Allen is a 25-year-old mother from Uganda. Allen enjoys cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her family. She farms for a living but due to limited land, most of her crop is used to feed the family. If there is a surplus, she can sell them to generate income for the family. Allen came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), complaining of a swelling on her left thigh. For two years, Allen has found it uncomfortable to walk and the swollen area is painful upon touch. She experiences paralysis whenever she sits or stands for long. At AMH, Allen was examined and diagnosed with a neurofibroma, a type of peripheral nerve tumor. It was recommended that the neurofibroma be excised. On March 12th, surgeons will remove the mass and Allen needs help to raise $137 to fund this procedure. Allen says, “I’ve been in pain for the past two years but am hopeful that with your support, I will be operated on and will get better.”

Thi Ha is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother and an older sister in a village in Karen State, Burma. His mother is a stay-at-home parent, and his sister goes to school. His father works in Bangkok, Thailand, as a cleaner in a market to support his family. When Thi Ha was born, his mother noticed a mass at the bottom of Thi Ha’s spine. As he grew older, the mass grew larger and started causing him pain, even if something soft touched it. Thi Ha and his mother visited our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, where the doctors wanted Thi Ha to undergo an MRI to diagnose his condition and prepare an appropriate treatment plan for Thi Ha. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Thi Ha’s MRI and care, scheduled for February 13. His mother said, “Sometimes his friends do not care and ignore him because of his disease. Then Thi Ha feels embarrassed and upset with his friends.”

Phyu is a 32-year-old mother of three from Thailand. She resides with her family in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp along the Thai-Burma border where she also teaches at the camp school. During her free time, Phyu enjoys spending quality time with her family. Since August 2023, Phyu has been experiencing pain in her abdomen, pelvis, and lower back, along with irregular menstruation. She has been diagnosed with left ovarian cyst, and has been advised to undergo a hysterectomy, which surgically removes of her uterus and ovaries. If left untreated, Phyu's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Phyu is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on February 23rd. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Phyu will be relieved of her pain and able to resume her daily activities. Phyu said, “With my current condition, I cannot teach my students, do household chores for my children, or assist my husband. I am looking forward to a complete recovery soon."