Eliya is a charming, happy, and friendly six-year-old. He's is the last born child in a family of five children. Eliya is a lover of football but it’s been a while since he could play. His parents are small-scale farmers who depend entirely on what they farm for food and a living. Eliya was diagnosed with genu valgus. His leg is bowed so that his knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Eliya has had difficulty walking for the past two years, which has impacted his ability to play and carrying out daily activities. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Eliya. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 18th. Treatment will hopefully restore Eliya's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications.

Shee is a 23-year-old woman from Burma. In 2016, Shee and her family moved to a refugee camp in Thailand. There she has been able to continue her studies. Shee graduated from the junior college and now helps her cousin-in-law weave and sell traditional Karen clothes. She shared that it has been difficult for her family to find work within the camp at this time, but she hopes to become a teacher soon. In her free time, Shee enjoys playing with her nephews. In February, Shee began to develop a mass and experience pain in her abdomen, so she visited the camp's hospital. Upon review, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and given medication. Since the mass continued to grow, Shee was referred to her our medical partner's hospital, Mae Sariang Hospital, in early April. After receiving an ultrasound, the doctors determined Shee has an ovarian cyst and needs to undergo surgery to heal. Currently, Shee experiences severe pain that makes it challenging for her to sleep, eat, or continue her weaving. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), can help Shee receive treatment. On April 20th, she will undergo surgery to remove the cyst. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund the total cost of this procedure. Shee shared, "I am not worried about my operation because I hope it will fix my health problem. I would like to become a teacher in the future because I like teaching. After I recover, I plan to apply at a school in the refugee camp."

Hor is a retired rice farmer who lives with his wife. Hor's three sons and five daughters - and numerous grandchildren - all support Hor and his wife through farming. His favorite pastimes are walking to the local pagoda with his wife, and listening to monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Hor developed non-cancerous growths in his left eye, which cause itchiness, tearing and blurry vision. These growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun, and cells grow abnormally over the pupil. Hor has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Hor learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four and a half hours to seek treatment. Hor needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the surface of his eye, and to replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence. The total cost of this procedure - which covers medications, supplies and two days of inpatient care - is $225. The surgery is scheduled for May 10th. Hor says: "I hope after surgery my eyesight won't be blurry and itchy. I want to see well and go outside with my wife to visit our children."