Thi Ha is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother and an older sister in a village in Karen State, Burma. His mother is a stay-at-home parent, and his sister goes to school. His father works in Bangkok, Thailand, as a cleaner in a market to support his family. When Thi Ha was born, his mother noticed a mass at the bottom of Thi Ha’s spine. As he grew older, the mass grew larger and started causing him pain, even if something soft touched it. Thi Ha and his mother visited our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, where the doctors wanted Thi Ha to undergo an MRI to diagnose his condition and prepare an appropriate treatment plan for Thi Ha. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Thi Ha’s MRI and care, scheduled for February 13. His mother said, “Sometimes his friends do not care and ignore him because of his disease. Then Thi Ha feels embarrassed and upset with his friends.”

Veneranda is an elderly lady who is married and practices small-scale farming together with her husband. She shared that she had ten children but only six are alive. One of her late children left three children whom she is currently taking care of. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. Eight months ago, Veneranda began to experience troubling symptoms, including right upper abdominal pains. She visited a nearby health centre and was given medication which only assisted her for a short while. She later reported to Rushoroza Hospital where the doctor ordered some tests including a scan. She was diagnosed with choledochal cystitis and the doctor recommended a cholecystectomy, gallbladder surgery. She is currently unable to work on her small farm to get food for her family and cannot raise the required funds for the surgery. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Veneranda receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove her gallbladder on November 24th at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $284, and Veneranda and her family need your support. Veneranda says, “I am praying for my surgery and being able to return to my farming soon."

Phyu is a 32-year-old mother of three from Thailand. She resides with her family in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp along the Thai-Burma border where she also teaches at the camp school. During her free time, Phyu enjoys spending quality time with her family. Since August 2023, Phyu has been experiencing pain in her abdomen, pelvis, and lower back, along with irregular menstruation. She has been diagnosed with left ovarian cyst, and has been advised to undergo a hysterectomy, which surgically removes of her uterus and ovaries. If left untreated, Phyu's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Phyu is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on February 23rd. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Phyu will be relieved of her pain and able to resume her daily activities. Phyu said, “With my current condition, I cannot teach my students, do household chores for my children, or assist my husband. I am looking forward to a complete recovery soon."