Yousos is a 58-year-old laborer at a cashew farm from Cambodia. He lives in an isolated village in Stueng Treng, Cambodia, with his wife and their two children. His wife also works at the cashew farm, and both of his children help with cashew farming to support the family. The household depends entirely on its small daily labor income for daily expenses and basic needs. In his free time, he helps with farm work and household chores. In 1988, while serving as a soldier at the border, Yousos sustained a gunshot wound to his right femur, resulting in a fracture. An external fixation was applied to facilitate healing; however, the fixation later became loose and was removed. He then sought treatment through Khmer traditional medicine. While his condition appeared to improve as he was able to walk and return to work normally, he continued to have discharge from the wound. Ten days ago, while working on his farm, he twisted the same leg and fractured the same area again. He now experiences pain, discharge, and difficulty walking. The non-union fracture and infected wound make it very challenging for him to perform daily activities and continue his farm work. When Yousos learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for nine and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 20th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove damaged and infected tissue from the wound and allow the wound to heal. Yousos can contribute $50, but needs help raising the remaining $367 to fund his procedure and care. Yousos said, “I have lived with this injury for many years, but now the pain and infection make it very difficult to walk. I hope this treatment will finally heal my leg so I can return to my farm and live without suffering.”

Sak is a five-year-old kindergarten student from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Thom with his mother and older brother, who is in Grade 6. His parents divorced three years ago, and he is currently under the care of his mother, who works as a chef in a private household. He enjoys going to school and likes learning Khmer reading and writing. In his free time, he plays outdoor games with his friends in the neighborhood. His favorite food is vegetable soup, and he hopes to become a police officer in the future. For the past three months, Sak has been experiencing difficulty in breathing during sleep, difficulty swallowing, and recurrent sore throat (pharyngitis). This has affected his sleep quality, which has led to reduced energy, and impacted his ability to focus at school. The recurrent throat infections also cause frequent discomfort and illness. Sak 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 Sak, which is scheduled to take place on May 13th. During the procedure, surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sak of his symptoms, allowing him a healthier life. His mother says, “After the surgery, I hope my son can breathe and sleep better, so he can wake up energetic, attend school happily, and enjoy being a child again.”

Sopheaktra is a seven-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents, who both work in a glasses factory, and his two siblings. He is currently in second grade and enjoys reading and writing. In his free time, he likes playing with his friends and eating his favorite food, fried pork. For the past four months, Sopheaktra has been experiencing difficulty breathing, trouble swallowing, and loud snoring at night. He also experiences frequent throat infections, occurring about twice per month over the past year. This has affected his sleep and overall well-being, and has made it difficult for him to attend school regularly and participate in activities with his friends. Sopheaktra was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly worsen over time. Fortunately, on April 22nd, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will help Sopheaktra undergo a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy — a procedure to remove the tonsils and adenoids. This procedure will cost $345, and Sopheaktra needs your support to fund the surgery. Sopheaktra's mother said, “After the surgery, I hope my son will be able to breathe easily, swallow without difficulty, and sleep peacefully at night. I also hope he will no longer have frequent throat infections and can return to his normal, healthy life.”