Gezu is a 20-year-old man from Ethiopia and a determined ninth-grade student. He works hard to balance his education with the work needed to support his family, including his four brothers and three sisters. Six months ago, he suffered a severe electrical burn to his left palm while trying to fix an electrical issue. Although he received immediate care at a nearby clinic, the treatment was not sufficient to ensure a full recovery. Due to severe scarring, his palm is locked into a claw-like shape, making it impossible to hold the tools needed for farming. This injury has left him frustrated and physically weak compared to his siblings. Between the demands of work and the trauma of the accident, he has fallen behind in his studies and lost his self-esteem. When Gezu learned about our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, he traveled for four hours to seek treatment. On February 18th, surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery, this will allow him to use his hand for planting and return to his education. He is determined to succeed in his classes and work alongside the other staff members in the fields once again. Now, he needs help to fund this $500 procedure. Gezu said, "I believe this surgery will give me back the life I was building. More than anything, I want to work the land alongside my family again. I don't want to just watch anymore—I want to use my own hands to do the work that used to come so naturally to me."

Chantha is a 36-year-old grocery seller from Cambodia. Her husband works in a shop, and they have two young children. In her free time, she enjoys teaching her children and managing the household. Ten years ago, Chantha suffered an ear infection. This infection caused her left eardrum to perforate. For this reason, she experiences pain, swelling, ringing in her ear, and ear discharge. The condition causes discomfort but also gradual hearing loss, which is affecting her daily life and activities. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Chantha receive treatment. On April 1st, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. She can contribute $100, but needs help raising $263 more to fund her procedure and care. Chantha says, “I hope that after this surgery, the years of pain, discharge, and hearing loss in my ear will end, and I can feel relief and comfort once more.”

Sha is a 56-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and two sons in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Sha and one of his sons are day laborers in a village near the camp. His wife and one of his daughters are homemakers, while his other daughter is a teacher in the camp. His other son is still a student in the camp. The family has a vegetable garden around their home, and they raise chickens and pigs to sell and for their own consumption. Their combined monthly income of 5,000 THB is often not enough to cover their daily needs. They currently have a loan of 3,000 THB, money borrowed due to Sha's illness. A few days ago, Sha began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain with the pain radiating to his back and a fever. He has been diagnosed with appendicitis, and now needs surgery to prevent his condition from worsening. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Sha receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo an appendectomy, a surgery to remove the appendix when it becomes infected, on May 14th at Mae Sariang Hospital. This procedure will cost $1500, and Sha and his family need your support. Sha says, “I never experienced pain like this before. When the pain is very severe, I can’t breathe easily. I would like for this pain to stop.”