Ni Win is a 27-year-old woman from Thailand who lives with her husband, mother, and brother in Tak Province. She works at a garment factory and during her free time, Ni Win enjoys playing with her cats and feeding her little rabbits. In May, Ni Win began experiencing severe pain and bloating in her right lower abdomen. Her left ovary was removed due to an ovarian cyst three years ago. She has been diagnosed with an endometrioma, a type of ovarian cyst in which cystic lesions are filled with cells derived from endometriosis. She has now been advised to undergo an oophorectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her other ovary. Ni Win is scheduled to undergo her procedure on July 12th. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $913 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Ni Win shared, "I am married, and of course, I want children. I feel sad when I learn that I cannot have children due to my disease. However, we as human beings have our own problems that we cannot always understand. We can’t just sit and feel sad, we have to think positively and be able to adapt to any situation.”

Dativah is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She and her husband have one child and are expecting their second child soon. Dativah is the oldest in her family of seven children. She earned a degree in social science but had difficulty getting a job and practices small-scale farming for a living. Her husband is a businessman selling animals. Dativah has been visiting a local clinic and receiving antenatal care. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. Dativah is currently expecting her second child. Her doctors recommended that she deliver via a Cesarean section based on her previous delivery experiences. By undergoing a C-section, the doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. On May 25th, Dativah will undergo a C-Section and is requesting support to raise $252 to fund this procedure. Dativah says, “My delivery will be of great joy to me, and I pray for a good outcome through your support so that I can take care of my family.”

Ya is a 41-year-old woman from Burma. She currently lives with her father who is retired, her brother who is a student, and her son who works on the family rice farm with her. Their farming sustains their family, as they have no other source of income. They also forage for plants and vegetables from the forest. In her free time, Ya enjoys weaving traditional Karen (her ethnic community) bags. As a result of COVID-19 and the February 2021 coup, it is no longer feasible for Ya’s family to have traditional jobs. Her family faces extreme instability due to ongoing fighting in their area. Often, they must escape to nearby forests to avoid the conflict. They spend around a week at a time displaced in the forests. After the fighting has moved, they return to their village. Recently they had to sell their two cows to support themselves. In September 2020, Ya began experiencing back pain, and it was uncomfortable for her to walk and do regular activities because she cannot put pressure on her abdomen. She was diagnosed with myoma, or uterine fibroids. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Ya's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Ya is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on July 10th with the help of our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), who is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Ya will no longer be in pain and will be able to walk without discomfort and work on the farm with her son. Ya said, “I want to get the surgery and recover quickly so I can go back to my family and help with the farm.” She is not sure what the future will hold as the fighting in her village is still happening, but she said, “I just want to be happy and stay with my family for the rest of my life.”