Heak is 60 years old and a hardworking rice farmer from Cambodia. She lives with her niece, who is a Grade 12 student. She is the seventh of ten siblings, all of whom are married. Her parents passed away during the Khmer Rouge era. Despite many hardships in life, she continues to support herself through rice farming. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and helping with household chores. In 2024, Heak was involved in an overturned car accident while traveling in Thailand, resulting in a severe fracture of her left femur near the knee. Although she underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture, the bone failed to heal properly and developed into a nonunion, causing ongoing pain in her left knee and leg. Heak experiences persistent pain and stiffness in her left knee, making it difficult to walk without support. The condition limits her independence, affects her ability to work in the rice fields, and makes everyday activities challenging. Fortunately, Heak learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), and sought treatment. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total knee replacement to relieve Heak of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for June 1st. Heak can contribute $100, but needs help raising $1,213 more for her procedure and care. Heak said, “I hope this treatment will help me walk without support again and live without pain. Being able to move independently would mean so much to me and allow me to return to my normal life.”

Mengleang is a four-year-old kindergarten student from Cambodia. She lives in Kandal Province with her parents. Her father is a farmer, and her mother works in a garment factory. She is the youngest of three children - her older brother works in a beverage factory, and her sister is in Grade 11. She enjoys learning Khmer reading and writing and loves playing dolls with her friends. She dreams of becoming a nurse in the future. For the past four months, Mengleang has been experiencing sore throat, loud snoring, difficulty breathing at night, and trouble swallowing food and drinking water. Mengleang 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 Mengleang, which is scheduled to take place on May 21st. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Mengleang of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Her mother said: “I am very worried to see my daughter struggling to breathe and sleep at night. I hope this treatment will help her breathe easily, sleep peacefully, and grow up healthy without pain or discomfort.”

Khin Maung is a 45-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife and two daughters in the village in Phop Phra District, Tak Province, Thailand. He works as a day labourer, while his wife is a homemaker. His eldest daughter left school to care for her younger sister and support the family at home. In September 2025, Khin Maung noticed a lump below his left lower jawbone. He did not seek any treatment because he believed the lump would disappear on its own. The mass is slowly increasing in size and has started to cause pain, making it difficult for him to sleep. Despite the increasing discomfort, he continued delaying treatment because he did not have sufficient financial resources to cover the cost of the treatment. Doctors want Khin Maung to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Khin Maung's CT scan and care, scheduled for June 30th. Khin Maung said, "Thank you very much for supporting my treatment cost. May you be able to continue to help patients like me for a very long time.”