Sovannara is a nine-year-old boy who lives with his parents in Kampong Chhnang province in Cambodia. Both his father and mother work as rice farmers. Sovannara is currently in grade four and particularly enjoys studying Khmer language and history. He aspires to become a teacher. When Sovannara was a baby, fell off a bed, resulting in a neck injury. He has been suffering from torticollis, the twisting of the muscles on the left side of his neck, which leads to tightness and shortening of the muscles. Consequently, Sovannara's head tilts to one side, and one shoulder appears elevated compared to the other. Turning his head to the right is arduous and painful for him. Sovannara has not received any prior medical treatment for his condition, because his parents cannot afford to pay for his care. Fortunately, they were referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for diagnosis and treatment. On April 5th, Sovannara will undergo a procedure at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to release the sternocleidomastoid muscle on the left side of his neck. After the procedure, Sovannara will be able to bend his neck and turn his head without difficulty. Sovannara needs $572 to fund this procedure. Sovannara's father said, "We hope our son will be able to control his neck and can join in daily activities in school and at home."

Say is a 31-year-old woman who has lived with her family in a refugee camp for more than 10 years after fleeing the conflict in Burma. She is a homemaker who lives with her husband, elderly father, and three young children who are all attending school. The income for Say’s family comes from cash cards provided by an organisation in the refugee camp. Say’s husband works as a delivery driver outside the camp but he has been unable to work since December 2023 because Say’s father and eldest son have health issues that require support. Their monthly income is not enough to cover their living expenses and they sometimes need to borrow food before their cash card is refilled. Basic health care is provided by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the refugee camp free of charge, but not advanced care like Say needs. In 2022, Say began having pain, discomfort, and pressure in her abdomen. She was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy which will remove her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Say's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. Say is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on February 22nd. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. “I will look for a job as a nursery teacher in the camp, I used to do this before I had to stop. Thank you so much to the donors who are helping us pay for my surgery and thank you to BCMF. May you all be healthy, and God bless you,” shared Say.

Vannareach is a 12-year-old 7th grader from Cambodia. He lives just outside of the capital city of Phnom Penh with his mom and two sisters. Vannareach is the youngest and hopes to become a math teacher when he is older. After school, he enjoys playing soccer with his friends and getting fried noodles from a street cart. Since around four years ago, Vannareach has been experiencing a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and wakes up throughout the night. Frequent illness causes him to miss a lot of school and he is underweight due to difficulty with eating. Vannareach was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Vannareach, which is scheduled to take place on January 10th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Vannareach of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Vannareach's mom shared, "I hope my son can feel better, be able to sleep more, and not miss so much school."