Ei is a 12-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, younger brother, and younger sister in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. Originally from Yangon Division, Burma, the family moved to Thailand in 2021 in search of better job opportunities. Ei's father works in a sewing factory, while her mother is a homemaker. Both Ei and her younger brother attend a migrant school, while her younger sister is too young to attend school. The family lives in the dormitory of her father's workplace. In her free time, Ei enjoys learning Thai and English and doing her schoolwork. Ei was diagnosed with traumatic cataract of her right eye. She is experiencing blurred vision in her right eye, and she can only see objects close to her. She also suffers from right eye pain, is sensitive to light, and has to wear sunglasses when outside. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Ei. On May 21st, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Ei'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 needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Ei's father expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much to this organisation and the donors for helping with my daughter's treatment costs. We feel immense happiness for your support, which relieves the hardship of our family. Without your help, we could not afford her surgery, and we almost decided to postpone her surgery. I hope you can continue to stand for patients who actually need support, like my daughter, for a very long time."

La Min is a 21-year-old young woman from Burma. She lives with her aunt in Bangkok, Thailand. She moved to Bangkok from her village in Karen State, Burma, in 2023 in search of better job opportunities. She worked as a waitress, but had to stop because of her health. La Min has a heart condition that requires replacement of two heart valves -the aortic and mitral valves - and repair of the tricuspid valve. These valves control the blood flow between the chambers of the heart and are necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, La Min experiences fatigue and a rapid heartbeat while walking even short distances, poor appetite, and chest pain. Even though she has lived with her condition almost all her life, she still experiences anxiety and stress during her episodes. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for this complex surgery. The treatment is scheduled to take place on April 10th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and have a more active and healthy life ahead. In the future, La Min hopes to continue to work in Bangkok and save enough money to return to her village in Burma. There she dreams of opening a restaurant and selling Thai food. She said, “When I lie down at night, I hear my rapid heartbeat and have trouble falling asleep. When I am very tired and experience heart palpitations, I worry that my heartbeat will stop suddenly. I want to know what the world is like without my heart disease.”

Nidhi is a 16-year-old girl from India. She lives in Mirzamurad, a village near Varanasi in northern India. She lives with her parents, two sisters, and a brother. Her father works as a halwai, preparing traditional Indian sweets to support the family. Nidhi is currently in the 9th grade and loves dancing. When she was just 2½ years old, Nidhi accidentally fell into a container of hot sugar syrup being used to make gulab jamuns, a sweet dessert. She sustained severe burns to her right chest and arm. Although she received wound care at the time, her family was unable to access reconstructive surgery. As Nidhi grew, the burn scars tightened and developed into contractures, affecting her right breast and elbow. These scars have restricted movement and altered her appearance during adolescence, a time when many young people become increasingly aware of their bodies and self-image. Nidhi's family learned about our medical partner, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center, and sought treatment. On June 19th, specialty surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help release the tight burn scars on Nidhi’s right chest and elbow, improving both movement and comfort. The procedure is expected to increase the range of motion in her arm, making everyday activities such as dressing, writing, carrying schoolbooks, and participating in household tasks easier. The surgery will also address the contracture affecting her right breast, allowing for more normal development and reducing the physical discomfort and asymmetry caused by the scar tissue. By reducing the limitations caused by her burn scars, the surgery will allow Nidhi to participate more freely in school, social activities, and her favourite hobby, dancing. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,442 procedure. Nidhi shared, "I hope this treatment will make everyday activities easier for me."