Grace is a two-year-old girl from Burma. She lives in a refugee camp in Mueang Mae Hong Son District, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Ten years ago, her parents moved to the camp to escape the fighting in their village in Burma. Grace lives with her parents, older sister, two aunts, uncle, and her uncle’s wife. Grace’s mother raises pigs and chickens to sell in the camp, and her father is a day laborer. Since birth, Grace has had a hernia granuloma. Currently, Grace’s umbilicus produces bloody discharge every day. While Grace does not experience any pain, her mother’s anxiety grows each passing day. Fortunately, on January 19th, Grace will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Grace's hernia repair surgery. The procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Grace's mother shared, “I worry about what will happen to her if she doesn’t have this issue fixed now. The doctors told us that we needed to go to Chiang Mai for her treatment, which would cost a lot of money. We can't afford that. We don’t know what will happen to her.” Grace’s mom is extremely thankful to the donors for their financial support. She said, “Thank you so much to the donors for helping my child. I want to say so much, but I don’t know what to say. God has finally found a way for my child to receive treatment.”

Evance is a four-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the youngest of two children. His mother passed away two weeks after his birth, leaving his father as the sole caregiver. His father works as a motorcycle taxi driver and has limited income, but is committed to securing treatment so that Evance can walk comfortably, play freely, and enjoy a healthy childhood. Evance was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus. This has caused progressive inward bending of his knees. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. Evance began experiencing pain and fatigue when walking even short distances. Despite this, he remains active, playful, and attends preschool. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $777 to fund treatment for Evance. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 6th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Evance's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Evance's father says, “When he walks long distances, he complains of pain and gets tired quickly, even though he wants to play and move like other children. I have hope that with his treatment, he will be well enough to play comfortably with the rest of the children.”

Sophorn is a 68-year-old Tuk-Tuk driver from Phnom Penh. He is married and has one son, four daughters, and four grandchildren. He lives with his wife, who is a housewife, and with his oldest daughter, who works as a house cleaner. In his free time, Sophorn likes to watch the news on his phone. About two years ago, Sophorn developed a cataract in his right eye. This causes him to experience itching, tearing, and blurred vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Sophorn has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces. He is also worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Sophorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On March 16th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, our medical partner is requesting $263 to fund Sophorn's procedure. Sophorn said, "I hope after surgery I can see better, so I can go back to driving Tuk Tuk. I'm also excited to recognize people."