Pi is a 14-year-old boy who lives with his aunt, uncle, grandmother, and nine-year-old cousin in a village in Karen State, Burma. His uncle and aunt are subsistence hillside farmers, and their family has barely enough food. Pi usually helps his aunt with farming and household chores. They receive free basic healthcare at the clinic close to their village. On April 20th, 2024, Pi had climbed a Marian Plum tree to pick some fruits. Unfortunately, he fell from the tree, sustaining an injury to his lower back. Pi's aunt immediately brought him to the local clinic, where he was examined and referred to a hospital for treatment. Following the advice, Pi's aunt promptly took him to the local hospital where the doctor conducted a physical examination, x-ray and ultrasound. He was treated with intravenous infusion and pain medication. After reviewing the assessment results, the doctor diagnosed him with a fracture of two or three spine vertebrae in his lower back. Pi's aunt was informed that Pi might need surgery and was advised to go to our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in Thailand, for further treatment. On April 21, 2024, Pi and his aunt arrived at MSH, where the doctor conducted a physical examination and scheduled Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) on April 22, 2024. Pi's family is unable to fund the cost and needs your help to raise the $681 required for the procedure. Currently, Pi cannot stand or walk; he has to lie on the bed, and a urinary catheter has also been inserted. He also experiences pain in his lower back. Pi's aunt expressed her gratitude, saying, "I did not know how to manage his injury. I am glad to receive help from the Burma Children's Medical Fund and donors." "Thank you for your assistance." Pi added, "Thank you for helping me with my treatment costs."

Myint, a 62-year-old woman, resides in Thailand with her husband and six children: five daughters and one son. Only one of her daughters is employed, while the rest of her siblings are unemployed. Her employed daughter works as a domestic worker in Bangkok, and usually sends financial support of approximately $200 USD each month to support the entire family's needs. The financial support is barely enough for expenses like food and basic healthcare. Myint visited our medical partner's care center experiencing stomach aches, itchy skin, and a yellowing of her eyes and skin. Doctors advised her to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. The scan would hopefully help them diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Myint with her care, and is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Myint's CT scan, scheduled for April 1st. Myint said, "I have itchy skin, yellow eyes, I am unable to sleep well, I've lost my appetite and experience stomach aches. I cannot cook or carry firewood anymore. I am stressed because I am worried that I will not recover from my symptoms."

Rehma is a 5-year-old student in the first grade. She is the only child in the family. Both her parents are doing business selling second-hand clothes and running a barber shop respectively. Rhema likes smiling and eating but since her problem started, her family said she has not been the same and no longer shares her smile or eats enough. Rhema was well until 2020 when she started becoming weak and lethargic and her behavior changed. Her parents took her to the hospital where tests noted nothing wrong. They later took her to different hospitals seeking help but to no avail. Last year in December, Rhema was sick and could not eat anything, so she lost weight. Upon taking her to a private hospital, a diagnosis of a hernia was made after she pointed out the source of her pain. Her mother Pauline was notified about the need for surgery. Fortunately, she was then tipped by well-wishers to seek medical support from Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH). Hernia is the condition in which soft tissue bulges through a weak point in the abdominal muscle. If the hernia is left untreated, the size of the protruding intestine might get bigger and become strangulated leading to the reduction of blood flow to surrounding tissues which may be life-threatening. On January 26th, Rhema and her mother visited PIH for further assessments despite their financial challenges. Rhema was seen by the surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis of a hernia, and she was then recommended for surgery. She was recommended to our program for financial support and their family is also contributing what they can to her treatment. Rhema's family needs help raising $575 in funds for her surgery, scheduled for January 30th. Rhema’s mother looks forward to a successful surgery that would enable Rhema to concentrate on her school as she continues concentrating on her business. She said, “I just want my only daughter to be well to continue sharing her smiles and concentrate at school.”