Run is 74 years old and lives with her husband in a small neighborhood of Kandal province, Cambodia. Their family is mainly supported by their second child, who works as a laborer, while their first child is married and lives nearby. In her free time, Run enjoys listening to the news and monks’ sermons on the radio. Two months ago, Run slipped and fell while walking around her house, resulting in a fracture of her hip bone. She experiences severe hip pain and has great difficulty walking, standing, and performing daily activities. Initially, she went to a hospital, where an X-ray confirmed the fracture, and surgery was recommended. However, she could not afford the treatment. She then sought traditional Khmer medicine, but her condition did not improve. On February 4th, with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, Run will undergo a hip hemi-arthroplasty procedure on her left hip. The surgery will help relieve her pain, improve her ability to walk and stand, and allow her to perform daily activities more comfortably. She is able to contribute $100 and needs support for the remaining $612. This cost will cover surgery, medications, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. Run said, “I hope that after surgery I will be able to walk normally again, live without pain, and take care of myself independently.”

Kosal is a 46-year-old single woman from Cambodia. She lives in Preah Vihear province and is the primary caregiver for her 79-year-old father; her mother passed away just one year ago. As the eldest child in her family, Kosal carries significant responsibility, especially since all of her siblings are married and live separately. In her quiet moments, she enjoys watching the news on her phone. Four days ago, Kosal sustained a left distal femur fracture after slipping and falling while trying to run away from a drone. She has a history of a previous left tibia fracture, which has fully healed; however, this current injury is new and severe. She is experiencing intense pain and is unable to walk, making even basic daily activities extremely difficult and leaving her dependent on others. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 12th, Kosal will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $600. The surgery is expected to stabilize the fracture, allowing it to heal. This will help her walk again, improving her mobility and quality of life. Kosol said, “After the surgery, I hope that I will be able to walk without pain again.”

Grace is 47 years old and a single mother to one child from Malawi. She separated from her husband six years ago and moved away. Grace works as a store clerk for a company that sells motorcycle spare parts. Nine years ago, Grace began to experience troubling symptoms, including frequent episodes of intense abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Her health has significantly affected her daily activities, and she can no longer report to work. She now depends on her sister’s support, but her sister cannot afford the surgery costs, and Grace’s child is currently unemployed. This has led Grace to seek financial assistance. Grace first noticed pain in the upper right quadrant of her abdomen in 2016. She went to the hospital and was given only painkillers. Over time, the pain became intermittent, and she eventually got used to it and stopped seeking help. However, the episodes gradually increased in both frequency and severity, and they became associated with nausea, vomiting, and backaches. On November 12th, 2025, her condition worsened. She was taken to the hospital, where an abdominal ultrasound was performed. She was diagnosed with cholelithiasis, or stones in her gallbladder. Grace continues to experience other symptoms such as loose stools, swelling at the painful site on her right side, loss of appetite, heart palpitations, breathlessness due to intense pain, and weakness that requires assistance from others. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is able to help. On December 1st, Grace will undergo surgery to remove her gallbladder. She needs help to raise $1,244 to fund her procedure and care. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve her quality of life. Grace shared, "I am in pain; kindly help me."

Samen is a 59-year-old woman from Kampong Thom province, Cambodia. She lives with her second child, a grocery seller. Her husband passed away six years ago. Her other children are married and live in nearby villages. In her free time, Samen enjoys listening to monks' sermons and planting vegetables around her home. For the past ten years, Samen has been suffering from left hip avascular necrosis, a condition in which the blood supply to the femoral head is disrupted, leading to bone damage. Over the years, she has undergone several surgeries, including a left hip replacement. Unfortunately, she continues to experience a chronic infection of the hip prosthesis, which causes persistent pain and increasing difficulty with sitting and walking for long periods. Over the past week, her condition has worsened, making daily activities even more challenging. After first seeking care locally, Samen learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, through friends in her village and traveled three hours to reach the hospital. On February 3rd, she will undergo an uncemented hip replacement surgery on her left hip. Samen can contribute $100 and needs support to cover the remaining $1,400 for her procedure and care. Samen said, “After the surgery, I hope that I will no longer have pain and be able to walk properly, so I can go to the pagoda by myself easily.”

Lek is a 27-year-old teacher from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Thom province with her five-year old daughter, who attends school near their home. Lek is a primary school teacher, and her husband works in a factory in South Korea and sends money home to help support the family. In her free time, Lek enjoys planting vegetables around her home. On February 1, 2024, Lek was in a motorbike accident on her way to work and collided with the road divider. This accident caused severe damage to the nerve network in her arm. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. As a result of the injury, Lek has significant weakness in her left arm and cannot move her hand. She struggles to perform daily tasks independently, which affects her ability to work, and care for herself and her child. Lek traveled to our medical partner's care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Lek with her surgery. On November 18th, she will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, she will have the chance to regain function in her left hand and arm, allowing her to perform daily activities more easily and return to work with greater independence. Lek can contribute $100, but needs help to raise $637 more to fund her procedure and care. Lek said: “After the surgery, I hope that I will be able to use my arm and hand again so I can do more at work and at home.”

Joyce is a 14-year-old girl from Tanzania. She lives with her parents and four siblings in a pastoralist Maasai community. She is currently in Standard Six at a local primary school and is known by her teachers as a determined and respectful student. Joyce has been living with a severe extensor tendon contracture and burn scar contracture affecting her right hand and wrist. Over the years, the condition has gradually limited her ability to open her hand, extend her wrist, and use her fingers effectively. Despite these challenges, Joyce remains committed to being productive. She has adapted by using her left hand for writing and most school activities, which has slowed her work and made classroom tasks more difficult. At home, she participates in household chores, but tasks that require gripping, lifting, or two-handed coordination are hard for her. Simple activities like carrying water, washing clothes, or holding tools can be painful and frustrating. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Joyce receive treatment. On February 18th, surgeons will perform contracture release surgery and a skin graft to significantly improve her ability to write, care for herself, and participate fully in school and home life. Now, she needs help to fund this $832 procedure. Joyce says, “I try to do everything with my left hand, but it is slow and difficult. I would desire my right hand to work so I can write and do my schoolwork without struggle.”

