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.”

Emmah is a two-year-old girl from Haiti. She lives with her parents in Port-au-Prince. Her father is a mechanic, while her mother is a vendor. She likes listening to music and helping her mother in the kitchen. Emmah has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart; blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and unable to gain weight properly. Emmah needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 20th, she will undergo heart surgery, during which surgeons will use a device on the end of a catheter to plug the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. While another organization is contributing money to pay for surgery, Emmah's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Emmah's family overseas. Emmah's mother says, "I will be praying for everyone who is helping to heal my daughter's heart!"

Makbel is a 16-month-old baby boy from Ethiopia. He enjoys playing with cars and spending time with his older brother and sister. His mother works in the human resources department of a government organization, while his father is an electrician. Makbel was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications. Makbel was taken to a medical centre and referred to a higher-level hospital for further evaluation. The attending doctor recommended an ultrasound and surgical correction. However, the family was informed that there was a waiting list for surgery. Due to financial constraints, they could not afford private treatment. Eventually, Makbel was referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM), for further management. Upon arrival, his mother expressed relief and gratitude for the support and access to care. Makbel was warmly received at BKMCM, where the medical team conducted a thorough evaluation. Fortunately, Makbel is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 30th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Makbel’s mother said, "Thank you to BethanyKids for giving my child this chance and opportunity for surgery. We are truly grateful for your support and kindness. BethanyKids has a great vision of helping children in need. May God bless all of you and every member of the staff. Thank you so much."