Naw Lah is a 35-year-old woman who lives with her husband and her daughter in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province. Naw Lah is a teacher, while her husband is a homemaker caring for their three-year-old daughter. Every month, they receive 864 baht (approx. 28.80 USD) on a cash card from the organization The Border Consortium. This amount combined with the 1,200 baht (approx. 40 USD) from her salary is not enough to cover their family's daily needs. They receive free basic health care in the refugee camp, provided by Malteser International (MI) Thailand but this does note cover surgery, including the c-section that she needs. Naw Lah is currently expecting her second child. Due to complications during her previous delivery, the doctors recommend that she should receive a C-section this time to avoid risk of complications. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Naw Lah undergo a C-Section on March 1st. This procedure will cost $1500, and Naw Lah needs your support. “I hope to have a boy because my previous baby is a girl. But I will love my baby regardless if they are a girl or a boy,” she said.

Sai is a six-year-old kindergarten student. He lives with his parents and siblings (a 12-year-old brother who is in grade four and a 11-month-old sister) at Mae Sot District, Tak Province in Thailand. His father is a daily worker and works as a blacksmith. Sai’s mother is a homemaker who looks after the children at home. Sai was born with a healthy delivery however just after his sixth birthday, his mother noticed that Sai’s left eye was red. He told her that it was not painful, so they did not worry about it. In June 2022 though, his mother saw that there was a white dot in the pupil of Sai’s eye. When his mother covered Sai’s right eye and asked if he could see, he answered that he did not see clearly. Sai had his eyes checked at Mae Tao Clinic and the medic suspected that he had a cataract. He was sent to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. He was referred to the ophthalmology department which later the doctor diagnosed him with mature left eye cataract. Currently, Sai’s vision in his left eye is blurry and he has trouble seeing the board when he is in the classroom. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Sai. On December 9th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Sai's natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Sai’s mother said, “We cannot afford to take a loan (for the surgery) because we would have to pay the interest. There is less work during the pandemic and so it makes things very hard to have such a large loan. My words cannot express the thanks that I feel. It is so lucky for us to have the assistance from BCMF and donors.”

Aung is a six-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his parents and brother. His mother works at a factory, his father is a homemaker, and his brother goes to school. In his free time, Aung likes to play with his toys and watch cartoon movies on the television. Aung has cataract in his right eye. As a result, he can only see light with that eye, and his eye is very sensitive and irritated. Fortunately, on November 15th, Aung will undergo lens replacement surgery, during which surgeons will remove Aung's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $1,500 to this surgery for Aung. Aung's mother shared: “We do not have money to treat him ourselves. My son is so lucky to be treated through the help of donors."

James is a 32-year-old man from Kenya. He works as a luggage carrier in a city market and barely earns enough to support himself. After undergoing an MRI, James was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, a pituitary macroadenoma. If not treated, this tumor may threaten his life due to increased pressure in his brain. He will also be at risk of vision loss, frequent headaches, and loss of normal pituitary functions. Fortunately, James visited our medical partner's care center and is scheduled for a craniotomy to remove the tumor on July 23. Now, he needs help raising $1,495 to fund treatment. James says, “I hope that soon I will be treated and regain my health. I feel quite weak and am not able to engage in any work."

Kyi is a 34-year-old health worker from Thailand. He lives with his wife. Kyi feels stomach and back pain. He has been advised to undergo a biliary obstruction repair, a procedure to repair the blockage of the bile ducts, which carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. If left untreated, Kyi's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Kyi is scheduled to undergo his biliary obstruction repair on June 21. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Kyi's procedure and care.

Fabian is a baby from Tanzania. His parents are both subsistence farmers. They have spent almost all their savings seeking treatment for Fabian. Since he was one month old, Fabian has been experiencing sleep apnea and difficulty breathing. This causes him frequent illness. He was recently diagnosed with enlarged adenoids, which are the soft tissue behind the nasal cavity. Without treatment, this condition will cause Fabian's symptoms to persist and possibly even intensify. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $609 to fund an adenoidectomy for Fabian, which is scheduled to take place on May 17. Surgeons will remove his adenoids, hopefully relieving Fabian of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. Fabian’s father says, “Please help my son get treatment and get better. There is nothing I can do or say that is going to show how grateful I will be for that.”

Johnsley is a preschooler from Haiti. He lives with his parents and siblings on a small family farm in the mountains of central Haiti. He likes playing with his neighbors and drawing. Johnsley has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This defect involves several related conditions including a hole between two chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects prevent blood from circulating through the lungs, leaving him weak and short of breath. If untreated, the condition would be fatal. On April 10, he will undergo cardiac surgery at St. Damien Hospital, our medical partner's care center. During surgery, surgeons will close the hole in his heart with a patch, and remove the muscular blockage. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Johnsley's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and medications. His father says, "We are very happy that our son can have this surgery, and will pray to God for a good outcome."

Irene is a hair dresser from Kenya. She is a mother of two and lives with her mother and sister in a two-roomed house in Ngara, Nairobi. Irene has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Irene. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 14. After treatment, Irene will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Irene says, “My wish is to be treated and lead a normal life. I want to see my children grow and mature and I want to one day join other cancer survivors to share my experiences."