Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”

Thavoreak is a five-year-old Grade 1 student from Cambodia. His parents raise pigs to support the family. He enjoys reading and writing Khmer at school and playing with toy cars at home. His favorite food is sour fish soup. Thavoreak was born with polydactyly of his left hand. This means that he has an extra thumb on his left hand. The extra thumb cannot bend, straighten, or move sideways and has no function. Its appearance makes him feel shy around other children and may affect his confidence as he grows and interacts with others. Fortunately, on October 16th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digit. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $379 to fund this procedure. The surgery will improve mobility, and he will feel more comfortable and confident when playing, learning, and spending time with other children. Thavoreak's parents said, “We want our son to grow up feeling comfortable and confident about himself. He sometimes feels shy because of the extra thumb on his hand, and we hope the surgery will help him feel less self-conscious and use his hand more comfortably as he grows.”

Chanthen is a 20-month-old boy from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and two siblings. His father works as a jeweller, while his mother stays at home to take care of the children and manage household chores. He is the youngest child in the family. He enjoys playing with toy cars with his brother and enjoys eating soup and meat. One week ago, Chanthen had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in both ears to perforate. For this reason, Chanthen experiences discharge from his ear and a runny nose. This condition is worrying his parents, as they are concerned it may affect his hearing in the future. It also causes discomfort and raises concerns about possible complications if left untreated. Chanthen traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 6th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in both ears. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforations. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $482 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Chanthen's mother said, “After the treatment, I hope my son will be healthy again and no longer have ear discharge, so we can feel relieved about his future hearing.”