Phyo is a two-year-old boy from Thailand. He lives with his parents and sisters and a brother in Fo Fai Village. His parents are originally from Bago Division in Burma and moved to Thailand in search of better job opportunities around 10 years ago. Both of his parents are agricultural day laborers. Phyo’s parents cannot afford to send him or his siblings to school and they are looked after by his six-year-old sister when his parents are working. Phyo was born a healthy baby boy at Mae Tao Clinic (MTC). In June 2019, Phyo’s mother noticed that both of Phyo’s testicles were swollen. At first she thought that the swelling was caused by an insect bite and that the swelling would come down on its own. However, the swelling never reduced. Busy with work and since Phyo did no complain of any pain and looked otherwise healthy, his mother did not take him to a clinic or a hospital. In the beginning of November 2019, his mother realized that his testicles were increasing in size and he was uncomfortable. His mother decided to have this checked and brought him to MTC in early November. When they arrived at the clinic, the medic completed a physical examination and gave him antibiotics. The medic also told Phyo’s mother that they could not treat him further because the medic was not completely sure what his diagnosis was. They were told that Phyo would need to receive an x-ray at Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) so that they could diagnose him properly. Since his mother did not have enough money to pay for the x-ray and she had work she had to do at home, she brought Phyo back to their village. At home, Phyo took the antibiotics the medic had given him, which seemed to reduce the size of his testicles. However, on April 7th, 2020, Phyo’s mother noticed that his swelling was increasing in size again and that he could not pass urine nor stool; she became worried when she noted that he ate and drank a lot the whole day. The next day, his mother asked her pastor if they could take them back to MTC, as she did not have enough money to pay for transportation. Their pastor agreed to help them and drove them to the clinic. At MTC Phyo received a physical examination and the medic explained to Phyo’s mother that he might have a hernia. The medic diagnosed him with incarcerated inguinal hernia and told them that he would need to receive surgery at the nearby hospital. Phyo has an inguinal hernia and currently cannot pass urine nor stool. He cannot walk or stand for the past two days as his swelling is severe and uncomfortable. Fortunately, on April 8th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Phyo's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 8th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Phyo's mother said, “I feel very stressed and worried about my son. I can’t help him any further as I don’t have money. His father has also not come back since he went back to Burma [a month ago to take care of his sick parents]. I cannot work and I have no income as we have less work during this time of the year. Sometimes our neighbors have to give us a meal. Now I have a debt of 600 baht (approx. 20 USD) already from my neighbor, without interest.”

Robdu is a beautiful and playful baby girl from Ethiopia. She was born with an anorectal malformation, a birth defect where a child has an imperforate anus or they have no opening in their anus. She developed bowel obstruction because of the condition and an emergency colostomy was done. She has also had multiple issues with her colostomy care, requiring constant hospital visits. She is planned for PSARP in our facility to correct the congenital defect. Robdu and her two brothers live with their parents in Ethiopia. Her father relies on subsistence farming to make ends meet while her mother is a housewife. They do not have funds required for the surgery and so appeal for financial assistance. Robdu is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on December 31st. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Robdu's procedure and care. After her recovery, Robdu will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Her dad said, “I hope she will get well. And it is my dream to educate her and see her achieving so big in her life.”

Ing is a seven-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives in Kompongcham province with her parents and her sister. She enjoys playing with her sister and walking in nature, and shared with us that her favorite subject at school is reading. About two months ago, Ing had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear ear to perforate. Now, Ing experiences ear pain and constant discharge. Her parents have had to spend above their relative pay to get ear drops for her, and the treatment has been mostly ineffective. Ing traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 3rd, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $464 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Ing's mother said, "I don't want to worry about her ears being in pain anymore, and it is hard to always take care of this problem and buy medicine. I hope this surgery will finally solve this problem."