Thet is a 25-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. She has three brothers and two sisters, and enjoys helping her mom do work around the home. In November, Thet was driving her moto when a truck almost hit her head on, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground. She lost consciousness for one hour and had a forearm fracture plated at a nearby hospital. The accident caused a brachial plexus injury (BPI) on Thet's left side. The brachial plexus is the network of nerves that sends signals from the spine to the shoulders, arms, and hands. Thet currently does not have any movement of her biceps, triceps, or hands. The upper arm has normal sensation, but her left forearm has none. Her left hand has only tingling sensation. Thet and her mom traveled four hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. A BPI surgery will involve diverting a nerve from one destination and sewing it into the non-functioning nerve. It can take three-to-six months before full recovery of function is typically seen. "I hope I can use my hand again after surgery," shares Thet. "When I am healed, I will go home and continue working in the factory."

Nicholaus is the second child to his mother who has two children. At the beginning of the year, his father was killed in an accident. Since then, his mother moved the small family back to her parents home in Tanzania to live. Since birth, Nicholaus has had noisy breathing especially while he sleeps. This has been diagnosed as enlarged adenoids, and the condition requires surgical removal which costs $488. Not only do the enlarged adenoids affect Nicholaus' breathing, but he has difficulty eating as well. It is expected this surgery and care will be successful and his mother will be able to take him home soon after. The family are subsistence farmers in a village about 45 minutes from the Plaster House, the treatment center Nicholaus will receive care at. Nicholaus' mother would like her son to grow up to become a nurse or teacher. "Thank you for helping my child," Nicholaus' mother shares.

26-year-old Katuutu is excited to be pregnant for the first time. However, she will not be able to have a vaginal delivery because she has a contracted pelvis—meaning one of the diameters of her pelvic bones is too small to allow for her baby to pass through during childbirth. If Katuutu does not undergo a cesarean section delivery, she may rupture when she goes into labor, which can be life-threatening. Katuutu also had polio as a child, which has left her with lingering physical challenges: she must use a wheelchair instead of walking, and her arms cannot hold anything. Katuutu is the oldest in a family of four. She lives with her parents, who are both farmers, in a small village in Uganda. Katuutu sells charcoal and firewood for a living, which allows her to make ends meet and to pay for her polio-related medical costs—but will not leave her with enough extra money to afford the caesarean section she needs to survive childbirth. Katuutu’s financial situation is further complicated by the fact that the father of her baby left after she became pregnant. But we can help. For $270, we can fund Katuutu’s C-section, as well as the medications and week-long hospital stay she will need to safely recover from the procedure. Katuutu shares, “I have always wanted to have three children, but I think my condition will not allow it. I want to have surgery so that I don’t lose this first baby."