Sothea is a ten-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives in the Takeo Province with his grandmother, who is a rice farmer, and his younger brother. His parents work in the city to support the family; his mother is employed in a garment factory, and his father works in construction. Sothea is currently in third grade, and his favorite subject is math. He hopes to become a teacher when he grows up. In his free time, he enjoys playing games outside with his friends in the village. For the past year, Sothea has been experiencing difficulty swallowing and breathing while sleeping. He snores at night and frequently experiences a sore throat. His condition affects his sleep and causes discomfort throughout the day, making it difficult for him to rest well and affecting his overall health and school activities. Sothea 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 $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Sothea, which is scheduled to take place on May 12. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sothea of his symptoms and helping him breathe and sleep much more comfortably. His mother said, “I hope this treatment will help my child breathe and sleep better so he can grow up healthy and strong.”

Monny is a six-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives in Kandal Province with her parents and siblings. Her father is a car repairer and her mother sells snacks in front of a local factory. She is the middle child of three siblings and is currently studying in Grade 1. She enjoys playing dolls with her friends. Her favorite meal is Tom Yum soup, and she hopes to become a teacher in the future. For the past two months, Monny has been experiencing difficulty in breathing, snoring at night, sore throat, cough, and occasional vomiting. The symptoms affect her sleep quality and daily comfort. She experiences discomfort especially at night, which affects her energy and school activities Monny 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 requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Monny, which is scheduled to take place on May 19th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Monny of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Her mother said, “After the surgery, I hope my child will breathe and sleep better again, recover quickly, and be able to live happily and comfortably without pain or difficulty.”

Vorn is a 13-year-old Grade 7 student from Cambodia. He is the youngest of five siblings and lives with his parents in Kampot Province. His parents are rice farmers, while his older sister works as a teacher, his older brother works in a garment factory, and his other siblings are in high school. He enjoys studying English and playing football with his friends in the village. His favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup with eggs. For the past six years, Vorn has been experiencing difficulty swallowing, a tight sensation in his throat, recurrent sore throats, and difficulty breathing. He also snores at night. His ongoing throat problems make swallowing and breathing uncomfortable and can disturb his sleep because of nighttime snoring. These symptoms affect his comfort and make it harder for him to feel well during his daily activities and at school. Vorn 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 $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Vorn, which is scheduled to take place on September 10th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Vorn of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Vorn's parents said, “We hope the surgery will help our son breathe and swallow more comfortably and sleep better at night. We are excited to see him feel healthier and enjoy his daily activities with fewer throat problems.”

Vann is 50 years old and a rice farmer from Cambodia. He and his wife live in Kampong Speu province. They have six adult children. In his free time, he enjoys caring for the plants and fruit trees around his house. In 1993, Vann lost his right leg due to a landmine injury during the post-war period. Since then, he has lived with this below-knee amputation (BKA) for over 32 years. Recently, he has been experiencing mild pain and has developed a small wound at the stump site. He has been using crutches for the past five months to get around, which has made it harder for him to help in the rice fields. Vann sought treatment with our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). On May 1st, he will undergo a stump revision procedure to remove damaged tissue and reshape the stump for improved comfort and function. During this procedure, surgeons will clean the area, remove infected or problematic tissue, and smooth the bone to allow for better prosthetic fitting. Vann needs help to raise $379 to fund his procedure and care. This amount will cover the cost of surgery, hospital stay, nursing care, medications, and follow-up rehabilitation. Vann shared, “I hope I can walk comfortably without pain, so I can work on the rice farm with my wife again.”

Clarice is a two-month-old baby girl from Tanzania, a bright spark in her parents’ world. At her young age, she is already full of life, sleeping during the day and staying active at night, keeping her new parents on their toes. But even those sleepless hours are moments her parents cherish, as they embrace the beautiful challenge of raising their first child. Clarice’s parents are working hard to give her the best start in life. Her mother is a government school teacher, while her father takes on casual day jobs to support the family. Like many new parents, they are adjusting to their roles with love and determination, doing all they can to ensure Clarice grows up healthy and strong. Clarice has clubfoot on her left foot, a condition that could affect her mobility later in life. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual, and this will cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Clarice's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. There, the medical team will begin clubfoot treatment on August 7th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341 to fund Clarice's clubfoot repair. After treatment, the position of her foot will be corrected, allowing her to move around more comfortably as she grows. Clarice's mother says, "My hope is that our daughter will grow up healthy, and be able to play with with other children."

