Htwe is a 12-year-old student who lives with his uncle's family in Thailand. His parents are day laborers in Bangkok, who send his uncle money every month to support him. In his free time, Htwe enjoys playing football with his friends. Two years ago, Htwe's right eyelid became swollen and red. By July 2021, the swelling had worsened and he felt a small mass in his right eyelid. He also developed double vision. He visited several clinics and was given oral medications and eye drops, but he never felt better. Currently, Htwe has redness and swelling in his right eyelid, and sometimes his eye will water. He also has blurry vision and feels uncomfortable with the mass pressing on his eyelid. Due to his blurry vision, he finds it hard to study and do his homework. Eventually, his aunt took Htwe to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH), where he was diagnosed with a cyst in his right eyelid. The doctor told him that he will need to have surgery to remove the cyst. Thanks to our partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital, Htwe will have the cyst surgically removed on February 2nd. Now he needs your help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Htwe said, “I want to be a football player when I grow up.”

Lat is a 78-year-old loving grandmother, who lives in Svay Rieng province. She has been a widow since her husband died twenty-six years ago. Sadly, although she bore ten children, five of her children passed away during the Khmer Rouge regime. She has still one son, four daughters, and twenty-three grandchildren to keep her busy! Currently, she lives with a daughter who is a worker at a garment factory. At home, Lat enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio and joining ceremonies at the pagoda. About three months ago, Lat developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision. It is difficult for her to cook or to do housework. When Lat learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and half hours seeking treatment. On December 12th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant a new lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Lat said: "I hope I can see everything after surgery. I would like to help my daughter cook, do housework, and go outside more often again."

Esther, who is five years old, lives in a remote area of Tanzania, primarily populated by the Maasai people. Esther's parents rely on cattle breeding for income to support their family, but due to changing climate, there is increasingly insufficient pasture land to keep the cattle from starving. Esther has also been unwell for quite some time, and after seeking both spiritual and medical help, Esther's parents decided to relocate her, so that she now lives in the city with her grandmother. Esther was diagnosed with genu varus, or bow legs, a condition commonly caused by excessive fluoride in the bones, a result of ingesting contaminated drinking water. Her legs bow outward, making it difficult for her to walk. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Esther. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 6th, at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. Treatment will hopefully restore Esther's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Esther’s grandmother says: “Esther is now a happy girl, I wish for her legs to be normal so that she doesn’t have to suffer in the future.”