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."

Phikhirona is a shy 8-year-old student in grade one. Her family consists of her father, formerly employed near Children's Surgical Centre crafting prosthetic limbs, and her two elder sisters. One, aged 13, is currently in grade 5, while the other, aged 11, is navigating grade 4. Unfortunately, her mother succumbed to breast cancer several years ago, so her older sisters watch after her. In her first year of attending school, she has interest in Khmer subjects. Back at home, her cooking skills are being developed by her older sisters, who are teaching her how to prepare her favorite dish - fried pork with vegetables. Phikhirona was born with polydactyly of both hands and feet. This means that she has an extra digit on the side of both hands and polysyndactyly of her feet. On each foot, she has an extra toe that is connected, via fusing or webbing, to an adjacent toe. She faces difficulty wearing conventional shoes due to the presence of extra toes and fingers, and unfortunately, she endures teasing from other children as a result. Fortunately, on January 29th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digits of her hands. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $299 to fund this procedure. After surgery, she will feel more comfortable about her appearance, and she won't be ashamed of how her feet look. Her father shared: "I hope that the surgery will not cause any infection and the extra fingers will not grow back."

Blandina is a mother of five children. She and her husband farm together. Blandina likes singing and enjoys eating maize porridge with fish and rice with milk. Blandina noticed some swelling on her neck, causing her bouts of pain. During her visit at Partners in Hope Medical Center, she was diagnosed with Euthyroid Multinodular Goiter and was told she needed a thyroidectomy, a procedure where surgeons will remove part or all of her thyroid to help address pain and difficulty breathing. Blandina is scheduled for surgery on February 27th and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,015 for the procedure. Blandina said, "The surgical operation will help me go back home and rejoin my family and community and continue enjoying life."