Titus is a 40-year-old man from Kenya who is married with three children, all of whom are in school. Titus used to work for a transportation company but had to resign due to his medical condition. He practices small-scale farming, growing potatoes to provide for his family. In December, Titus was in an accident that caused him to sustain an open fracture of the left tibia. He was brought to a nearby facility, where the doctors gave him a splint and advised him to undergo surgery. Due to financial constraints, he opted to transfer to a facility near his home for the surgery. Following the procedure, at his regular check-up, the medical team noticed that his wound was open and not healing properly, and the exposed hardware from the surgery was causing him pain. He then visited our medical partner's hospital for further help. He met with the orthopedic surgeon and was diagnosed with chronic osteomyelitis, a bone infection. Titus needs to undergo a series of surgeries to heal. He has undergone a successful procedure through his national insurance to remove the implant and now requires two more procedures. Titus is requesting financial help for his final surgeries to heal his wound and fracture fully. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On April 14th, Titus will undergo a skin graft procedure. AMH is requesting $1,183 to fund this surgery. Titus shared: "I am a young family man, and they are really dependent on me. I am, therefore, looking forward to faster healing so that I can go back home to continue with my farming activities to be able to provide for my family. I would love to see my children's growth since I didn't have a chance to study past high school due to financial challenges."

Sanuth is an eight-year-old third grader from Cambodia. He lives in Takeo province with his parents and two younger siblings—a six-year-old brother and a three-year-old sister. His parents are rice farmers, and other relatives watch the children when they are working in the rice paddies. In school, Sanuth enjoys learning math and Khmer culture. He is learning to play badminton with his left arm and likes to ride his bicycle with his siblings. Three years ago, he fell off his father's motorcycle and broke his right humerus, the bone in the upper arm. His parents could not seek any medical treatment at the time because they could not afford it. The fracture has not healed correctly, and his right arm is weak. It is difficult for him to lift things using both arms, and he experiences pain when he tries to use his arm. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On April 29th, Sanuth will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This procedure will correct the non-union of his humerus and allow it to heal correctly. Sanuth's mother said: "I hope my son will be able to use his arm better after this operation so he can be strong."

Klo is a 5-year-old who lives with his parents and four siblings in their village in Burma. His family farms and raises chickens and pigs. Klo enjoys playing with his siblings and exploring his surroundings. His parents hope that, with proper medical intervention, he will be able to grow up without complications and live a happy, healthy life. In January, Klo woke up unable to open his right eye. His eye was red and itchy. Concerned, his mother took him to the local clinic, where he was prescribed medications and eye drops. When his condition did not improve, his mother took him to another clinic, where the doctor prescribed a different type of eye drops, but he continued not to get better. Klo was then referred to a hospital in Thailand, where the doctor referred him again to our medical partner's hospital for further treatment. Surgeons at our medical partner's hospital determined that Klo needs to undergo lens replacement surgery. During this procedure, the surgeons will remove Klo's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye so that, after recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Klo's mother said: "I want my son to be healthy and not struggle with his condition as he grows older. We are grateful for the help we are receiving."

Matias is a six-year-old boy from Bolivia who lives with his mother and three siblings. Matias has a cardiac condition called tetralogy of Fallot, which involves several related conditions, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These deprive the body of oxygen and cause heart failure. His mother knew of his condition when he was born, but they could not afford to get treatment for Matias. On April 15th, Matias will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño. During surgery, doctors will sew a patch over the hole and remove the blockage from his valve. Matias's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Matias' mother shared, "I want my son to be healthy and full of life. I hope and pray the surgery will be a success."

Mengly is an energetic four-year-old toddler from Cambodia. He lives with his younger sister and grandmother in Kampong Speu province. His parents work in a shoe factory in Kandal province because they could not find jobs in their home province. They visit their children as often as possible and send home money to care for the children. Mengly does not attend school yet, but he enjoys playing with toys and eating anything his grandmother cooks for him. Mengly was born with polydactyly of his right hand. This means that he has an extra thumb. His parents worry that the extra thumb may affect his hand's functionality or make him feel self-conscious as he grows older if it is not treated. Fortunately, on March 11th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra thumb. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $299 to fund this procedure. After surgery, he will be able to use his hand more easily and perform tasks with better dexterity. Mengly's mother said: "I hope that he will be able to use his hand and grab objects well."

Nash is a six-year-old boy from Haiti. He lives in Port-au-Prince with his mother and younger sister. He is in the first grade and likes art and music. Nash has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several conditions in the heart including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These conditions deprive his body of oxygen, leaving him weak, and short of breath. Nash will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On August 22nd, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in his heart with a patch, and remove the blockage from his valve. Another organization, Akron Children's Hospital, is contributing $10,000 to pay for surgery. Nash's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and checkup and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing passports for the family and travel for the social workers from our medical partner who will accompany Nash's family overseas. Nash's mother says, "Our family is so happy to finally have this chance after waiting so long!"

David is a bright nine-year-old student from Cambodia. He is the oldest of three siblings, having a younger brother and sister. His mother works as a cleaner for a charity organization, while his father is a taxi driver. They work hard to care for and provide for their family. About two weeks ago, David had a severe ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in his right ear, to perforate. As a result, David experiences pain and has a blood clot in his ear canal. It is now difficult for him to pay attention in school and is impacting his day to day life. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On August 27th, David will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, during which surgeons will close the perforation. David's family is able to contribute $50 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $437 more to fund the procedure. The funds will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care. David's mother says: "I hope my son can undergo the surgery to relieve the pain in his ear and help him concentrate in school."