Ma is a hardworking mother from Burma who enjoys spending her time cleaning her home and visiting the temple to pray. She lives with her husband and their three sons, who attend school in the village. To support their family, Ma is a homemaker, and her husband grows rice on their land to feed their family. They also raise chickens and pigs, which they sell along with the vegetables that they grow. She shares that their monthly income of 30,000 kyat (approx. 30 USD) per month is not enough to cover their daily expenses. They sometimes have to borrow money from their friend with interest and pay them back when they can. Ma is currently experiencing pain in her lower right abdomen and back. If she walks for more than 10 to 15 minutes, she feels very tired. She also has a poor appetite and has lost weight as a result of this. Doctors want Ma 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 $414 to cover the cost of Ma's CT scan and care, which is scheduled for July 20th. Ma shares, “I want to get better soon because I already miss my husband and my sons. After I get better, I plan to go back to my village and work on my land with my husband.”

Mi is a 58-year-old mother from Thailand. She lives with her husband and her three daughters. She supports her family by working as a homemaker. Her husband does not work because he is ill. Her eldest daughter is an accountant, her second eldest daughter is a homemaker, and her youngest daughter does not work because she is attending school. Some of Mi's favorite activities include cleaning her house and growing vegetables in her garden. In February, Mi started experiencing pain in her left breast. After examining the area, she noticed a small mass. Over time, the mass increased in size and the pain worsened. She currently still experiences pain in her left breast. Although she takes medication, it only alleviates her pain temporarily. Because of this, she cannot cook or clean, and her daughter has had to take over the household chores. Fortunately, Mi sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on July 12th. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Mi shares, “I want to get better soon. Then my second eldest daughter can find work so that we can pay back our debt. I want to live happily with my family for the rest of my life.”

Hour is an elderly assistant village chief who is married and has two daughters, six sons, and 20 grandchildren. He currently lives with his wife and their youngest son, who is a farmer. Hour enjoys listening to the news and to monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Hour developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him to experience itchiness, eye tearing, and blurry vision. 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. Due to his condition, he has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Hour learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. Hour 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 July 6th. Hour says, "I hope I can read books well and my eye stops hurting."