Lay is a 29-year-old mother from Thailand. She lives with her husband, son, uncle, aunt and two cousins in a refugee camp. Originally from Karen State, Burma, they fled to the refugee camp in March 2023 due to airstrikes in their village. Lay is a homemaker; her husband, uncle and aunt are unemployed, while her son is in preschool. One of her cousins is a teacher, while the other one is a student. During her free time, Lay enjoys weaving Karen shirts and bags for her family, as well as occasionally to sell. She also enjoys raising chickens and pigs and foraging vegetables in the forest. Lay is currently expecting her second child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section (C-section) because she gave birth previously through a C-section. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is helping Lay undergo a C-section scheduled on August 11th. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Lay and BCMF are asking for your support to fund the surgery. Lay shared, "I want to stay in the refugee camp. If I have the opportunity to do so, I would love to be resettled in another country.”

Panha is a happy child from Kampong Chhnang province, approximately two hours away from the capital of Phnom Penh. She lives with her parents, an older sister, and her grandparents. Her father works in a local cloth weaving factory, her mother sells groceries, and her grandparents are rice farmers. At home, Panha likes to help her mother with the groceries and play with dolls. Her favorite meal is fried chicken and soup. Panha was born with macrodactyly of the toes on her left foot. Macrodactyly is a condition where toes or fingers are abnormally large due to the overgrowth of bone and soft tissue. Her parents are worried that as she grows, she may have difficulty walking, wearing shoes, and being teased by other kids when she starts school. Because her family could not afford care for her, a clinic referred her to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), where they hoped she could receive free or low-cost care. Doctors at CSC have determined that one of her toes needs to be amputated, and two other toes must be disarticulated (separated from the joint to avoid further disfigurement). Her parents need assistance with the cost of the $479 operation to cover the cost of surgery, medications, hospitalization, and physical therapy post-operation. Panha's mother said: "I hope my daughter's foot will look normal like her other foot. We want her to walk without problems as she grows and hope children will not make fun of her when she goes to school."

Saw Lay resides in a school dormitory in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. He used to study at the school but stopped in July 2023 when his condition worsened. During his free time, Saw Lay enjoys hunting, foraging for vegetables in the forest, and listening to music and stories on his phone. In May 2021, while in Burma for his studies, Saw Lay was driving to the market on his motorcycle when he was hit by a car, resulting in a broken left femur. Saw Lay underwent internal fixation surgery to address this issue. However, since September 2022, he has been experiencing pain in his left leg, accompanied by difficulty sleeping and depression. He cannot bear weight on that leg and has to use crutches to get around. If he sits for an extended period, he will experience back pain. Upon medical evaluation, a doctor diagnosed him with a non-union left femur shaft fracture. He will undergo surgery on November 7th to not only alleviate his pain and discomfort but also improve his overall quality of life. Saw Lay said, "I am happy that I can finally receive the surgery I need with the help of the donors and the Burma Children's Medical Fund. Thank you for having mercy on me. Without your help, I wouldn't be able to afford it. Thank you so much for your kind support, and I will never forget it."