Meet Tichheang, a 13-year-old, second-grade student from Cambodia. His parents work as farmers, cultivating rice and cashews. His favorite subjects in school are Khmer and Sociology, and he loves playing the drums with his dad and playing soccer with his friends in his free time. When Tichheang grows up, he dreams of becoming a drummer! Around five years ago, Tichheang developed an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. As a result, Tichheang experiences ear pain accompanied by fever, ear drainage, headaches, and weakened hearing on the right side. It is very difficult for Tichheang to communicate at school due to this condition. He is also often absent from class due to his symptoms. Tichheang's family traveled to our medical partner's care center for treatment. On April 9th, Tichheang will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Tichheang and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $926 more to fund this procedure, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. His mother shared: "I want to see my son in good health and able to communicate more easily."

Purity is is a young lady aged 18 years who resides in in Kiambu County. She is the last born in a family of four children. Purity completed secondary school in 2022 and scored well enough to join the university. Unfortunately, she has not yet joined due to a lack of school fees. Her parents, who are farmers, are not able to raise the fee required to attend the university. This makes Purity very sad because she focused all her effort into studying, though she understands her parents’ situation and hopes she can get help soon to pursue her education. In December 2023, Purity began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling. It was Purity’s elder sister who noted her neck was swollen. She was taken to the hospital, and a scan showed a multinodular goiter. She was referred to our medical partner's care center, Nazareth Hospital, for further tests and treatment. She was diagnosed with multinodular goiter. Her surgeon advised them to have a thyroidectomy to heal her condition, but due to their low income, her parents are not in a position to pay for this treatment. If not treated, the goiter may become very big, compressing the trachea and esophagus, leading to breathing and feeding difficulties. She may also have hyperthyroidism leading to palpitations, sweating and weight loss. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Purity receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 5th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $625, and she and her family need help raising money. “I am very much worried about this condition. I pray that someone will come to my aid so that I can be treated and be ready to go to university by the time my parents will manage to pay,” said Purity.

Leat is a 37-year-old mother of two and a rice farmer from Cambodia. Her husband also works in the rice fields. They spend their downtime with their two children. Leat enjoys cooking soups, looking after the house, and gardening. In November 2023, Leat fell and dislocated her elbow. She traveled three hours to a clinic for surgery and treatment. Unfortunately, her arm did not heal so she traveled five and a half hours to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for consultation. It is difficult for her to use her arm and she is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at CSC can help. On March 7th, Leat will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This procedure will restore function in her arm. Leat shared, "I hope I can use my arm again so I can work, care for my children, and help support my family."