Yohane is a 36-year-old father of two from Malawi. He does casual work in town, while his wife takes care of their home and family. About 11 years ago, Yohane began experiencing on-and-off swelling in his inguinal region. At first, he ignored it, thinking it was nothing serious, but it did not go away. Yohane sought medical attention from a hospital, where he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. If left untreated, inguinal hernias can lead to complications, such as strangulation, which cuts off the blood flow to the intestine, and can be life-threatening. He was scheduled for surgery at the public hospital, but the surgery date kept being postponed. Recently, the pain got much more intense, accompanied by much discomfort. Yohane learnt about our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Center, and went there to seek treatment. He has been scheduled for surgery on July 1st, and is seeking to raise $575 for the procedure. Yohana hopes to resume work after recovery, so he can continue supporting his family, including his parents back in the village. He says: "I have been hearing about the surgical support program at PiH, but I didn't believe it. Today, I am grateful about this program that has saved Malawians like me. Kindly help me to regain my health, and to continue supporting my family after recovery."

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.”

Nan Maw is a 24-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her friends in Bangkok in an apartment rented by their employer. She works as a waitress, while her brother and mother still live in their village in Karen State, Burma. When Nan Maw was healthy and working full-time, she would send half of her salary home to support her mother. She dreams of building a concrete house back home for her family. Nan Maw 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. Due to her condition, she can only engage in part-time work as she gets tired too easily. Nan Maw is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on August 31st at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, to correct her atrial septal defect and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Nan Maw's procedure and care. Nan Maw said, “I would like to thank your organization, BCMF, and your donors for your help. If you do not help me, I would have had to give up on my treatment because I know that I could not afford it by myself. I am very happy and thankful to all the donors. You have helped me feel that I can dream again. Before I developed these symptoms, I dreamed of working hard, saving money, building a house back home, and opening my own restaurant. Since I first noticed my symptoms, it felt like my dreams were lost. But now, I can dream again.”