Chit Htun is a 21-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his mother and two younger sisters and a younger brother. His father is deceased and his mother is a homemaker. She takes care of the household and her children. All of his younger siblings are students, while Chit Htun and his eldest sister are doing an online general education diploma. Chit Htun has two aunts who help the family financially as they can. He also has a former teacher who is able to contribute some money consistently to the family. This normally has been enough to cover the family’s basic necessities but since the February 2021 coup, prices have increased significantly and there is not always enough money to pay for food. Sometimes the family has free meals at the local monastery. Chit Htun was born with spina bifida as well as hydrocephalus at the Maternal and Child Hospital in Myawaddy in Burma and when he was just over a month old, he had a stent inserted in his brain to control hydrocephalus. He has multiple conditions arising from the spina bifida, including bilateral atrophy to his lower legs with club feet, a neurogenic bladder requiring a suprapubic catheter, a neurogenic bowel requiring a colostomy, along with scoliosis. Despite the number of surgeries he has undergone, and the pain he endures, he is a pleasant and engaging young man, thoughtful and independent. In Oct 2021, Chit Htun fell down from some stairs at his home. Though there was no loss of consciousness at the time, he hit his head with the fall. Since that time, he has been experiencing headaches and dizziness with occasional loss of consciousness. His mother brought him to the hospital in Yangon and a scan showed that the original shunt was in place. A second shunt was inserted, and it appeared to help with the loss of consciousness, but headaches and dizziness continued to be a problem. After the second shunt was cleared of partial blockage, Chit Htun still continued to have headaches and dizziness and then in October, he had a seizure, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. His family cannot afford to go for further investigation and treatment so that they came to Mae Tao Clinic across the border in Mae Sot, Thailand. Doctors want Chit Htun 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 his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Chit Htun's CT scan and care, scheduled for November 28th. Chit Htun said, “My condition is interrupting my education and my future. When I always have to stop my studies for treatment, it makes it difficult to continue.”

Eang is a 59-year-old rice farmer from Kompong Cham province. He is married, with one son. At home, he enjoys listening to news on the radio and watching agriculture shows on TV. About ten years ago, Eang developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him tearing, itchiness, and irritation. He feels like there is always something in his eye and it is very uncomfortable. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Eang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and half hours seeking treatment. Eang needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for January 11th. Eang said, "I hope I will feel better and I can easily work on my rice farm."

Samson is a widower and father of a 9-year-old child. He works as a laborer at a garage washing cars to support himself and his child. A few years ago, Samson started experiencing epigastric pain and discomfort, and could not keep down his food. He has sought treatment at other hospitals before, but to no avail. A few weeks ago, Samson's condition worsened and his brother helped him seek care with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Doctors there conducted an endoscopy and found that the cause of Samson's symptoms was gastric obstruction due to pyloric stenosis, a narrowing of the opening from the stomach into the small intestine. If left untreated, Samson will continue to experience pain. His symptoms may also worsen, leading to dehydration, weight loss, and an overall decreased quality of life. Surgeons have recommended a laparotomy to treat Samson's condition. Fortunately, Samson is scheduled for surgery on March 13th with the help of African Mission Healthcare. Samson needs help raising $788 to fund the cost of his procedure. After surgery, not only will Samson's quality of life improve, but he will also be able to care for himself and his child. “I have been unable to care for myself and my child, becoming a burden to my family. The pain is also too much and I am afraid my wife went through the same and died. I plead for support so that I may be treated and get back to my normal life. I am also the only hope of my child,” said Samson.