Nan is a 50-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. Nan's and his wife have eight children. Four still live at home - one son works in the rice paddies with his parents, and the three youngest children are still in school. His four older children are married but visit the family frequently. Last February, when Nan was on his way home on his motorbike during a rainstorm, he suddenly lost control of the bike on the muddy road. He fractured his left femur, but could not afford to visit the clinic, so he was treated by a Khmer traditional healer. His fractured femur has still not healed. When a bone fracture is untreated, the bone doesn't heal at all, which means that it will remain broken. As a result, Nan continues to have swelling, tenderness, and pain that has worsened over the past ten months. It is difficult for him to walk and he is in constant pain. Nan is embarrassed because he cannot work outside with his wife and son or help to feed his family. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) can help. On December 11th, Nan will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This procedure will fixate his unhealed fracture with an orthopedic nail to help to heal the bone and allow him to walk again. Nan is able to contribute towards the cost of surgery and needs help raising the remaining to fund his procedure. He said, "I hope to be able to walk again after my operation, so I can work to feed my family and send my younger children to school."

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.

Jasmin is an 11 year-old girl from Bolivia who needs heart surgery. Jasmin lives with her father, a police officer, and her mother, a nurse. She has one older brother and one younger sister in La Paz. Jasmin likes to paint, draw in coloring books, and help her family with errands. Jasmin was born with Down syndrome, and also a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving Jasmin weak and short of breath. Our medical partner International Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1,500 to fund surgery to repair Jasmin's heart. During surgery, doctors will sew the hole closed so that blood can no longer pass through it. Once her heart is repaired, Jasmin will be able to breathe easier and have more energy and ability to make the most of everyday. Jasmin's mother shares: "we're so happy that the time has finally arrived for her surgery, our family has been waiting a long time for this moment."