Moe is a 15-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents, sister, and two brothers. His father works as a day labourer, while his mother is a homemaker who sometimes takes on laundry jobs to help support the family. Moe completed grade three but had to stop his education in 2024 because of his health. He was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Heart valves control the flow of blood between chambers, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Moe experiences fatigue, loss of appetite, dizziness, and sometimes feels uncomfortable while sleeping at night due to squeezing and radiating pain around his chest and back. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a heart valve replacement for Moe. The treatment is scheduled to take place on July 17th at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, and once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Moe's mother shared, "Thank you to the donors and the organisation for supporting my son’s surgery. We are very grateful. As day labourers, we do not have enough money. I am not healthy enough, and while doing laundry to earn extra income, I feel exhausted. Without your support, we would face unbearable financial burdens and could not afford the surgery. Thank you very much for your help.”

Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”

Mekdes is a young mother from Ethiopia. At just 22, this single mother is the heart and soul of her small family, working hard to build a life for herself and her four-year-old child. She runs a small street-side stall selling fried chips, and this humble business is their only source of income. Mekdes has been fighting chronic tonsillitis for four years. Because her business is outdoors and requires her to be on her feet all day, these frequent, painful throat infections make it incredibly difficult for her to work. When she is too sick to stand at her stall, she loses the income they desperately need, creating a constant and exhausting cycle of physical pain and financial worry. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Mekdes, which is scheduled to take place on May 23rd. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Mekdes of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. Mekdes said, "My deepest hope is to finally achieve lasting health and financial security, so I can work consistently without the constant fear that a sudden, painful illness will take away my ability to provide for my child."