The birth of twins Jane and her sister brought joy to their parents. She is the 4th born in a family of five. She is a bright grade 1 student who likes reading, drawing and colouring. Her family hails from a small village, and both her parents are farmers. Soon after birth, her parents discovered the challenge of Jane being born with multiple birth conditions: Bilateral clubfeet, hydrocephalus, and spina bifida. They shared that they were quite shocked as they had not heard or experienced any of them before. Treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida required a collaborative effort between orthopaedic specialists and neurosurgeons. At ten days, she underwent a spina bifida surgery at a local hospital to address the neural tube defect affecting her spine and then hydrocephalus. Jane is a resilient girl and has overcome so much, carrying a big smile on her face. She now needs treatment for her clubfoot condition as her feet are bent inward, hindering her mobility. She is scheduled to undergo surgery, which will be impactful to her because she will be able to walk confidently like other children and continue with her education. “My desire is to see my daughter walking well and any kind of help is greatly appreciated,” Jane’s mother told us.

Myint, a 62-year-old woman, resides in Thailand with her husband and six children: five daughters and one son. Only one of her daughters is employed, while the rest of her siblings are unemployed. Her employed daughter works as a domestic worker in Bangkok, and usually sends financial support of approximately $200 USD each month to support the entire family's needs. The financial support is barely enough for expenses like food and basic healthcare. Myint visited our medical partner's care center experiencing stomach aches, itchy skin, and a yellowing of her eyes and skin. Doctors advised her 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. The scan would hopefully help them diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Myint with her care, and is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Myint's CT scan, scheduled for April 1st. Myint said, "I have itchy skin, yellow eyes, I am unable to sleep well, I've lost my appetite and experience stomach aches. I cannot cook or carry firewood anymore. I am stressed because I am worried that I will not recover from my symptoms."

Aymy is a loving housewife and mother of two children. A year ago, Aymy began to experience severe pain and frequent acid reflux. During these bouts of pain, her husband misses work to stay home and care for their children. Aymy was found to have gallstones and was advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. Aymy is scheduled to undergo the procedure on March 5th with our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP). The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is supporting a portion of the cost of the procedure and WSFP is raising the remaining $1128 to cover the cost of Aymy's surgery and care. Aymy says, "I am grateful to everyone who will donate for my surgery. We cannot afford the treatment, especially when the necessities are costly. Thank you for making this possible for me and my family."