Theary is a fifth-grade student from Cambodia. She enjoys learning to read and write Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, at school. Theary lives with her parents and two sisters. Her father works as a jeweler, and her mother is a meat vendor at a local market. At home, Theary loves to play with her siblings. Theary was born with hereditary multiple exostoses, a condition that causes multiple bony growths. Over the past year, the masses in her right forearm and near the back of her distal femur have gradually increased in size. In particular, the large mass near the back of her distal femur periodically compresses the sciatic nerve. As a result, Theary experiences intermittent discomfort and stiffness, which may affect her physical movement. Theary traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 15th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) will remove the mass. Now, Theary needs help to raise $344 to fund this procedure. Theary's father stated, “I have the same condition, so I understand how worrying these growing masses can be. I hope the surgery will help my daughter by removing the large mass and reducing the pressure on the nerve in her leg. I want her to recover well and move around more comfortably without these problems interfering with her daily life.”

Win is a 43-year-old man from Burma. He is married and has four children. His wife sells fruits and vegetables at a morning market. Win worked as a factory worker outside Bangkok, Thailand, but he had to stop working one month ago due to his medical condition. Win 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. Win is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on September 21st at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, to correct his heart condition and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help fund Win's procedure and care. Win said, “For my whole life, I felt I was healthy. I did not believe it when I was told the diagnosis. I am looking forward to receiving the surgery so I can return to work soon. My children rely on me for their school fees. Even though we are in debt, I do not want them to know and worry. Without your help, I would not have the chance to receive this expensive surgery. Thank you for supporting us.”

Dorothy is a one-year-old girl from Uganda. She is the youngest of seven children. Her parents are small-scale farmers. Dorothy was brought to our medical partner's care center, Uganda Martyr's Ibanda Hospital, with a swelling around her umbilical area. Initially, the swelling was small and painless, so the family did not consider it a serious health concern. However, over the past two months, the swelling gradually increased in size, and three weeks ago, Dorothy started to experience pain. She was taken to the hospital and given treatment, but unfortunately, her condition continued to worsen. The pain became severe, making it difficult for her to breastfeed. She also began crying persistently, causing great concern and distress to her mother. Dorothy has an umbilical hernia and needs surgery to address her symptoms. Fortunately, on November 3rd, she will undergo repair surgery, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $201 to fund her procedure and care. Dorothy's mother says, "I am very happy and grateful to be connected to this program because I cannot manage to raise money for the operation of my daughter. I kindly request donors to consider my appeal. After surgery, I will continue farming activities and working hard to support my family.