Panha Vorn is a four-year-old preschooler from Cambodia who lives with his parents and older brother. His father works at the local car wash service, while his mother is a homemaker. His favorite meal is chicken soup, and he enjoys playing with his six-year-old brother. Panha Vorn was born with an extra thumb on his right hand, a condition known as polydactyly. This has led to difficulties in using his hand, and his mother is concerned about him beginning school next year without receiving treatment. On April 29th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digit on his hand. Panha Vorn and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $199 more to fund the procedure. After surgery, he will be able to use his hand more easily. Panha Vorn’s father says: “I hope that after treatment, my son will be able to start kindergarten and learn to write without challenges."

Tway is a 20-year-old man from Thailand. He lives with his cousin, his cousin’s wife and two nephews in a village in Tak Province, Thailand. Since his parents passed away, he has lived with various relatives in Burma and in Thailand. Tway has lived with his cousin for the past year. His cousin’s family grows paddy and vegetables for them to eat, while his nephews go to school. He helps his cousin with farming, but he does not get paid. In his free time, Tway likes to hunt birds and fish. When he recovers, he wants to find work so he can be independent. Currently, Tway has a colostomy. Since he has been receiving colostomy bags from the mobile health team, he feels more confident to go out in public and be around other people. Doctors want Tway to undergo an MRI. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $814 to cover the cost of Tway's MRI and care, scheduled for February 6th. Tway said, “People in Burma treated me different than the people from Thailand because of my condition. I want to get treatment and be treated the same as other people.”

51-year-old Jennifer is from Cavite, Philippines, where she lives with her husband, Arnulfo. Together, they have three children. Arnulfo worked as an aircon technician, until he suffered a stroke in 2021. He has only recently been able to go back to work. Jennifer and Arnulfo had been relying on financial assistance from one of their children, until Arnulfo returned to his job. Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. Jennifer has been advised that a mastectomy - surgery which will remove breast tissue - is the best way to treat her condition, and to prevent the cancer from spreading. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Jennifer receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a mastectomy on January 13th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. While a portion of the cost of her treatment is being covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, WSFP is looking to you to help raise $1,058 to fund the remaining cost. After treatment, Jennifer will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. "This free surgery, which is made possible by your kind hearts, is a great help for me and my family. We are very grateful to all of you because we really have nothing to rely on for these types of expenses," said Jennifer.