Kyu is a 43-year-old teacher from Burma. She lives with her mother, husband, and two sons in Yangon Division, Burma. Kyu’s mother is retired, and her two sons are students. Kyu’s husband works as a motorcycle taxi driver. Kyu is a high school teacher who conducts classes from her home. Their combined monthly income is sufficient to cover their basic living expenses but they are not able to save money. When they have health issues, they rely on a nearby clinic for medical attention. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and she'd like to be able to continue teaching her students at home once she feels better. Kyu was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Kyu is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on February 4th to correct the atrial septal defect and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to support the cost of Kyu's procedure and care. Kyu said “Since my heart condition worsened, I couldn’t teach my students due to my fatigue. Now I felt very happy when I learned that the BCMF organisation would support my surgery. Without the help of these donors, I couldn’t afford the treatment. I would like to be thankful to all donors and BCMF for supporting my surgery.”

Amos is a loving father to 6 children: 3 sons and 3 daughters who are all in school. Currently, he and his wife have a banana and coffee plantation from which they earn their living. However, being that they have a big extended family and have limited land, they are unable to pay for some medical costs. Amos came into our facility with swelling and pain. He had never visited a doctor before, but when pain became severe, he came here to Nyakibale hospital, he was examined and requested to do a scan which revealed that he needed herniorrhaphy treatment. For the last six months, Amos has had a bilateral inguinal hernia. This causes him pain standing, walking, sitting and discomfort whenever he does strenuous work. Fortunately, on February 20th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Amos's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Amos says, “I hope to get much better once operated and will surely continue farming in better health to sustain my family."

Rin is a 78-year-old retired rice farmer from Kompong Chhnang province in Cambodia. He has one daughter, two sons, and seven grandchildren. Sadly, his wife passed away almost fifteen years ago, due to complications from chronic illnesses. Rin then moved in with his daughter, who helps support him by working for a local construction company. He loves spending time with his grandkids, harvesting fruit in the village, and listening to the local Buddhist radio station. About one year ago, Rin developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about potential falls while walking, which has made him reluctant to venture out independently. When Rin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 1st, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, Rin needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Rin shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly. This would make me happy and I would feel more confident about going to the pagoda on my own."