Thu Ra is a 13-year-old boy from Burma who lives with his family in Karen State. Thu Ra is the youngest of his three siblings. His father is a day labourer and his mother is a homemaker. Around seven years ago, Thu Ra started experiencing a loss of appetite and feelings of dizziness along with muscle tightness and pain throughout his body. He was diagnosed with thalassemia, a blood disorder that causes the body to have less hemoglobin than normal. Physicians at Mae Sot General Hospital determined Thu Ra should undergo a splenectomy, surgery to remove the spleen, which will help manage his condition. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place at Mae Sot General Hospital on April 1st. Once completed, Thu Ra's quality of life is expected to improve. Thu Ra's mother said, “If Thu Ra gets better, I wish for him to finish school and become an educator. Thank you so much to the donors. If it were just up to me, I couldn’t afford the surgery on my own. It means a lot to me and my family. Thank you.”

Amina is a 11-year-old girl from Musoma region in Tanzania, the seventh child in a family of ten siblings. Her parents are small-scale farmers who rely solely on their harvest for sustenance and income generation. They often struggle to meet their needs, and climate change has resulted in poor harvests over the past year. About a year ago, Amina developed a swelling on her chin. Initially, it was considered insignificant as it did not bother her, but over time, the swelling grew larger and began to cause her significant discomfort when she was eating. This prompted concerns from her parents, who initially sought advice from a nearby pharmacy. However, the cream provided proved ineffective. Consequently, the family took her to a nearby hospital, where she was diagnosed with a mass requiring surgical removal. Due to financial constraints, her parents could not afford Amina's treatment so they went back home. Sometime later, the outreach team of our medical partner's care center visited their village, and the family was directed to Kafika House for further review and treatment. The team also assisted the family with transportation costs as they could not afford it. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Amina receive treatment. On April 2nd, surgeons will remove the mass and ease Amina's symptoms. Now, Amina's family needs help to fund this $724 procedure. Amina's mother says: “Please help with my daughter’s treatment. I hope she recovers from this condition so that it won’t be a problem as she grows older.”

Nak is the matriarch of a close-knit family consisting of six members. Widowed after the death of her husband, she lives with her oldest daughter, who works in a clothing factory, her son-in-law, and their children. She has a grandson in grade eight, a granddaughter in grade four, and a lively four-year-old who stays home with Nak. Since retiring from farming, Nak has taken responsibility for cooking and cleaning. Nak's health poses significant challenges. Diagnosed with diabetes six years ago, she battles the effects of a persistent wound on her left toe. There was an unfortunate incident with a penetrating injury from a thorn, which went untreated for a long time. She was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for diagnosis and treatment. Doctors have diagnosed her with dry gangrene. The blood supply to her toe has been cut off due to her diabetes, and the toe has become dry and turned black. Nak is in pain and feels poorly. Although her diabetes is under control, she is weak and must use a wheelchair. Surgery is necessary to prevent the gangrene from spreading and to allow the surrounding healthy tissue to heal. To address the issue and avoid further pain, an amputation of her toe is proposed. Doctors plan to take her to surgery on January 2nd. Now her family needs help with the cost of her surgery and her care. Our medical partner is requesting $479. This will cover the procedure, post-operative hospitalization, medications, and physical therapy. Nak's daughter said: "After surgery, we hope she can walk easier with no pain, and no infection."