Habtamu is an 11-year-old boy from Ethiopia who lives with his mother in the city and shares a close bond with his brother and sister. Habtamu experienced an accidental puncture wound to his left leg. Unfortunately, the injury never healed properly. For over a year, he dealt with continuous pain, daily swelling, and persistent fluid discharge from the wound. Because of the constant discomfort, he was forced to stop attending his fifth-grade classes. He is unable to run, play, or move around. Following a review at our medical partner's care center, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, doctors recommended that Habtamu undergo a sequestrectomy, a surgical procedure involving the removal of fragments of infected dead bone or tissue. If not treated, it can lead to recurrent infections that may result in life-threatening complications. Fortunately, on September 30th, Habtamu will undergo surgery that will help his leg heal, alleviate his symptoms, and prevent future health complications. He needs help raising $900 to fund his procedure and care. Habtamu's mother shared, "I hope to see him walking confidently, as seeing him suffer at his young age breaks my heart."

Sha is a 56-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and two sons in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Sha and one of his sons are day laborers in a village near the camp. His wife and one of his daughters are homemakers, while his other daughter is a teacher in the camp. His other son is still a student in the camp. The family has a vegetable garden around their home, and they raise chickens and pigs to sell and for their own consumption. Their combined monthly income of 5,000 THB is often not enough to cover their daily needs. They currently have a loan of 3,000 THB, money borrowed due to Sha's illness. A few days ago, Sha began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain with the pain radiating to his back and a fever. He has been diagnosed with appendicitis, and now needs surgery to prevent his condition from worsening. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Sha receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo an appendectomy, a surgery to remove the appendix when it becomes infected, on May 14th at Mae Sariang Hospital. This procedure will cost $1500, and Sha and his family need your support. Sha says, “I never experienced pain like this before. When the pain is very severe, I can’t breathe easily. I would like for this pain to stop.”

Kang is a 67-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has seven children. She lives with her youngest daughter, who is a garment worker. Kang likes to care for her grandchildren and listen to monks pray on the radio. About two years ago, Kang developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract clouds the eye's lens, like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Kang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On October 22nd, doctors will perform a small-incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Kang shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see more easily and I can go back to help my daughter to take care my grandchildren and go outside and do my housework well."