Khin is a 48-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband and their four daughters in a village in Tak Province, Thailand. Khin is a homemaker and her husband works as an agricultural day labourer. Since 2018, Khin has been experiencing troubling symptoms including difficulty breathing and swallowing, stiffness in her neck, and fatigue. In addition, her voice turns hoarse when she speaks for extended periods. Khin was diagnosed with goiter or the irregular growth of the thyroid. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Khin receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 7th at Mae Sot General Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,500, and she and her family need help raising money. Khin said “I have had stress and depression since I learned I needed surgery because I cannot afford to pay for my treatment. I worried I would not be able to support my daughters. Currently, we only have my husband's income to support the family and that is not enough to cover the costs of the surgery."

Desire is a six-year-old girl from Uganda. She is the first born child in a family of three children and is currently enrolled in primary school. Both her parents are small-scale farmers on a limited income, barely enough to cover the family's needs. Three years ago, noticed a swelling develop in her umbilical region that grew in size and became painful. Concerned, her mother took her to our medical partner's care center, Rushoroza Hospital, for treatment. Upon review, Desire was diagnosed with umbilical hernia and surgery was recommended, but her parents are unable to afford the treatment costs. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Desire receive treatment. On April 10th, surgeons at Rushoroza Hospital will perform a hernia repair surgery to relive her of pain and allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Desire's family needs help to fund this $170 procedure. Desire’s mother says, “I hope my daughter will have a successful surgery with positive results. After complete recovery, I believe she will live a more improved and comfortable life. May God bless you.”

Sobel is an unemployed 21-year-old who lives in Phnom Penh province with six other members of his family - his father and five siblings who all live together at home. His father is retired. Before his injury, Sobel had an engineering job and enjoyed playing volleyball with friends. In July 2023, on his way home from work, Sobel's motorcycle skidded on the rain-soaked surface, sending him crashing onto the pavement. He lost consciousness for several hours. His sister took him to a local hospital with a skull fracture, broken collarbone, and broken upper arm. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. Sobel is unable to lift his shoulder or hand, consequently stripping away his ability to work. The thought of navigating life with only one arm is hard for him to imagine. Sobel traveled to Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. On January 2nd, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he hopes to restore function in his arm and hand and find a job to help his family. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Sobel said: "I want to work like before and hope the surgeons can help me."