Aminata, who is 10 months old and lives in Mali, is the fourth child born in her family. For the past five months, Aminata has been experiencing a swelling in her umbilical region, and experiencing intermittent pain. Aminata's parents brought her to our medical partner's care center, Centre de Santé de Référence (CSREF) Commune 6. Upon a thorough examination, Aminata was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, which is a tissue bulge in the belly button area, that occurs due to a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Aminata needs to undergo a hernia repair surgery to treat her condition, and prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, Muso, is requesting $377 to fund Aminata's hernia repair surgery, which will take place on August 11th, at Centre de Santé de Référence (CSREF) Commune 6. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow Aminata to live a healthier life. Aminata's mother says: "I look forward to having my daughter recover from her illness, and to regain her health."

Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester 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. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”

Ryan is a 41-year-old man from the Philippines. He is a factory worker, while his wife is a homemaker. Six years ago, Ryan noticed a swelling in his gums. As time passed, the mass grew bigger and started to cause him pain and discomfort, interfering with his ability to do his daily activities and work. He is unable to eat or speak comfortably. Ryan needs to undergo surgery to remove the mass. He is scheduled for surgery on June 12th. A portion of the cost of his surgery will be covered by government insurance, but our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is asking for help to raise the remaining $1,385 for Ryan's procedure and care. After surgery, he should be able to go back to his daily activities and work more comfortably. Ryan shared, "I am grateful for the opportunity to receive medical assistance. I look forward to recovering and continuing to provide for my family with peace of mind about my health."