La Min is a 12-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and three brothers in Myawaddy, Karen State, Burma. His father is a day laborer, and his mother takes in laundry. He and his two older brothers are students, but his younger brother is too young to go to school yet. The family’s monthly income is not enough to cover the family’s daily expenses, so they often borrow money from a neighbor to get by. Since 2023, La Min has been experiencing swollen tonsils which make it difficult for him to breathe. He coughs and snores at night and has difficulty sleeping, so he sometimes has to sleep sitting upright. Because of his difficulty breathing, he gets tired easily, so his parents sometimes do not allow him to play football or cane ball with his friends. La Min was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a tonsillectomy for La Min, which is scheduled to take place on March 17th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving La Min of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. La Min said, “I look forward to eating anything I can again. Right now, my mother just cooks plain food, so I want to eat something delicious again.”

Leiris is a friendly and intelligent seven-year-old girl from Colombia. She loves to play sports and dreams of being a flight attendant. Three years ago, Leiris developed an umbilical hernia, a condition in which a small portion of abdominal tissue protrudes through the navel. The condition has been causing her pain and discomfort, which prevents her from playing sports and participating in other school recreational activities. Following her diagnosis, surgery was recommended to correct it and prevent future complications. Unfortunately, her family is unable to raise the funding required for treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, Clinica Noel, is helping Leiris receive treatment. On March 20th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery, which once completed, will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Now, Leiris's family needs help to fund this $786 procedure. Her family says, "We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the people supporting her surgical procedure. Thank you for giving her the opportunity to achieve a better quality of life. Following the treatment, we sincerely hope for a speedy and satisfactory recovery, so that Leiris can resume her daily activities without discomfort and continue to brighten the lives of those around her with her joy."

Meng Hor is a cheerful one-year-old boy from Cambodia. He is the only child in his family and lives in Kampong Thom Province with his parents. His father works as a chef at a restaurant near their home, and his mother runs a small grocery business. He enjoys eating vegetables with pork and loves playing with toy cars. Five months ago, Meng Hor accidentally touched a hot stove and suffered a burn injury to the second, third, and fourth fingers of his left hand. After the burn wound healed, scar contractures developed and caused his fingers to tighten and bend. This makes it difficult for him to grasp or hold objects and causes pain when someone tries to straighten his fingers. When Meng Hor's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On May 20th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve finger movement, reduce pain, and help him use his hand more comfortably as he grows. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Meng Hor's mother said, “I am very grateful for this treatment. I hope my son will recover well and be able to use his hand normally, so he can grow up healthy, play happily, and enjoy school without difficulty in the future.”