Ye Min is a 19-year-old young man from Burma. He lives with his parents, younger brother, and a younger sister. His father is unemployed due to a previous accident. His mother works as an agricultural day laborer, while his brother looks after their neighbor’s cows, and his sister helps with household chores. Ye Min is unemployed. Their family’s combined monthly income is not enough to cover their daily expenses, and with Ye Min’s medical condition, the family is now indebted to neighbours and friends for loans they've received to help them finance medical and living expenses. Ye Min was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Heart valves control the flow of blood between chambers, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Ye Min experiences significant limitations in his energy and physical capacity. He often has to rest after walking for not more than five minutes. His condition has prevented him from working, and he feels stressed about his health. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help fund a heart valve replacement for Ye Min. The treatment is scheduled to take place on June 27th at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital. Once completed, Ye Min will hopefully live more comfortably. Ye Min said, “Without surgery, I will not live longer, and now I cannot walk far or work due to my fatigue, which makes me sad.” His mother said, “I leave my son’s life in your hands. I believe that he would have died in Burma if we had not come here to receive surgery with the help of your organization. When I came here, I felt like half of my burden had been lifted when I saw that your staff were kind and caring. I would like to thank you very much ahead of time for being willing to help us.”

La Min is a 12-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and three brothers in Myawaddy, Karen State, Burma. His father is a day laborer, and his mother takes in laundry. He and his two older brothers are students, but his younger brother is too young to go to school yet. The family’s monthly income is not enough to cover the family’s daily expenses, so they often borrow money from a neighbor to get by. Since 2023, La Min has been experiencing swollen tonsils which make it difficult for him to breathe. He coughs and snores at night and has difficulty sleeping, so he sometimes has to sleep sitting upright. Because of his difficulty breathing, he gets tired easily, so his parents sometimes do not allow him to play football or cane ball with his friends. La Min was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a tonsillectomy for La Min, which is scheduled to take place on March 17th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving La Min of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. La Min said, “I look forward to eating anything I can again. Right now, my mother just cooks plain food, so I want to eat something delicious again.”

Yong is an 85-year-old woman from Kampong Thom province. She is a retired rice farmer who has three sons, three daughters, and eleven grandchildren. She lives with her husband, who is retired, and her eldest daughter, who is also a retired farmer. Her favorite hobbies are attending ceremonies and visiting the pagoda. About one year ago, Yong developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Yong learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On July 6th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Yong said, "I hope that after my surgery, my vision will improve so that I can easily recognize my relatives and go out independently. I also hope I will no longer have to worry about my eyesight."