Yan is a 66-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has five sons and one daughter. Her husband passed away many years ago, so she lives alone close to her children. She enjoys cooking for her family and visiting the local pagoda to hear the chanting of the monks. In June 2022, Yan fell and dislocated her left elbow. She visited a Khmer traditional healer, but her elbow has remained numb and swollen. She has limited movement, is not able to use her arm, and is in chronic pain. When Yan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction of her left elbow. Yan needs assistance with the $485 cost of the surgery. After surgery, her pain will be healed and she will be able to use her arm again. Yan shared: "After surgery, I hope my left elbow will have no pain or swelling and I can cook for my family again."

Somethea is a 12-year-old boy from Cambodia. He is in the 8th grade and enjoys studying Khmer literature and history. He hopes to become a policeman when he grows up. Somethea has two brothers and likes to play football with them in his free time. His mother is a tailor, and his father stays home. When he was two years old, Somethea's right hand was burned in a cooking fire. After the burn healed, the skin around his fingers retracted and bent his finger, resulting in one of his finger joints becoming partially dislocated. This condition causes him pain, and he cannot move his fingers, write with a pen or pencil, or hold objects in his hand. When Somethea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On December 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a contracture release and full-thickness skin graft to relieve him of pain and allow him to use his fingers again. CSC is requesting $673 to fund this procedure. Somethea's family was able to gather $100 to contribute to his care. Somethea said: "I hope I can use my hand after this operation and have no more pain."

Chhai Ya is a friendly 6-year-old boy from Cambodia. He and his parents and older brother live in Kandal province; his parents are both construction workers. In school, he likes to hear stories from Khmer literature, and at home, he likes to play with his brother or jump rope. His favorite meal is ice cream. Chhai Ya's right foot was burned in a fire at home when he was nine months old. After the burn healed, the skin on his foot retracted and bent his toes. The joints have become partially dislocated, and it is painful, as well as very difficult for him to walk or run normally. Chhai Ya and his family traveled one and half hours to our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) to seek treatment. On February 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him walk easily and keep up with his friends. His family has contributed $75 to the cost of the surgery, but needs help raising an additional $495 to fully fund his procedure and care. His mother said, "I hope Chhai Ya's foot will look better than before and he can walk and run like other children."

Ly Vay is a cheerful boy with a loving family. His parents are rice farmers and his 10-year-old sister helps take care of Ly Vay after school. According to his parents, his favorite activity is to play and splash in water by the river near their house. Ly Vay was born with contractures on four of his fingers on the left hand, where the muscles of his fingers are hardened. As he is getting older and exploring the world with his hands, he is unable to do many things because of the contractures. When Ly Vay and his family learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre(CSC), they traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 22nd, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery so he can have improved hand function. Now, his family needs help funding this $487 procedure. His father hopes that Ly Vay's fingers can be straightened and that he can play, pick up toys, and do many more things with both hands.

Vireach is a three-year-old toddler who lives with his parents and his older brother in Kampong Cham province. His mother sells groceries from the front of their home and his father is a rice farmer. At home, he and his brother like to play with toy cars. His favorite meal is fresh fried fish from the Mekong River, which flows through Kampong Cham province. Vireach has strabismus in both eyes. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye caused by injury or dysfunction in the associated nerves and muscles. The condition is called exotropia, where he uses only one eye to look at an object while the other eye turns outward. His eyes do not aim at the same place accurately or simultaneously. If left untreated, Vireach may have difficulty reading and suffer from permanent poor vision as he grows older. Vireach and his parents traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to align his eyes. Now, Vireach's family needs help to raise $331 to fund his eye procedure. Vireach's mother said: "I hope after the surgery his eye looks straight like other children so he doesn’t feel shy."

Kosi is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She currently lives with and cares for her aging mother after separating from her husband 20 years ago and losing her children in their early years of life. For over four years, Kosi has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and abnormal vaginal discharge. She has been diagnosed with multiple uterine fibroids. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. On February 6th, she will undergo a hysterectomy at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Kosi will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Kosi needs help raising $319 to fund her procedure. Kosi says, “I seek medical assistance so that I may be able to live a good life once again. I will continue with farming to help me take care of myself and my mother.”

Phionah is a drug shop owner and trained nurse from Uganda. Her husband is a motorcycle taxi operator, and together they work hard to provide for their family. During her free time, Phionah enjoys spending time with her family. Phionah is currently expecting her third child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of her two previous scars. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Phionah undergo a C-Section on March 9th and asking for $252 to fund her care. Phionah says, “It has always been a struggle paying the hospital bill every time I’ve delivered by surgery, but this time, with your support, I know all will be well.”

Peter is a young man who lives with his parents and two siblings. Peter loves soccer, and recently graduated from secondary school with hopes of joining the army. Peter's father, a bus driver, is the sole breadwinner for the family of five. In June of 2022, Peter fractured his right leg during a soccer tournament. He received a cast for his injury, but it became apparent that the extent of his injuries are more severe than initially anticipated. Peter's recent x-ray revealed a tibial shaft fracture along the length of the bone between his knee and ankle. Due to his injury, Peter is unable to walk without the help of crutches. As a result, he cannot play soccer, join the army, or work to help support his family. Fortunately, the surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On January 25th, Peter will undergo a procedure to repair to stabilize his leg and repair his fracture, allowing him to heal and walk again without crutches. Now, Peter's family is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Peter says, “I want to serve my country as a soldier. This fracture is dimming my hopes of joining the forces. I can also not play soccer; that is my passion. I need this treatment to be able to use my leg again.”

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.”

Trizah is an 18-month-old baby girl who is especially playful around her mother. Trizah lives with her parents and three siblings in Kenya, where her mother works as a casual laborer washing clothes, and her father is employed at a welding workshop. Because of the hydrocephalus she was diagnosed with early on, Trizah has already undergone more than three surgeries in her young life. She had a shunt insertion procedure done a few days after her birth, which needed to be revised in May 2022. Her hydrocephalus has worsened, requiring the placement of two external ventricular drains in 2023. Sadly, the revised shunt has failed, and Trizah is now in need of another surgery to have a new shunt inserted to drain the excess fluids in her brain and alleviate the intracranial pressure caused by the fluids. Trizah also needs surgery to stop the convulsions she has been experiencing, and prevent the severe physical and developmental delays that result from untreated hydrocephalus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $720 to cover the cost of the surgery to treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 22nd at BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. The excess fluid will be drained from Trizah's brain, reducing the intracranial pressure, and greatly improving her quality of life. With proper treatment, Trizah should develop into a strong and healthy young girl. Trizah’s mother says: “She has been having surgeries since birth. Her head is increasing in size, and she is experiencing scary convulsions. I just hope this treatment will help her to recover.”

Hser is a 30-year-old midwife from Burma. She lives with her husband and eight other colleagues in the staff housing of the clinic she works at. Hser is a midwife, and her husband is a medic. In her free time, she enjoys going fishing with her husband and friends, weaving Karen clothes, and visiting the villagers nearby. Around June 2020, Hser felt she had a mass. Thinking it was not serious, she did not go to a hospital for treatment until April 2022. At the hospital, a doctor gave her medication for three months, but the mass did not decrease in size. Currently, Hser's experiences uncomfortable symptoms from the mass. Hser sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on March 8th. Hser needs help raising $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Hser said, "I am married, but I don’t plan to have children yet because my husband and I are both busy working as health workers for our community. So, I am very worried that I won't be able to have children anymore because of my condition. However, I have a loving and kind husband who understands me in every way, and he told me not to worry and feel sad. We cannot help but stay strong, helping and encouraging each other."