Srey Mey lives in Kampong Cham province with her parents and older sister. Both of her parents work in nearby rice fields. Srey Mey enjoys science class and hopes to be a nurse when she's older. She studies with her friends and likes listening to pop music in her free time. Since she was little, Srey Mey's parents noticed stiffness in the right side of her neck. A local clinic diagnosed her with torticollis, a twisting of the neck that causes the head to tilt at an odd angle. The family has hoped she would grow out of it, but her condition has not changed. She has a limited range of motion and often feels embarrassed. Fortunately, a friend in their village told Srey Mey's family about the Children's Surgical Centre. Srey Mey and her mom traveled two and a half hours for treatment. Doctors recommend a tendon surgery to restore the range of motion in her neck. Surgery will resolve her head tilt and improve her quality of life. Srey Mey shared, "I hope I can move my neck normally and not worry about this anymore."

Mary is a 53-year-old who has been a widow since 2010 raising her two kids with challenges. Her older son has autism and requires full time attention. Her last-born daughter recently graduated from college and does not have a source of income yet. Mary lives in her ancestral home. She has not been able to pay her monthly insurance medical premiums so does not have coverage and has been relying on her relatives to support her medical bills. Mary feels in pain and uncomfortable. She has been having stomach pains for the last six months. She went to a local government hospital in central Kenya and was treated for amoeba and stomach pains. She was relieved for a short while, but the pains recurred. Almost a month later the pain increased and was accompanied by vomiting. She opted to visit Kijabe Hospital, where she was reviewed and the pain was controlled. She was requested to do a colonoscopy and other tests to get a detailed diagnosis. Since she was feeling better after the review, she did not follow up on the plan due to financial constraints. However, six months later the symptoms recurred and she came back in January. Her tests and a biopsy revealed cancer in the colon that needs urgent attention as it is life threatening. Mary has now been scheduled for a right hemicolectomy procedure. One side of the infected colon (large intestine) will be removed to avoid metastasis. Sadly, she is financially constrained. Her friends at home have requested time, two months, to be able to find the required amount for the surgery. This is a long period considering the case is cancerous. She appeals for support so she can undergo treatment now. Our medical partner is requesting $1,074 to fund her surgery and help her fight the cancer. Mary says, “I have been in pain for over six months now. I thought it would be relieved, but the diagnosis is now shockingly cancer. I need this surgery to stop the disease.”

Min is a 43-year-old construction worker and father of ten from Cambodia. Min and his wife live in Koh Kong province near the Thai border with four of their ten children. The other children have moved out in search of jobs in nearby towns. While Min works in construction, his wife is busy taking care of their children. In his free time, Min enjoys watching Thai and Cambodian boxing and playing soccer in the village. On April 12th, Min was in a motorbike accident, causing an open fracture on his right forearm. He received treatment for the fracture at a provincial hospital, where the wound was dressed and closed. Unfortunately, the wound became infected. Now he experiences pain, swelling, and limited function in his arm. When Min learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove damaged and infected tissue from the wound. Now, Min needs help to fund this $324 procedure. Min shared, "I hope this will heal so I can return to work and support my family."