Nita is an 11-year-old student from Cambodia. She is the middle child among two siblings and lives with her parents and older sister in Rotanakiri province. Her youngest sister stays with their grandmother in a separate house. Her parents sell fried meatballs on the street from the back of a motorbike. Nita enjoys school and jumping rope with her friends at recess. Nita was born with facial asymmetry, including a collapsed left nostril and visible deformities affecting the overall shape and alignment of her nose and her ability to breathe easily. She had a unilateral complete cleft lip and palate, which was corrected when she was younger. Due to her appearance, she often feels embarrassed, especially at school. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Nita receive treatment. On December 5th, she will undergo a rhinoplasty procedure, which will cost $333. This procedure will address the deformities in her nose, including the collapsed nostril, and improve her facial symmetry. After surgery, she will be able to breathe more easily through her nose and feel more confident in social situations. Nita's mother says, "I hope that after the surgery, Nita will feel more confident around others, especially at school with her friends."

Phearum is a fourth-grade student from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Thom province with her parents, grandfather, and older sister, who is in grade 11. Her mother works in a clothing factory, and her father is a construction worker. At school, she enjoys studying Khmer and would like to be a teacher when she grows up. At home, she likes playing with toys and completing her homework. Her favorite meal is rice with grilled pork and fish. For the past year, Phearum has been experiencing coughing, difficulty breathing, and snoring at night. She is often tired at school. These symptoms have made it difficult for her to focus on her studies in class. Phearum was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Phearum undergo a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Phearum, which is scheduled for January 3rd. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Phearum of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Phearum's family can contribute $75 but needs help to raise $190 more to fund her procedure and care. Phearum's mother said, "I hope after her operation, Phearum can sleep better and feel good in class."

Jackson is a nine-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the fourth born child in a family of six children. Jackson is a hard-working boy both at home and school. He is currently in class three and his best subjects are Mathematics and Swahili. Due to his health condition, Jack is having a hard time walking and it continues to become more difficult as time goes on. When he is not at school, he helps to look after his father's cattle. Jackson's parents are livestock keepers who make a very humble income. When Jackson was two years old, he fell off his bed. As he fell, his right leg went into the fireplace, which is usually next to the bed to keep the hut warm. At the time, his parents couldn't take him to the hospital due to financial challenges and treated the burn wound using traditional herbal medication. His wound took a long time to heal. Over the years, the skin around his right foot has contracted and pulls his toes upward, which makes putting shoes on very challenging for Jackson. His parents have to buy big, soft shoes so that he can go to school wearing shoes. Jackson often complains of pain after a long day of walking. Most of the times when he is home, he doesn’t like wearing shoes due to the pain and discomfort. Through a mission organization, Jackson was referred to Plaster House at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre to seek treatment help. Doctors recommend that Jackson undergo an amputation of two toes on his right foot in order to remove the pain and difficulty that he feels when walking and wearing shoes. Jackson's parents cannot afford the treatment cost thus they are asking for help. Jackson will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on April 23rd. African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,088 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Once recovered, he will be free of pain and will soon be able to walk comfortably again. Jackson shared, "I would like to be able to wear shoes and walk without feeling pain. I will be happy if am able to have this treatment."

Scholastica is a 6-month-old baby girl from Tanzania. She is the last born in a family of six children. Scholastica was born a healthy child but, at four months of age, her mother noticed her head was growing very fast and she was not able to support it. They could not afford the cost of seeking care at the regional hospital at the time. Scholastica's parents are small scale farmers and work hard to make ends meet with their income. Eventually, they were able to get some money from relatives and took her back to the regional hospital. There, Scholastica was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. Without treatment, Scholastica will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Unfortunately, she was not able to get an appointment at the regional hospital for a long time. As time went on, Scholastica's condition grew worse. Her head increased in size and her eyes began rolling down. Though they were concerned, her parents could not raise money to seek an alternative hospital for care. Eventually, their friend referred them to our medical partner's care center, ALMC Plaster House. Their friends and neighbours supported them with bus fare for the two-day journey to the hospital. Now, she is scheduled for an ETV surgery to treat her condition, and the family appeals for financial support for this procedure. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,300 to cover the cost of ETV surgery for Scholastica that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 25th and will drain the excess fluid from Scholastica's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. It will also reduce the likelihood of severe fevers, vomiting, and potential brain damage. With proper treatment, Scholastica will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Scholastica’s mother shared, "We travelled for two days because we were told there is hope for my daughter to get help. Please help save her.”

Srey Pich is a 6-year-old student in the first grade. She has two siblings. Srey Pich's father is a construction worker, and her mother is a factory worker. Some of her favorite foods are fried vegetables, traditional Khmer soup, and coconut milk. In her free time, Srey Pich loves painting and drawing pictures. Five months ago, Srey Pitch got a high fever after bathing in the river with her friend, and developed an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. As a result, Srey Pich experiences foul-smelling ear discharge, tinnitus, and hearing loss. It is difficult for her to hear sounds or communicate with anyone around her. Srey Pich traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 1st, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her right 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 Srey Pich's medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Her family shared, "We hope that this procedure will improve her hearing and stop her ear discharge. She loves going to school, and nowadays is often sick and must stay home."