blurry and he has trouble seeing the board when he is in the classroom. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Sai. On December 9th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Sai's natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Sai’s mother said, “We cannot afford to take a loan (for the surgery) because we would have to pay the interest. There is less work during the pandemic and so it makes things very hard to have such a large loan. My words cannot express the thanks that I feel. It is so lucky for us to have the assistance from BCMF and donors.”

67-year-old Sikora is a small-scale farmer and mother of seven, living in Uganda. While Sikora was never able to attend school, she and her husband, who farms and does casual labor around the village, struggle to raise the money necessary to ensure their children's education. For the past 15 years, Sikora has been experiencing lower abdominal pains, accompanied by an abnormal vaginal discharge. These symptoms started four months after the delivery of her seventh child, during which she experienced complications and prolonged labor. Over the past five years, the pains have worsened, and she has been unable to find relief, despite taking various medications. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain due to pelvic inflammatory disease, and doctors have recommended surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $319 to fund the hysterectomy that Sikora needs to enable her to resume her daily activities without pain. On February 6th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at Rushoroza Hospital. Now she needs your help to cover the costs of this procedure. Sikora says: “I have been in pain for a long period of time. I pray that I may get well through surgery so that I may continue to practice farming for the well-being of my family.”

Amani is a bright, thirteen-year-old student who enjoys her studies. She dreams of becoming a teacher in the future. She comes from a small family with two children and is being raised by two loving parents. Her parents are self-employed - running a small business selling food products around their area. They both work hard to make sure they earn money that will enable them to provide for their family. The food business has been hard, and they must slow down the business hoping for a better harvest this year. In 2021, Amani suffered a fractured wrist and it did not heal well. She does not have full range of motion of her hand limiting her use of it, which is making life harder for her. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Amani receive treatment. On February 27th, surgeons at their care center will perform a surgery so that she will be able to use her hand freely. Now, Amani's family needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Amani’s mother says, “She was happy when she knew that treatment was a possibility. The hope in her gives us strength.”

Anthonie is a student from Haiti. He lives with his aunt and uncle and their family in a small town in northern Haiti. He enjoys going to school and church. Anthonie has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects including a hole between two chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These prevent blood from flowing normally through his body, leaving him weak and short of breath. The care Anthonie needs is not available in Haiti so he needs to travel for surgery. He will fly to the Cayman Islands and on January 9th will undergo cardiac surgery. During surgery, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole to close it, and remove the muscular blockage in his heart. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is also contributing $16,000 to pay for his treatment. Anthonie's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep, travel, and follow-up care. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also pays for obtaining his passport, and for the social worker from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Anthonie's family overseas. Anthonie's aunt says, "Anthonie has been very sick for a long time, we are all praying that this is the miracle that will make him better!"

15-year-old Min, whose parents passed away five years ago, lives with his uncle and his cousins in a village on the border of Burma and Thailand. He helps his uncle with his work as a farmer. On March 19, 2023, Min accidentally hit a stopped tractor-trailer with his motorcycle while driving at night. He was unable to move due to his pain, but people who were nearby brought him to the hospital. Currently, Min continues to live in pain and is unable to move his legs. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Min will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones, and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for March 19th at Mae Sot General Hospital and will cost $1,500. Now Min and his family need your help to raise the money for Min's surgery, which will enable him to walk again. Min said: "I feel sorry for the accident. I want to thank you [BCMF and the donor] for helping me get treatment. I hope for full recovery. After I get treated, I will try to help my uncle who has been raising me and taking care of me all the time.”

Abel is a 75-year-old small-scale farmer from Uganda. He is a sharp man who is advanced in age but is still strong and active. He is the proud father of six children. Of his three sons, two are teachers and one is in the bodaboda business. His daughters are all married and work as farmers. In his evenings, he passes the time grazing his goats and sheep. For the past three years, Abel has experienced left inguinal swelling and has had a left inguinal hernia. The swelling causes sharp pain, especially when lifting heavy objects. He cannot stand or sit for long periods, and the swelling intensifies when he coughs or laughs. Due to limited finances, he has never been to the hospital until recently when the pain became unbearable. Fortunately, on March 14th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Abel's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Abel says, “I hope I will surely get better after being operated and I am happy that the hospital bill will be settled.”

Rosette is a mother of two children and the sole breadwinner of her family. She shared that she and her husband separated due to family conflicts. Her children are still in high school. Together they all live with Rosette's parents, but she hopes to build her own house when she gets sufficient money. Rosette runs a small retail shop and does farming on the side to meet her family's basic needs. For two years, Rosette has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and bleeding. She has been diagnosed with multiple uterine myomas. In November, she was admitted to a hospital due to anemia and had to undergo a blood transfusion. She had surgery recommended but could not raise the money needed. She came to Nyakibale Hospital where she met our medical partner who can now help her access the surgery she needs. Doctors recommend she undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Rosette's surgery. On December 8th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Rosette will be able to resume her daily activities, finally free of pain and with new strength. Rosette says: “The only hope I am left with for a complete recovery is to undergo surgery. Please support my request."

Nita is a bright 3rd grader. Her mom works in a restaurant and her dad is a rice farmer. She loves playing with her older sister, and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. Nita has strabismus in both eyes. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye caused by injury or dysfunction in the associated nerves and muscles. It is difficult for her to focus and she experiences frequent headaches Nita'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 her eyes. Now, Nita's family needs help to raise $331 to fund this procedure. Her mom said, "I hope my daughter has good vision so she can focus in school and play with the other children."

Chea is a 61-year-old tuk-tuk (motorized three-wheeled cab) driver from Kompong Speu province. He is married with two sons, three daughters, and five grandchildren. All of his children work in construction, thus he and his wife help care for the grandchildren during the day. In his free time, he likes to listen to the radio and watch the news. Three years ago, Chea developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him light sensitivity, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus he is unable to travel on his own. When Chea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 13th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant a new lens in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. He said, "I hope after surgery I can see better so I can drive my tuk-tuk again and earn money for my family."

Rotha is a 50-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He is married with three daughters and one son. His wife works in a local clothes factory. In his free time, he helps his wife with housework and enjoys fishing with his friends. In 2018, Rotha was in a traffic accident and suffered an open fracture of his left tibia and a closed fracture of his left femur. He had surgery at a local hospital, with bone grafts and nails, but his tibia remained infected. After several surgeries and debridements, his infection has resolved, but his bone remains exposed from all the procedures. He cannot walk and is in great pain. When Rotha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform reverse soleus muscle flap of the left tibia to close the open wound and help him walk again without pain. Now, he needs help to fund this $673 procedure. Rotha shared: "I hope my left leg will finally heal, I will have no infection, and can return home to work for my family again."