Soso- Tiny Light in the Dark with hope

Age: 9 years old

Chugedo, a 9‑year‑old boy from Myanmar living near the Thailand–Myanmar border, has suffered from chronic constipation since birth, passing stool only every 4–5 days with pain and occasional soiling that causes social stigma. In August 2026, a Be Well Child Care Foundation clinic identified a large abdominal mass, later confirmed by CT at Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin as severe faecal impaction, with Hirschsprung disease suspected. Confirmation of diagnosis is needed. He now requires specialist tests — anorectal manometry or colonoscopy with rectal biopsy — costing about 200,000 THB before surgery can be planned. With support, Chugedo has the chance to move from pain and embarrassment toward a normal, healthy childhood.

Age: 4 years old

A 4-year-old Fern’s story is one of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. Born in the Karen ethnic territory of Myanmar in January 2022, she entered a world marked by conflict and scarce healthcare. From infancy, her parents noticed her lips and nails turning purple, her energy fading quickly, and her inability to keep up with other children—early signs of a serious heart condition. With no resources, no knowledge and no legal status in Thailand, her family could not access proper care, and her fainting episodes became part of her fragile childhood. At age four, Fern was finally diagnosed at the Children’s Hospital in Bangkok with Tetralogy of Fallot, a life-threatening congenital heart defect. Stateless and uninsured, she now lives at Bilay House Orphanage in Ratchaburi, awaiting urgent surgery that could transform her future. Her journey reflects the vulnerability of children born into poverty and displacement, and the hope that collective compassion and support can give her a chance at a healthy, normal childhood.