Sarah is the third born in a family of four and in third grade. Her mother is a homemaker, and her father is a herder. Sarah comes from a humble background and hails from a community where disability is viewed as a curse. She was born with a condition known as left clubfoot deformity, which has seriously affected her mobility because she walks on tiptoe, often falls, cannot put on her left shoe and suffers from low self-esteem. Sarah is in the hospital undergoing serial casting to prepare her left foot for surgery. The treatment will make it possible for her to wear shoes and walk comfortably and confidently. Her pain will be relieved, and she will be able to continue with her education with her peers. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,224 to fund Sarah's surgery. Her grandmother said, “I am looking forward to seeing my granddaughter walking normally like other children.”

Su is a 12-year-old boy from Burma who lives in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp with his family. Su had to discontinue his studies while in fourth-grade, and his family was forced to leave their home because of the conflict in Burma. Su’s grandparents are his primary caregivers as his parents divorced, got remarried and moved away. His half-brother, uncle, aunt, and infant cousin also live with the family. Su’s grandmother and aunt take care of their home, while his grandfather, uncle and half-brother work as day laborers. Su initially noticed signs of his condition in January, when he felt pain on the left side of his mouth, and had a slight swelling on the left side of his face. One month later, he was taken to the clinic by his aunt, where it was discovered that he had three cavities on the left side of his mouth. The doctors removed the decayed tooth on the top jaw but left the lower two as the swelling was significant. Su stayed in hospital for one week to recover, while receiving antibiotics. He was released from the clinic once the pain and swelling had decreased, but shortly after, the symptoms resurfaced, more intense than before. Presently, the left side of Su’s face is significantly swollen, and he feels acute pain. He has difficulty eating and can only chew from the right side of his mouth. He cannot lay down on the left side due to the swelling and pain, which gets worse at night. Su also feels pain in his neck when he drinks or swallows food. Su needs 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 will help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Su's family is however unable to raise the required funds needed for the imaging procedure. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Su's CT scan and care, scheduled for March 25th. Su is keen to return to school when his condition is treated. He loves to paint and draw in his free time and would like to be an artist someday. Su's grandfather is worried about his condition, but hopeful about his future. He says, “Whatever he wants to do in his future, I will support him fully, as his parents are gone.”

David is a 14-year-old boy from Prey Veng province in Cambodia. As his parents work on fishing boats in Thailand, David lives with his grandmother, his older sister, her husband, and their son. David has never been to school and requires full-time care from his grandmother. David was born with severe scoliosis and has never been able to stand up or walk. Due to his condition, David is also in a lot of pain. David and his family traveled three and a half hours to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for a consultation. On March 6th, David will undergo spinal fusion surgery to straighten his bones. This procedure can relieve him of pain and prevent the condition from worsening. David and his family need your help to fund the $1,500 cost of the surgery and post-op care. David's grandmother said: "We hope he can feel better and not be in pain."