Kim is a 57-year-old woman from Cambodia. She and her husband are rice farmers and have two children, a son who is 20 years old and in grade twelve and a daughter who is 16 years old and in grade ten. Kim also works a second job washing dishes to supplement the family's income. When at home, Kim likes to cook for the family and keep the house clean. Last week, Kim slipped outside on tile steps during a summer rainstorm and fell on her left wrist. She visited a local clinic, where an x-ray revealed that she had a fracture. Kim is in pain and cannot use her left arm. Her local doctor recommended she undergo surgery, but the cost at their clinic was too steep for Kim and her family. Kim and her husband traveled for two and a half hours to receive care at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). On July 17th, the surgeons at CSC will perform a closed reduction procedure on her wrist, and Kim will use a cast as she heals. CSC is requesting $485 to fund Kim's care, which includes the surgery, medications, rehabilitation, and her hospital stay. Kim contributed $50 to her care. Kim said, "After surgery, I hope that I can use my hand again and won't have pain."

Rachana is a 18 year-old freshman in the university. She is from Phnom Penh, where she currently attends college, and works a few days a week in a coffee shop. Rachana is the first in her family to attend college. Her parents are clothing factory workers, and her younger brother is still in high school. In her free time, she likes learning new recipes from social media. Around four years ago, she started to notice hard mass in her right arm. Since then, it has grown in size. She has been diagnosed with a benign bone tumor, called an Osteochondroma. She experience pain, swelling, and difficulty using her arm and hand. Rachana traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 11th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Now, Rachana needs help to raise $273 to fund this procedure. After surgery Rachana hopes that she can continue to attend school and work without any more pain or worry that her condition will worsen.

Beatrice is a student in the fourth grade but has been unable to continue with her studies since she her injury on her right hand. She lives with her parents and four siblings in a one room rental house. Her parents are part-time workers with an inconsistent income and cannot afford her surgery. They are relying on well-wishers to pay her medical bills. Beatrice sustained a burn on her right hand in early June. She accidentally slipped on boiling water as she was getting out of the bed and sustained serious burns on her right arm. She was admitted to Kiambu Level Five Hospital and stayed there for almost three months where a debridement and a skin graft was done but failed. Her mother shares that the wound has been discharging pus. She was reviewed at our medical partner Kijabe Hospital and doctors agreed that she needs several debridement and skin grafting sessions to save the hand from amputation. She is in pain and unable to use her hand and has not been going to school since she had the accident. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Beatrice receive treatment. On October 11th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to aid in the healing of the wound and help her use the hand again. Now, Beatrice needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Beatrice's mother says, “My baby has not been attending school since the accident. Her hand has a foul smell, and it might be cut if not treated.”

Visa is a 24-year-old soldier from Cambodia. She is also married to a soldier and they have a 3-year-old daughter. When she is not at work, she likes to watch movies on TV. Visa had an earlier ear infection that caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Visa experiences frequent pain and ear discharge. For the past 3 months, she has had ear discharge, pain, and occasional bleeding. It is difficult for her to hear at work; which she shared makes her feel embarrassed, frustrated and upset. Visa traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On November 24th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $925 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She told us, "I hope after surgery I will be able to hear clearly, the discharge will stop, and I will no longer have this pain."

Agnes, a mother of eight children, arrived in our Watsi reps' office looking frail, drained, and in deep thought. She had given up getting medical attention and had requested her children to take her home before we intervened. She is mourning her husband who recently succumbed to cancer. Furthermore, doctors recently discovered she has a high-grade stromal tumor and requires surgery to remove the ovarian mass, which has been causing her severe discomfort. She shared her story with us: during the first week of May 2020, Agnes started feeling a sharp pain in the lower part of her stomach. She thought they were just normal pains and therefore got pain medication from a nearby chemist. Days later, her pains continued to increase, this time accompanied by bleeding. Alarmed she visited the nearest health centre where she was referred to Kijabe Hospital for further review. Several tests were conducted when she visited the facility and doctors discovered that she has symptomatic uterine fibroids. She underwent surgery but later doctors discovered that she has a mass in her ovaries that requires excursion. Despite having approval from the National Health Insurance program, the amount is not enough to cover the cost of surgery and she needs financial assistance. Agnes was widowed barely a month ago after her husband's long battle to cancer. The cost of taking care of her husband has depleted the limited family resources they had. Equally, she has also been sick and had several trips that made her close the little shop they were running from their home. She has no source of income after they closed down their shop. Her kids don’t yet have a stable source of income, and with what they do have, they have been instrumental in paying for her husband’s medical bills and cost of the funeral. Agnes shared, “I recently buried my husband as a result of cancer. I have been ailing and in a lot of pain. I had to close my small shop and therefore have no source of income. I am unable to afford this much-needed surgery and request for assistance.”