Recheal is a 20-year-old from Kenya. She is studying in secondary school but has been unable to attend school for the last three months due to her condition. Recheal is the sixth born in a family of eleven children. Her parents are small-scale farmers, growing maize and beans for their family’s home use. Recheal does not have medical coverage, and her parents had to sell cattle and maize to raise Ksh 120,000.00 ($783) to cover her initial surgery costs. Recheal needs to undergo urgent surgery, and her family is requesting financial assistance. Recheal has been diagnosed with an abdominal bile leak that is causing her discomfort and pain. Her doctors have recommended surgery to ease the pain and enable her to resume her studies. She first experienced painful stomach swelling in August 2023. She visited a local health center and was treated for worms, which relieved her of pain for a while, but it recurred with time. She then visited our medical partner’s hospital for review. At the beginning of November, she received a CT scan that showed a liver cyst that required surgery. She underwent a laparotomy to remove the cyst on November 23rd. Four days later, the doctors identified a bile leakage that needed to be rectified. She is now scheduled for emergency surgery on November 28th to fix the fatal condition. African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,074 to fund this surgery. Recheal said, “I have missed school for three months now. This procedure will help ease stomach pain and enable me to return to school.”

Khouy is a 16-year-old tenth-grade student. Khouy lives in Kampong Thom province with his parents, who work as rice farmers. Khouy shares his home with his older brother who sells Khmer cakes at the local market. Additionally, he has a younger brother and sister, both actively attending school in the nearby area. Khouy loves going to school, particularly enjoying math and Khmer history at school. He aspires to become an electrician in the future. Outside of academics, he likes playing football games with his friends. In December 2022, Khouy fractured his femur during a football game. Khouy underwent surgery at a local hospital, where metal hardware was implanted to facilitate healing. The fracture has since healed, but Khouy experiences persistent discomfort in his leg and now needs to have the implanted metal removed. Fortunately, the skilled surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can provide the necessary assistance. Khouy's surgeon scheduled a hardware removal procedure for January 9th, the cost of this operation amounts to $304. Khouy hopes to return to football soon and contribute to his parent's farm. Khouy's mother said, "We hope Khouy's leg will be strong again so he can walk well and help us on the farm."

Sok is an 80 year-old retired rice farmer from Kompong Thom province. Since her husband died five years ago, she has been living alone. Her six children and twelve grandchildren live in neighboring villages. The family checks in on her often, but it has become increasingly difficult for Sok to go out on her own due to deteriorating vision. She misses going to the pagoda to pray and taking walks. Her favorite things are her grandchildren and listening to Buddhist radio. About one year ago, Sok developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Sok learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On March 7th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Sok shared, "I hope after surgery I can see better, easily go out on my own, and recognize my family."