Pheak Tra is an 18-month-old living in Kandal province with his parents, grandparents, and three siblings. Pheak Tra's mom works in a nearby clothing factory and his dad is a rice farmer. His grandparents help care for the children, and Pheak Tra is the only child not in school yet. His favorite things are milk, fish soup, and playing with his siblings. Pheak Tra was born with radial club hand, a rare birth defect characterized by a hand that turns inward toward the body, and an absent thumb. Pheak Tra's function in his left hand is limited, which makes it hard to play with his toys and carry out everyday activities. His parents have been worrying about how and when to treat him, due to the fear of the costs. Pheak Tra and his grandma traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for help. On February 1st, he will undergo a tendon procedure under the care of visiting specialists from Singapore and a small team of Cambodian surgeons as part of an ongoing nerve and tendon surgical training program. After surgery, Pheak Tra will have improved function in his hand. Pheak Tra's grandma shared, "We want him to be able to do things with his brother and sister, and to be able to use his hand when he starts school in the future."

The birth of twins Jane and her sister brought joy to their parents. She is the 4th born in a family of five. She is a bright grade 1 student who likes reading, drawing and colouring. Her family hails from a small village, and both her parents are farmers. Soon after birth, her parents discovered the challenge of Jane being born with multiple birth conditions: Bilateral clubfeet, hydrocephalus, and spina bifida. They shared that they were quite shocked as they had not heard or experienced any of them before. Treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida required a collaborative effort between orthopaedic specialists and neurosurgeons. At ten days, she underwent a spina bifida surgery at a local hospital to address the neural tube defect affecting her spine and then hydrocephalus. Jane is a resilient girl and has overcome so much, carrying a big smile on her face. She now needs treatment for her clubfoot condition as her feet are bent inward, hindering her mobility. She is scheduled to undergo surgery, which will be impactful to her because she will be able to walk confidently like other children and continue with her education. “My desire is to see my daughter walking well and any kind of help is greatly appreciated,” Jane’s mother told us.

Nyunt is a 50-year-old father of three from Burma. Nyunt and his wife stay home and care for the kids and their nephew. They cultivate and sell bananas and beetle nuts for a living. During his leisure time, Nyunt enjoys spending time with his family. Nyunt is a former patient of Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) who received surgery for his renal stone problem with the help of Watsi in 2020. He had been in good health until earlier this year when he suddenly started experiencing difficulty passing urine. The doctor diagnosed him with bladder stones after conducting an X-ray and ultrasound. Doctors want Nyunt 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 help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Nyunt's CT scan and care, scheduled for March 5th. Nyunt said, "When I get healthy, I want to continue planting more beetle nut and banana plants on my property, as space still exists. They need some years to grow, but I think I can sell the fruits in the future."