Nak is the matriarch of a close-knit family consisting of six members. Widowed after the death of her husband, she lives with her oldest daughter, who works in a clothing factory, her son-in-law, and their children. She has a grandson in grade eight, a granddaughter in grade four, and a lively four-year-old who stays home with Nak. Since retiring from farming, Nak has taken responsibility for cooking and cleaning. Nak's health poses significant challenges. Diagnosed with diabetes six years ago, she battles the effects of a persistent wound on her left toe. There was an unfortunate incident with a penetrating injury from a thorn, which went untreated for a long time. She was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for diagnosis and treatment. Doctors have diagnosed her with dry gangrene. The blood supply to her toe has been cut off due to her diabetes, and the toe has become dry and turned black. Nak is in pain and feels poorly. Although her diabetes is under control, she is weak and must use a wheelchair. Surgery is necessary to prevent the gangrene from spreading and to allow the surrounding healthy tissue to heal. To address the issue and avoid further pain, an amputation of her toe is proposed. Doctors plan to take her to surgery on January 2nd. Now her family needs help with the cost of her surgery and her care. Our medical partner is requesting $479. This will cover the procedure, post-operative hospitalization, medications, and physical therapy. Nak's daughter said: "After surgery, we hope she can walk easier with no pain, and no infection."

Aye is a 25-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her parents, grandfather, aunt, brother, sister and daughter. She and her sister are homemakers, while her father is a day labourer. Her brother works in a garment factory, and her mother and aunt are unemployed. Since Aye was 12 years old, she has experienced difficulty passing urine on and off. In October, this worsened and she now has blood in her urine and severe pain in her lower back. Doctors want Aye 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 Aye's CT scan and care, scheduled for December 20th. Aye said, "I have been experiencing these symptoms for so many years but because of financial problems, I have never receive proper treatment."

Vatanak is a three-year-old toddler from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and his nine-month-old brother in rural Ratanakiri province. His parents earn a small living working as cashew tree farmers in the village. Vatanak enjoys eating Cambodian sour soup made by his mom and loves keeping his little brother entertained with toys. Vatanak was born with syndactyly of the right foot. This means that his big and second toes are abnormally large due to overgrowth of the underlying bone and soft tissue. The condition makes it difficult for him to walk or move his toes, and he experiences mild pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Vatanak receive treatment. On April 22nd, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform a syndactyly repair surgery to separate and release the fused digits. This will improve Vatanak's mobility, and provide more comfort while wearing shoes. Vatanak and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $344 more to fund the procedure. Vatanak's mother says, "I hope my son's foot can be fixed so it is easy for him to run and wear shoes when he starts school."