Manor is a 31-year-old teacher from Cambodia. He is single, lives in Kandal province, and has nine siblings. He lives with and supports his elderly mother. When not teaching at the local school, he likes to read history books and help translate letters. For the past five years, he has had a mass slowly growing on the right side of his neck. Doctors have determined he has a goiter in his thyroid. The thyroid is a small gland located in the neck that makes hormones. Due to the growing mass, he has difficulty breathing and feels tension and fullness in his throat. He often feels fatigued from lack of sleep and has headaches. On January 24th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass, removing the tension in his throat, and allowing him to breathe with greater ease. Manor needs help raising $273 to fund his procedure. He said: "I hope that after this treatment I will get better from this disease. I want the tension in my throat to stop and not feel tired."

Nan is a 41-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and two children. She is a homemaker and her husband is a day laborer. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut and trees and raise cows, goats and chickens. She loves to take care of her garden during her free time. Nan was referred to BCMF to treat her severe heart condition (ASD) in Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH). After she arrived at our medical partner's Patient House in early March in the evening, she felt weak and tired. She also felt dizzy, had a headache and difficulty breathing. Unfortunately during the night, she suffered a seizure and fell semi-conscious. BCMF staff rushed her to the emergency room at CMH. Doctors want Nan to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $693 to cover the cost of Nan's urgent CT scan and care, scheduled for March 3rd. Nan’s husband said, "I am so worried about her but now, I can only wait and see. We have lived through some hard times and now, my wife is admitted in the emergency room.”

Michelle is a young child with a sweet smile. She is the firstborn of a two-child family. Her parents are modest farmers who grow potatoes and vegetables primarily for their own family's consumption. Additionally, they run a small kiosk out of their home, but its limited earnings are insufficient to cover their basic needs. Michelle is presently enrolled in nursery school at a nearby public school. Michelle had a normal cold when she visited our medical facility. She was gasping loudly while inhaling and coughing frequently. Since last year, Michelle has been ill. Her mother noticed that whenever she had a cold, she would frequently complain of a sore throat and cough a lot. She also have a hard time sleeping, has trouble breathing, and has difficulty feeding because she always breathes through her mouth. Michelle has to wear extra warm clothing to stay warm during the colder months because her nose always gets congested, which is hard for her. She has been an inactive child as she is always tired. Her sleep patterns are constantly off, and she easily nods asleep during the school day, which has a negative impact on how well she does academically. Due to recurring tonsil infections that are resistant to therapy, Michelle has been in and out of the hospital several times. During her last visit, the doctor examined her and realized that her tonsils and adenoids had hypertrophied. She has been diagnosed with grade three tonsils, and since she was not responding to any medication, the doctor advised them to have surgery, which would provide a lasting, long-term solution to her problem. Michelle's parents have medical insurance, but in the last three months, they did not manage to pay their monthly subscriptions as they were low on income. Their coverage is in arrears, and unfortunately, it will not cover her procedure. She requires $714 for her surgery to be done, and her parents are appealing to all well-wishers reading her story to assist her in getting her surgery. Michelle's mother says, “My daughter has really suffered over a long period of time. She has taken numerous drugs without any noticeable change in her, and this has me very concerned. I want her to be able to have a regular life and do well in school. Please assist her so that she can eventually realize her goals."