Yabsra is a 7-year-old student from Ethiopia. He is outgoing, intelligent, active, and excels in school and football. Yabsra is an only child and lives with his mother. She farms a small piece of land and sells tea to make ends meet but shared that her income is insufficient to meet her family’s expenses and medical bills. Yabsra was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction and the future risk of infertility. Due to financial constraints, his mother was unable to afford surgery for Yabsra before now, which caused her great sadness and distress. She continued to visit various hospitals and learned about our medical partner. Nervous about the journey, Yabsra and his mother were able to travel with three other patients to our medical partner’s hospital. Fortunately, our medical partner is able to help Yabsra receive treatment. On February 13th, he will undergo corrective surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Yabsra’s mom said, “I hope he will heal, become educated, and lead a good and quality life. When I ask him, ‘What do you want to be?’ the answer is a doctor. When I ask him why, he says: ‘I want to heal people who are sick.’ I wish to see that his dreams come true.”

Yoeun is a retired rice farmer from Kompong Cham province. She is a widow who lost her husband about 10 years ago. They did not have any children, so she lives with her niece, who is a farmer. She used to be a farmer too, planting rice, but she had to stop because of her eyesight. At home, she likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio. About a year ago, Yoeun developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision and difficulty seeing in bright or low light. When Yoeun learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 7th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Yoeun is able to contribute towards the cost of the surgery and needs help raising $253 to fund her eye surgery. She shared, "I hope that after the surgery, my eyes will be better and I will be able to see again. I want to go out and join ceremonies, visit the pagoda, and be able to take care of myself."

Kyu is a 43-year-old teacher from Burma. She lives with her mother, husband, and two sons in Yangon Division, Burma. Kyu’s mother is retired, and her two sons are students. Kyu’s husband works as a motorcycle taxi driver. Kyu is a high school teacher who conducts classes from her home. Their combined monthly income is sufficient to cover their basic living expenses but they are not able to save money. When they have health issues, they rely on a nearby clinic for medical attention. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and she'd like to be able to continue teaching her students at home once she feels better. Kyu 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. Kyu is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on February 4th to correct the atrial septal defect and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to support the cost of Kyu's procedure and care. Kyu said “Since my heart condition worsened, I couldn’t teach my students due to my fatigue. Now I felt very happy when I learned that the BCMF organisation would support my surgery. Without the help of these donors, I couldn’t afford the treatment. I would like to be thankful to all donors and BCMF for supporting my surgery.”