Sreyka is eight years old and a second-grader from Cambodia. She lives in a rural area in Koh Kong province with her parents and her brother. Her father works as a boat driver, and her mother works in a garment factory. Despite their modest income, her parents work very hard to provide for their children’s education and daily needs. Sreyka enjoys studying math, playing hide and seek with her friends, and watching cartoons. Her favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup. She hopes to become a nurse in the future so she can help other people. Sreyka was born with a cleft lip and palate, which was repaired when she was a baby. However, there is still a gap in her upper gum where teeth should grow. Without further treatment, her permanent teeth may not grow properly, and she may continue to face challenges with chewing, speaking clearly, and smiling confidently. Sometimes, she feels shy because of the gap in her teeth. The family traveled for six hours to reach our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). On March 4th, she will undergo an alveolar bone graft surgery to repair the gap in her upper gum. With proper treatment and recovery, her permanent teeth will be able to grow normally. This will help her chew food more easily, improve her speech, and give her the confidence to smile freely. Her journey to CSC brings hope that she will grow up healthy, confident, and able to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Sreyka and her family need help raising $665 to fund her procedure and care. Sreyka said, “I feel shy sometimes because of the gap in my teeth, but I hope this treatment will help me smile confidently and speak clearly. I want to feel happy and confident like other children.”

Oun is A 77-year-old farmer from Cambodia. She previously planted corn and beans. She is divorced and has three daughters and seven grandchildren. She lives with her oldest daughter, who works as a construction laborer. In her free time, she enjoys going to the pagoda and joining religious ceremonies. Oun developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Oun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On March 5th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. She can contribute $50, but needs help raising $213 more to fund her procedure and care. Oun said, "I hope that after the eye surgery, my vision will improve so she can move around more easily, take care of my grandchildren, and help my daughter with housework. I also wish to be able to go to the pagoda and participate in ceremonies at places that are farther from my home."

Beatrice is a 54-year-old woman from Uganda. She is a mother of five children, and her husband passed away in 2007. Beatrice works as a small-scale farmer, cultivating land owned by others and sharing the harvest. For the past seven years, Beatrice has been experiencing intermittent bleeding and severe abdominal pain. She has a history of hypertension and sought treatment from various healthcare facilities and herbalists without any improvement. Her condition worsened, prompting her to visit a specialist at our medical partner's care center, Uganda Martyr's Ibanda Hospital. She has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $256 to fund Beatrice's surgery, which is scheduled on January 27th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Beatrice says, ‘’I thank God for enabling me to come to see the specialist today at Ibanda hospital. I request the donor program to support my surgery because I do not have financial support, and I hope the operation will be successful. After recovering from the operation, I will resume my work of farming.’’

Victoria is nine years old and the youngest of three children from Malawi. Her mother is a farmer and has a small business selling potatoes. At birth, Victoria was diagnosed with a bilateral inguinal hernia. She experiences painful swelling episodes that affect her sleep and ability to attend school. Victoria's mother thought the swelling would go away and heal on its own. Unfortunately, it has gotten worse over time. Victoria needs surgery to address her symptoms and allow her to live more comfortably. On December 9th, Victoria will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $667 to fund her procedure and care. Victoria’s mother is hopeful that the surgery will transform her daughter’s life, allowing her to return to school, concentrate on her studies, and enable the mother to carry out her daily work and business to support the family. Victoria's mother said, "I wish my child could get better to give me a chance to concentrate on my business and farm work as she concentrates on her education."

Topista is a 79-year-old mother of five from Uganda. She is a strong, vibrant, confident, and charming lady, full of stories and delightful to be around. She has two sons and three daughters, all of whom are now married and working as small-scale farmers. After losing her husband, she he has survived mainly through farming, growing food crops mostly for home consumption, while relying on her children for financial support. At home, she enjoys a meal of millet posho with meat, which she has on special occasions. Topista has had a swelling on her right thigh for a very long time. For many years, it was painless, but two months ago it became tender, painful to touch, and caused discomfort while walking, along with pins‑and‑needles sensations. Topista traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment, and it was recommended that she have surgery to remove the mass. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, has scheduled this surgery for February 3rd. The procedure will cost $137, and Topista and her family need help raising money to fully fund the surgery and her care. Topista says, "At my age, I am no longer working. I depend on my children's support for everything. This time, however, they also can’t raise the money needed for my surgery, and kindly seek your support.”

Seven-year-old Bontu lives with her parents in Ethiopia. As an only child, she is the light of her parent's life, and they would do anything for her. About two years ago, Bontu began experiencing fevers, pain, difficulty in swallowing and snoring. Since then, she is often unwell, and her mother constantly needs to stay with her, forgoing the chance to work and to earn money. Bontu's father works long hours as a manual laborer, trying to earn enough to sustain his family. Bontu has been diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, and she needs surgery to treat her condition. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Bontu, which is scheduled to take place on February 11th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Bontu of her symptoms, and helping her to live more comfortably. "We are so excited for this opportunity that will have our daughter attend school every single day, and play happily with her friends. Our hearts long to see her run and laugh without that constant, heavy exhaustion that has kept her so lonely and isolated for so long," said Bontu's parents.