Rebira is a 14-year-old student who lives in Ethiopia with his parents and three siblings. His father works as a guard, and his mother stays home to care for the children. Before his recent health challenges, he enjoyed playing football with his friends. About two years ago, Rebira injured his left leg while playing football. Because his family could not afford medical care, the injury went untreated. Unfortunately, the leg did not heal properly, and Rebira continues to suffer from intermittent swelling, severe pain, and difficulty walking. The pain has become so debilitating that he struggles to make the walk to school. His parents fear that, if left untreated, he may be forced to abandon his education, trapping him in a cycle of poverty. Recently, Rebira and his family attended our medical partner’s care center, Saglan Wajee General Hospital. Following an investigation, doctors determined that he needs a sequestrectomy, a surgical procedure involving the removal of fragments of infected dead bone or tissue. Without treatment, Rebira may suffer from recurrent infections, which can result in life-threatening complications. On August 24th, Rebira will undergo repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $900 to fund Rebira's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will alleviate his symptoms and prevent serious long-term complications. Rebira's parents shared, "We hope that our son will be able to easily walk to school and return to playing football with his friends again."

Rithy is a 73-year-old married man and a farmer from Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia. He grows potatoes and mangoes for a living. He has one son, three daughters, and two grandchildren. Rithy lives with his wife, who is also a farmer growing potatoes and mangoes, and his daughter, who works as a farmer as well. His favorite hobby is visiting the pagoda. About four years ago, Rithy developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him 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. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Rithy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On June 2nd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. He can contribute $50, but needs help raising $213 more to fund his procedure and care. Rithy said, "I hope that after cataract surgery, my eyesight will improve so that I can move around more easily, return to farming, and continue growing mangoes and potatoes successfully."

U Sanda is a 32-year-old monk from Burma. He has been a monk for over 15 years, and lives with other monks at a monastery. He does not earn an income, and relies on food donated at the monastery by local people. When he becomes ill, his best friend helps cover the cost of his basic medical treatment. U Sanda 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. U Sanda is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on September 21st at Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital to correct his atrial septal defect, and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of U Sanda's procedure and care. U Sanda said, “All of the costs of my previous investigations were covered by my best friend. If BCMF and the donors do not help me, I would choose to suffer rather than continue receiving treatment, because I know the cost is very expensive.”