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.”

36-year-old Brenda lives with her family in Uganda. She had hoped to become a nurse, but due to financial constraints, her parents were unable to afford the schooling she would have needed. Today Brenda is engaged in farming - primarily for home consumption - although she sells any surplus she produces to generate income for her family. Brenda is currently pregnant with twins. Except for the malaria that she contracted in her first trimester, Brenda's pregnancy has been healthy. However, doctors have determined that one of the twins is in a breech position, and in order to ensure the safety of both Brenda and her babies, they are recommending that Brenda deliver via a Caesarean section. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Brenda undergo a C-section on December 28th, at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale. This procedure will cost $252, and Brenda needs your support. Brenda says: “I expect the best of my delivery and I am hoping to be given a chance to deliver under your support.”

Savoeun resides in Kampong Cham province with her two children, a son and a daughter, who help her with the farm and household chores. As a widow, she has been the sole provider for her family since her husband's passing several years ago. Together, they work long hours in the fields to cultivate enough rice to feed themselves and for sale at the market for additional necessities. In the evening, Savoeun likes to keep her house clean or listen to the radio. On December 20th, Savoeun slipped in the bathroom, and immediately felt great pain, but could not afford to visit a clinic. She endured weeks of persistent pain and navigated life from a wheelchair, when a villager suggested she should visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for a consultation. She and her daughter traveled for six and a half hours where surgeons diagnosed her with a fracture of the neck of her left femur. Femoral neck fractures are among the most common fractures in the elderly population, with a high mortality risk. Her doctors have planned a hip reconstruction procedure, where the femoral head and neck are replaced with a reconstruction prosthesis called a hip hemiarthroplasty. Now Savoeun and her family need help with the cost of the $544 procedure. The surgery will repair her fracture and allow her to walk again. Savoeun's daughter shared: "We hope my mother can walk again and be without pain after her surgery."