Mareach is an active 7-year-old. He is the oldest in his family and has two younger siblings. Mareach is in the second grade and loves studying Khmer and math, as well as playing football and with toy cars. His mother is a homemaker, and his father sells items at the local market to support their family. Several days ago, Mareach placed a stone in his ear when he was playing with friends. He experienced immediate pain in his right ear, and now his ear has become swollen and infected. His parents have been unable to retrieve the stone, so they traveled to our medical partner's care center hoping Mareach can receive treatment. On May 17th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. CSC is requesting $273 to fund this procedure so he can be pain free. Mareach's mother shared, "I hope the doctors will be able to take out the stone and that Mareach learns never to put anything in his ear again."

Minea is a sweet, nap-loving two-year-old boy. He is the first child in his family, and his parents work as rice farmers. They shared that Minea loves to play with toys and take a good nap, if not two, every day! Minea also loves to eat and cuddle with his parents. In December 2021, Minea and his mother were in a motorcycle accident that injured Minea's left shoulder. His parents took him to the local hospital for X-rays and care; however, his shoulder is still dislocated, meaning he cannot lift his arm or grasp objects with his hand. Minea has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. Minea's family brought him to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), in February to undergo physiotherapy for his injury. Since there has been no improvement after three months of physiotherapy, CSC's specialty surgeons determined that Minea needs to undergo a nerve transfer surgery to heal. CSC is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available, and, on April 21st, Minea will undergo surgery. His doctors shared that, after recovery, his nerve graft should regenerate so he can use his arm again. CSC is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Minea's parents hope their child will have a successful surgery and he will be able to fully use his hand as he grows up.

Happiness is a 15-year-old girl who lives with her widowed mother - a small scale farmer - and six siblings. She is in class six at school. Happiness has many academic strengths, and she is always among the top ten students in her class, where her best subjects are Swahili, mathematics, social studies and history. She hopes to learn English someday, and she would like to be a teacher when she completes her studies. Her father used to sell cattle for a living, but he passed away when she was six years old. Happiness was diagnosed with right genu varus, which causes her right leg to bow outward at the knee. This condition is often caused by contaminated drinking water. Initially, both of her legs were affected, but before her father died, he was able to find treatment for Happiness' left leg. Her right leg is now severely impacted, making walking painful. And, because she is self-conscious of her leg, Happiness always wears long dresses to keep it covered. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Happiness. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 10th. Treatment should restore Happiness's mobility, alleviate her discomfort, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Happiness says “Walking is hard and painful for me. I would like to have normal legs so that I can walk well."