Thein is a seven-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her mother and grandfather and is currently a first-grade student. Her father works as a driver at a toy factory in Bangkok and Thein’s mother stays home to care for her. The family relies on her father’s income, which is enough to cover their daily expenses. They are able to pay for basic healthcare, but they cannot afford expensive treatment costs. During her free time, Thein enjoys helping her mother with household chores. Currently, Thein faces difficulty seeing objects clearly, requiring the use of thick eyeglasses. Additionally, she must sit in the front row of the classroom, near the blackboard, to follow her teachers’ lesson. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Thein. On February 16th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Thein's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she and her family need help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Thein’s mother said, “Thank you [BCMF and donors] for helping my daughter to get a good and clear vision. I pray for the donors to have wealthy lives and continue helping others.” Thein also said, “I want to be a teacher when I grow up and thanks for your help.”

29-year-old Nathaniel is a hardworking father from the Philippines. Through his work as a housekeeper, he supports his wife, daughter and stepdaughter. Nathaniel has been living with an indirect inguinal hernia for many years. He has been doing hard, physical work ever since he was eight years old, and has been experiencing symptoms for quite a while. When his pain increased dramatically, he sought medical advice for the first time, and has been advised to undergo hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is helping Nathaniel access the treatment that he needs. He is now scheduled for surgery on January 20th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. While a portion of the cost of Nathaniel's procedure will be paid for by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, World Surgical Foundation Philippines is seeking your help to cover the remaining $1,103. Nathaniel said: "Thank you very much for your help. Your help will not go in vain because when I recover, I will still continue to be a provider and a good father to my daughters. I am not the only one who will benefit from this surgery, but my family too, so I am very grateful."

Samnang is a two-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh with his parents and his 3-year-old brother. His mother stays home to care for the children and his father is in the army. At home, Samnang likes to play with his toys and enjoys eating fried chicken prepared by his mother. At birth, Samnang was diagnosed with arthrogryposis, a term used to describe a variety of conditions involving multiple joint and muscle contractures or stiffness. As a result of this condition, Samnang has clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a condition where the foot is rotated. This causes pain and difficulty walking. Samnang traveled for one and a half hours to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). There, surgeons will perform a bilateral tendon release and insert a K-wire on March 1st. CSC is requesting $444 to fund Samnang's clubfoot repair. After treatment and therapy, he will be able to walk and be more active. Samnang's mother said, "I hope after surgery, my son will learn to walk, have no pain, and keep up with his older brother."