Khin is a 28-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her parents and three older sisters. Her family runs a small grocery store, and her older brother works in a factory to help provide for their family. However, Khin shared that their combined income is not enough to pay for expenses and basic health care. In April 2020, Khin started to experience dizziness, headache, and nausea. Her vision also became blurred and sensitive to light. At first, she thought she just needed eyeglass and visited an ophthalmologist. During that visit, her ophthalmologist tested her eyes and shared that her symptoms may be due to a brain tumor. Currently, Khin is still experiencing the same symptoms but they have been gradually worsening over time. She feels weak and has pain in her neck. Khin visited our medical partner's hospital for further review. The doctors want 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. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Khin's CT scan and care, which is scheduled for November 30th. Khin said: "I become angry very easily because of my blurred vision. Before that, I was so patient. I am so worried about becoming blind completely, I don't want to live this way. I don’t want my family to be in trouble because of me. I feel a bit relieved to hear that there will be a donor to help pay for my treatment cost."

Saw Myo is a 14-year-old from Burma. He lives with his grandparents, parents, two sisters, and brother. His grandparents are retired. His father farms paddy and rubber trees on their land, while his mother is a homemaker. Saw Myo and his siblings are all in school, but Saw Myo recently had to stop attending due to a medical condition. Saw Myo has had a lump on his lower spinal cord since he was nine years old due to an injury from a slingshot. He received medicinal ointment from a traditional healer that helped with the stiffness and prevented further growth. However, Saw Myo fell off his bicycle a few years later, and the lump grew in size. His family took him to several clinics, and an X-ray indicated a potential spinal cord problem. The doctors recommended a computerized tomography (CT) scan, but due to COVID-19 policies, Saw Myo could not receive the scan. His parents continued to try and help Saw Myo receive treatment but learned that his condition could not be treated locally. Saw Myo's mother then contacted a neighbor who worked as a medic at a clinic in Burma and began raising money for his care. The doctors want Saw Myo to undergo an MRI, which is an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs. This scan will help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is helping Saw Myo receive this treatment. On November 15th, he will undergo an MRI. BCMF requests $814 to cover the cost of Saw Myo's MRI procedure and care. Saw Myo's mother said: “We have been so worried since we saw the mass increasing in size. It was tiring to seek treatment in Burma, and we now have borrowed a lot of money without Saw Myo having received treatment."

Mary is a 45-year-old small-scale farmer, living in Uganda. She is a single mother of five, with her first-born 30 years old and her last-born 14. She owns a two-room mud house for shelter and grows sweet potatoes, sorghum, and cabbage on her small piece of land. Six years ago, Mary began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain and swelling in her neck. She recently visited Rushoroza Hospital after being referred by a friend and was diagnosed with a nodular goiter. The neck swelling has continued to increase in size. She experiences fatigue quickly, affecting her ability to work. Additionally, she has experienced airway obstruction and has been told that she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mary receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 9th at Rushoroza Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland, a procedure that will cost $333. Mary needs your help to raise the funds to cover the cost of her care. Mary says: “I had lost hope of living a normal life again until a well-wisher referred me to Rushoroza hospital for surgical help under the donor fund. I hope to resume farming comfortably after surgery.”