Proeung is a loving grandmother with one son, four daughters, and ten grandchildren. Proeung raised her children as a single mom for most of their lives, and enjoys cooking and looking after them and her ten grandchildren. She is a retired rice farmer, and now spends her days with her family and friends in the village. She enjoys going to the nearby pagoda to pray regularly. In mid-October 2023, Proeung fell outside of her house and broke her ankle. She was treated at a local clinic, but the wound around the fracture has not healed. She has sought further treatment from a traditional healer in her village, but the skin around the wound has only worsened. She is in chronic pain and cannot walk without support. When Proeung learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled there hoping to seek treatment. On November 9th, surgeons at CSC will perform a skin flap procedure to to eliminate pain and help her walk independently again, but Proeung needs help to fund this $673 procedure. She shared, "I hope I can walk by myself and be able to care for my family again."

Sokhon is a 49 year-old soup seller. She moved from a rural province to the capital Phnom Penh around 20 years ago, when she first got married. Her husband is a rickshaw driver, and together they have three daughters. One daughter is recently married, and the other two are in their final years of high school. Sokhon sells soup from a street cart. In her free time, she enjoys sleeping and watching Cambodian sitcoms. Around two years ago, Sokhon had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Sokhon experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and persisitent ear discharge. It is difficult for her to hear and she experiences constant discomfort. Sokhon traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 14th she will undergo left ear surgery. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She shared, "I hope I can go back to work and speak clearly with my customers, friends, and family."

Sath is a 79-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. He has two sons and two daughters who are also rice farmers. Sath currently lives with his wife and his youngest son, who supports them financially. While walking home one evening in 2019, Sath was hit by a car. He suffered a head injury and a fracture of his lower right leg. He underwent surgery, and his leg was casted, but when the cast was removed, the fracture remained unhealed. Because of the Covid pandemic, Sath was unable to travel, and his family didn't have the money to fund additional care, so he improvised, using a bamboo splint. However, he has continued to have an open wound on his right leg and is unable to walk. A friend in the village told him about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Sath and his wife traveled two hours for treatment. Doctors at CSC's care center diagnosed him with a chronic wound infection. His bone is exposed, and he needs debridement of the wound and a skin flap - a reconstructive surgery technique involving the transfer of skin from one area of the body to another. Sath's surgery is scheduled for August 8th at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Sath is able to contribute $100 to his treatment, and needs help raising the remaining $991. This sum will cover the cost of his surgery, hospitalization, medications, and rehabilitation. Sath said: "After surgery, I hope that my wound closes and I can walk again."

Claudy is an 11 month old child from Haiti. He is the youngest child in his family. He lives with his mother, father, brother and sister and is very playful. Claudy has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Claudy has been experiencing Increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Claudy will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Claudy at Hospital Bernard Mevs that will treat his hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on July 4th. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from Claudy's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Claudy will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. The family is hoping that the surgery will allow him to grow and enjoy a healthy life without further challenges.

Panha is a 7-year-old second grader who lives with his parents on the southern coast of Cambodia. His mother works in a nearby canned food factory, and his dad works in construction. Panha loves creating art, eating Cambodian street food, and learning Cambodian culture and history at school. In July 2022, Panha was playing at home when he accidentally knocked over a boiling pot and sustained burns on the lower part of his body. Burn scar contractures have developed around his hip and groin, making it difficult for him to walk or attend school comfortably. When Panha's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On May 16th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help Panha walk easily and feel comfortable again. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this procedure. Panha's family contributed $100 to his care. Panha's mom said, "I hope Panha feels better after surgery and can focus at school."

Loy shared, "I hope after this surgery my eye can see well again so I can take care of my husband well." Loy is a 73-year-old grandmother living in Cambodia with her husband, two children, and three grandchildren. She is a retired rice farmer and spends her time caring for her husband who is disabled. In her free time, she likes to visit the pagoda in her local village. About ten years ago, Loy developed a cataract in her left eye. The cataract causes her irritation, blurry vision, and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on her own. When Loy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for over two hours to seek treatment. Luckily, surgeons at CSC were able to quickly diagnose Loy's issue, and create a treatment plan. On April 24th, surgeons will perform cataract surgery and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to help fund this procedure.

