Hongly is a nine-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and older sister in Kampong Chhnang province. His mother works in a garment factory to support the family, while his father stays home to care for the children. Hongly is a fourth-grader. At home, he loves eating Samlor Proher, a traditional Cambodian vegetable soup, and enjoys riding his bicycle and playing with his friends and neighbors in the village. For the past two years, Hongly has been experiencing snoring, difficulty breathing, frequent nighttime coughing, trouble swallowing, and chronic pharyngitis accompanied by fever. Even though his mother bought him medicine from the pharmacy, he is still not getting better, which makes it hard for him to keep up with his studies at school. Hongly was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund Hongly's tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy scheduled to take place on April 9th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Hongly of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Hongly's mother shared, “I hope he will get better, and not miss so many days at school.”

Hun is a bright and motivated ten-year-old boy from Cambodia who is in third grade. He enjoys reading and doing math. When he is older, he would like to pursue the field of Information Technology. He and his brother live with their mother and grandparents, who are all rice farmers. His father unfortunately passed away several years ago due to lung cancer. To support her children, his mother works in a nail salon during the off-season. When Hun was a toddler, he had the flu and received several injections in his thigh. These injections prevented his leg from properly forming and caused hyperextension in his knee. His mother sought medical treatment at a children's hospital, but she could not fund his needed treatment due to financial constraints. Fortunately, Hun's mother learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), and traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On August 3rd, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty procedure of his left quadriceps and an osteotomy of his femur. The goal of these procedures is to correct his condition and allow him to develop and walk without difficulty. Now, Hun's family needs help funding this $482 procedure. His mother says, "I hope the surgery will fix Hun's leg so he can grow up like other children and be strong."

Lenny is a beautiful eight-month-old baby girl from Haiti. She is a happy and bubbly girl who loves to smile and play with her mother! Lenny has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Lenny has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Lenny will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Lenny at Hospital Bernard Mevs, where she will receive treatment for her hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the whole country where this care is currently available. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 5th. This critical treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Lenny's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Lenny will hopefully grow to be a strong, healthy young girl. Lenny's family expressed that they are hoping for a successful surgery that will help Lenny to grow and develop without complications.

Romany is a playful child from Cambodia. She has two sisters and loves playing with toys and dolls. When she was one year old, Romany had an injection in her leg that caused pain and stiffness. Romany now has a dislocated knee, and it's difficult for her to walk. Her mom wants to start her in school, but she's delaying it until Romany is feeling better. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 27, Romany will undergo a dislocation repair procedure, which will cost $430. Surgery will align the patella and allow her to walk without pain. Her mother says, "I hope my daughter can go to school and walk without pain."

Arpahxad is a two-year-old boy from Kenya who is just learning how to speak. "Three months ago, Arphaxad developed a swelling in the groin area that was on and off. It mostly appears when he coughs or cries," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Arpahxad has been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia in his left pelvic region, which means his organs protrude through the wall of his abdominal cavity. The swelling causes discomfort and puts him at risk of intestinal obstruction. His father is a cleaner at the supermarket while his mother takes care of the house. Their small income prevents them from raising $430 needed for hernia repair surgery. “Your help towards Arphaxad’s treatment would relieve me of a lot of stress, and anxiety. This help will make it possible for me to focus on getting funds to improve my overall financial situation for the better,” says Arphaxad’s father.

Chy is a 50-year-husband, father, and grandfather from Cambodia. According to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), Chy earns his income working as a rice farmer. During his free time, he enjoys watching entertainment programs on television. “Three years ago, Chy developed a cataract in both eyes,” CSC tells us. “This causes him blurred vision, tearing, and he is afraid of the sunshine.” A cataract is a thickened, cloudy lens. Over time, the altered lens loses its ability to focus light properly, resulting in blurry or dull vision and increasing difficulty seeing faraway objects. Cataracts account for 50-percent of all cases of blindness worldwide. Cataract formation typically occurs in both eyes, as Chy is currently experiencing. "It is hard for me to see clearly or do my work very well,” shares Chy. “I can't go outside very far by myself." $225 covers the cost of surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from both of Chy’s eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. Funding for Chy’s treatment also includes post-operative follow-up care. After surgery, “Chy will be able to see clearly again,” says CSC. "I hope my eyes can see everything clearer than now, so I can easily do any work on the farm,” says Chy. “I hope I will be able to easily go outside by myself too."

Tseganesh has a large abdominal mass that's putting dangerous pressure on her internal organs and threatening to turn into a critical condition if it bleeds or becomes infected. Tseganesh is the oldest of three children. She loves school, but often asks her parents if she can stay home because her classmates "make fun of her tummy." Her father, who is a farmer, worries about her future. "She is my first born. Many members of my family are expecting her to be successful in her education and help the rest of the family, but if this problem continues, I am very skeptical that this will be so." The surgery Tseganesh needs costs $1000. Her doctors expect it to give her a chance at a normal, productive life.