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."

Recheal is a 20-year-old from Kenya. She is studying in secondary school but has been unable to attend school for the last three months due to her condition. Recheal is the sixth born in a family of eleven children. Her parents are small-scale farmers, growing maize and beans for their family’s home use. Recheal does not have medical coverage, and her parents had to sell cattle and maize to raise Ksh 120,000.00 ($783) to cover her initial surgery costs. Recheal needs to undergo urgent surgery, and her family is requesting financial assistance. Recheal has been diagnosed with an abdominal bile leak that is causing her discomfort and pain. Her doctors have recommended surgery to ease the pain and enable her to resume her studies. She first experienced painful stomach swelling in August 2023. She visited a local health center and was treated for worms, which relieved her of pain for a while, but it recurred with time. She then visited our medical partner’s hospital for review. At the beginning of November, she received a CT scan that showed a liver cyst that required surgery. She underwent a laparotomy to remove the cyst on November 23rd. Four days later, the doctors identified a bile leakage that needed to be rectified. She is now scheduled for emergency surgery on November 28th to fix the fatal condition. African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,074 to fund this surgery. Recheal said, “I have missed school for three months now. This procedure will help ease stomach pain and enable me to return to school.”

Jomhel is a 27-year-old from the Philippines. His mother, Melissa, is a solo parent seeking assistance for Jomhel who has intellectual disability. The family relies on Melissa's income through laundry and ironing services for her relatives and neighbors. They live with Melissa's father, aged 75, who is also taking medications and aging. Her sister gives her extra money allotted for the medicines and other needs of their father. Two years ago, Jomhel began to experience troubling symptoms, including bleeding, pain, and difficulty sitting and standing. He was diagnosed with thrombosed hemorrhoids and needs surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Jomhel receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a hemorrhoidectomy on January 12th at WSFP's care center. During this procedure, surgeons will remove his hemorrhoids so he can live pain free. A portion of the cost of his treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,285 to cover the cost of Jomhel's procedure and care. Melissa shared: "Being a solo parent facing financial constraints, I do not have enough money for Jomhel's consultation, let alone a major surgery. This is a big help not just for me but also for my son and I am very grateful to all of you."