Aung, who is 25 years old, lives with his mother, brother and two sisters in Burma. His mother is retired, and his brother is a security guard. One of his sisters works at a bicycle factory, while the other one works for a local company. Aung is currently unemployed because of his poor health. In October 2022, Aung fell ill and developed a persistent cough. He went to a charity hospital, where he was told that he had a heart infection. After he was treated with injected antibiotics, the doctor told him that he needed an echocardiogram, because he might have a heart condition due to the infection. After the echo was completed, he was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation, and he was referred to a cardiologist in Yangon. Aung went to see the cardiologist, who told him that he would need surgery, which he could not afford. On December 25, 2022, both of Aung's legs and his arms became swollen, and he was unable to sleep. He went to a private hospital, where it was determined that he would need surgery as soon as possible. Currently, Aung feels extremely fatigued, experiences chest pains, and has difficulty breathing. Sometimes, his legs and his arms become swollen, and he cannot sleep well at night. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for the mitral valve replacement surgery that Aung needs. The procedure is currently scheduled to take place on April 2nd, at Pun Hlaing Hospital. "In the future, I want to work as a taxi driver, because I believe that I could easily earn money doing this [in the city]," said Aung.

Kayden is an eight-month-old baby boy from Kenya. He is the second born in a family of two children. His mother works as a hotel attendant and is unable to afford the proposed surgery Kayden needs. Kayden was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. His mother noticed the growing lump on his back and sought medical advice at a Catholic Medical Facility in Kariobangi, Nairobi, Kenya. There, she was referred to BethanyKids, where he was examined by the neurological team. Without treatment, Kayden is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1151 to cover the cost of Kayden's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 8th. This procedure will hopefully spare Kayden from the risks associated with his condition, allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Kayden's mother says, “His condition has caused me immense mental stress, which has resulted in an increase in my blood pressure. Due to this condition, I am forced to hide him from people. I hope he gets this treatment to be healthy again like kids his age.”

Elithon is a curious and outgoing 5-year-old from Tanzania and a member of the Maasai community. He is the fourth child in his family of five. Our medical partner’s team shared that he loves to talk and was so excited to share about the amazing wild animals he saw on his way to their care center - his favorite being elephants! He also loves the cold weather in the mountains near his home. Elithon could not hide his excitement when he arrived at the care center for treatment. Elithon fell and tripped over a stove with a pot of boiling soup, causing him to burn his right arm. Burn scar contractures have started to develop and tighten the skin around his burn. Consequently, it is difficult for him to stretch and use his hand. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Elithon receive treatment. On February 27th, surgeons at AMH’s care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery that will help him use his hand again. AMH is requesting $832 to fund this procedure. Elithon’s mother says: “We are very excited to know that there is a place where our son can get treatment.”

Peter is a young boy from Kenya. He is the only child in his family and a 1st-grade student in primary school. His mother says that he likes to draw and play with his peers while at home and at school. The family comes from Gathaiti village, Gatundu in Kiambu County. Peter's mother is a housewife, and his father is a boda boda (motorcycle for hire) driver who works in the village. Peter has clubfoot on his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Peter traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 27th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Peter's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and wear shoes. Peter's mother said, “I seek support to help my son undergo surgery and walk like other children and improve his self-esteem while in school and at home.”

Rayan is a one-month-old infant and the firstborn child in his family. He lives with his mother and her parents. His mother just completed her aviation diploma, but is currently unemployed. His father is also unemployed. Rayan has clubfoot of both feet, a condition in which his feet are twisted out of shape. This will cause him difficulty walking and even wearing shoes in the future. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Rayan receive treatment. He traveled to AMH's care center where, on January 17th, he will undergo clubfoot repair surgery. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Now, Rayan and his family need help raising $935 to fund his procedure and care. Rayan’s mother shared, "I am afraid my son won’t have a normal life in the future. I hope he gets the treatment that helps his condition."

Joyline is a 14-year-old student at a primary school in Kenya, where she lives with her parents and two younger siblings. Her parents are small-scale farmers who plant potatoes and beans, mainly for home consumption, with some sold for an income. They live in a home without electricity, using firewood as their source of heat, while getting their water from a nearby river. Joyline reported that she started feeling pain in her leg in November of last year. Her parents brought her to two different facilities, where the only treatment provided was pain medication. Walking has become difficult to the point she had to stop going to school and is unable to walk on her own. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, can help. On May 9th, Joyline will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. The treatment will repair her fractured femur, and enable her to live a pain-free life. Now, African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Joyline says: "I feel so much pain, and the worst of it all is that I cannot walk. I am so uncomfortable when I see my mother helping me do things that I could do on my own. Kindly help me so that I may be able to go back to school and study well, as this is my final year in primary school."