Luz is a three-year-old girl from a mining town in central Bolivia. Her mother is a farmer and her father sadly passed away from a heart attack soon after she was born. Luz has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and dependent on an external oxygen tank. Fortunately, our medical partner, The International Cardiac Alliance can help. Luz is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on March 21st. Our medical partners are requesting $1,500 to fund her procedure. Luz's mother says, "I am looking forward to my daughter being able to play normally and start preschool after her surgery!"

Touch devotes his life to Buddhism in Svay Rieng province and resides in a tranquil pagoda. Despite being a monk for several years, he has had to make frequent trips to Thailand to support his mother, who has been widowed since he was seven. With two older brothers married, Touch dedicates his days to religious studies, chanting, and maintaining the serenity of his pagoda. For the past decade, Touch has suffered from persistent nasal congestion and recurrent infections. Despite relying on medications from the local pharmacy and undergoing nasal surgery some years ago, his condition remains unimproved. This health challenge impedes his ability to live his day-to-day life, leaving him embarrassed when he cannot attend to the local community seeking solace at the temple. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. Ear, Nose, and Throat doctors have detected several polyps in his nose that are the cause of his illness and determined that he needs a bilateral polypectomy - a minimally invasive surgery for severe sinus conditions. Touch needs assistance with the $388 surgery cost, which includes endoscopic surgery, hospitalization, and medication. Touch said: "I hope I will get better from this illness and stop getting nose infections. I want to breathe through my nose, have my sense of smell, and be healthy again."

Linn is a 50-year-old woman from Burma. She is divorced and lives with her mother and son in Karen State - a conflict area near the border of Burma and Thailand. She works as a shop vendor, selling steamed sticky rice with chicken and pork, and her mother is retired. Her 12-year-old son is in the fifth grade in Burma. Linn also cultivates vegetables in her garden and usually cooks meals using them. Linn enjoys watching movies in her free time, but she has not been able to do so for a while now. One year ago, Linn began to experience blurred and double vision. Currently, Linn cannot read, see, or walk well and requires a caregiver to assist her with daily activities. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for her to see clearly. Linn was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, she could lose vision completely. Linn is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach her retina. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), requests $1,500 to cover her procedure and care costs. After her surgery, Linn's vision will hopefully be restored, and she will resume her daily activities comfortably. Linn expressed, "I am very pleased to receive help and I am relieved that I can also stay at BCMF's patients' house in Chiang Mai. I wish for the success of my eye surgery. After recovery, I hope to restart my previous business again."