Chu is a 44-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her sister and niece in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. She left her home in Yangon Region, Burma, to escape violence after a military coup in 2021. Chu and her sister work at a church in Mae Sot, where they cook and clean for daily events and handle behind-the-scenes tasks for weddings, funerals, and parties. They rely on donations from the church and have no formal salary. The income she receives is enough to cover basic expenses for the family, including food and healthcare. In her free time, she loves to cook and bake desserts. After surgery, she wants to continue to make snacks and potentially start a business selling them on her own. Since 2023, Chu has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including right lower back pain and right lower abdomen pain. The pain worsens when Chu stands or sits for long periods of time. Her symptoms are exacerbated at work, but she continues her duties, taking oral painkillers to manage the pain. Doctors plan to perform a ureteroscopy, a procedure used to diagnose and treat kidney stones or ureteral blockages by passing a small, fiberoptic scope through the urethra and bladder into the ureter. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on April 10th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Chu said, "I had nowhere else to look for money. After your organisation agreed to help me, I felt relieved. I have fled from my home and left my family to come here. However, I feel warm and supported by my church with basic needs. Thank you for helping me.”

Sothea is a ten-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives in the Takeo Province with his grandmother, who is a rice farmer, and his younger brother. His parents work in the city to support the family; his mother is employed in a garment factory, and his father works in construction. Sothea is currently in third grade, and his favorite subject is math. He hopes to become a teacher when he grows up. In his free time, he enjoys playing games outside with his friends in the village. For the past year, Sothea has been experiencing difficulty swallowing and breathing while sleeping. He snores at night and frequently experiences a sore throat. His condition affects his sleep and causes discomfort throughout the day, making it difficult for him to rest well and affecting his overall health and school activities. Sothea was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Sothea, which is scheduled to take place on May 12. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sothea of his symptoms and helping him breathe and sleep much more comfortably. His mother said, “I hope this treatment will help my child breathe and sleep better so he can grow up healthy and strong.”

MongKol is a nine-year-old boy who lives with his parents in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia. His father is a grocery seller and his mother is a rice farmer. He has one older brother, who is currently studying at university. MongKol does not attend school due to verbal communication challenges associated with autism. His favorite meal is fish sour soup, and in his free time, he enjoys playing with toy cars. One month ago, MongKol had an ear infection that caused an abnormal skin growth to develop in his left ear. Since then, he has experienced ear pain, hearing loss, and bloody discharge. This condition makes it difficult for him to hear voices, which affects his ability to communicate, play, and interact with others. Thankfully, MongKol and his family have traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On April 1st, surgeons will remove the growth from his ear. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $477 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. MongKol's mother shared, “After the surgery, I pray that my dear son will be free from the constant pain and discharge in his ear, and that he can live happily without discomfort.”