Myo is a 14-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents in a village in Karen State. His mother is a homemaker who is currently eight months pregnant. His father is a subsistence farmer, but he also works as a day laborer to earn money. Myo is in grade six and he enjoys playing football in his free time. Two years ago, Myo developed a pain in his arm which he noticed while playing football with his friends. Right away he was in a lot of pain, but his arm did not look broken. At first, the pain lessened, but gradually the pain worsened and his upper left forearm became swollen. Myo could also feel a mass under the swollen area of his left forearm. Myo and his father went to Chiang Mai Hospital, where he received a MRI and other tests, as well as a biopsy which confirmed that the tumor in his forearm was cancer. Now he needs surgery to remove the tumor, and he will need a chemo after surgery. The enlarged mass in Myo's left forearm has not increased in size, and only causes him pain when he lifts something heavy or when he does any physical activity with that arm such as washing his clothes or cleaning. Although he can take a shower by himself, using only his right arm makes it challenging. When he plays with his friends, he needs to protect his left forearm to prevent getting hurt. Myo's family sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. He is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on December 8th, and his family needs help funding the $1,500 cost to cover his procedure and care. He said, “I feel sorry for my mother and I pity her that she has to stay alone with the new baby. I also feel sad that I cannot go to school this year. I want to recover quickly and go back to see my brother and mother.”

Kyi is a 57-year-old woman from Burma. She is a health worker at a clinic in Karen State and is attending the emergency obstetric care (EmOC) training in Thailand. Her husband volunteers in the community, working closely with the Karen Forestry Department. He also helps with the household chores, grows rice and vegetables, and raises chickens for their consumption. In her free time, Kyi enjoys staying at the clinic, treating patients, and talking to her patients and colleagues. Currently, Kyi is experiencing back and abdominal pain, fatigue, and other worrisome symptoms. The doctors want Kyi to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Kyi's CT scan and care, which is scheduled for February 23rd. Kyi said: "I came here to attend the training for one month, but with this condition, I don't enjoy the training, and I have missed training many days so I cannot understand the lesson well."

Nika is a 9-year-old 4th grader from Cambodia. She loves egg-fried rice and her favorite hobby is sleeping. Her favorite subject is Cambodian history, and she would like to become a teacher when she grows up. Five years ago, she fell while climbing rocks near her house, causing a fracture in her left pinky finger. Her finger never healed properly, and she is often unable to use her left hand for activities. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 22nd, Nika will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. Nika and her family need help raising the funds for this procedure that will help her improve the function of her left hand. After surgery, her family hopes that her hand will look like it did before the accident and that she will be able to use her left hand when playing.