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.”

Nusrat is a nine-year-old girl from West Bengal, India. She has an elder brother and goes to school in her village. She lives in a home that her family shares with extended family, and she is equally loved and adored by everyone. When she was just an infant, Nusrat sustained severe burns when a vessel full of hot oil was accidentally spilt as her uncle walked by carrying the pot. She was treated locally for a few weeks, but developed extensive scarring on the left side of her face, lower lip, neck, and chest. She had two previous surgeries in 2019 to treat the burned skin on her neck. Nusrat needs surgery for her residual neck contracture and lower lip scarring. She has high hopes of restoring her neck mobility and improving her appearance with surgical repairs. Nusrat has travelled a considerable distance for treatment with our medical partner, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center. The G.S. Memorial Trust will cover a portion of the cost of her procedure, and the family is seeking assistance to raise the remaining $866 to fund her next procedure. Her surgery is scheduled for April 8th. Nusrat's mother says, "The surgical team and the hospital have been supportive during her treatments before, and we have full faith in their abilities to treat her and help her regain confidence as they have done from day one."

Koemsoeun is a hardworking father and former motorbike taxi driver from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Cham province with his wife, who sells vegetables at a local market, and their three children. The eldest serves in the army, the second helps their mother at the market, and the youngest is in Grade 8. In his free time, he plants vegetables around his home. Two years ago, Koemsoeun was involved in a traffic accident that injured his right proximal tibia. After the accident, he was taken to a hospital in Vietnam, where he underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery. However, the wound did not heal properly and was infected. He sought treatment at a government hospital in Cambodia, where the metal implant was removed. Despite this treatment, his condition did not improve, and the wound continues to cause pain, swelling, and infection. When Koemsoeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On March 11th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove the damaged and infected tissue from his wound. After recovery, he is expected to walk normally again, reduce pain and infection, and resume his daily activities and ability to support his family. Koemsoeun can contribute $342, but needs help raising the remaining $342 to fund his proceure and care. Koemsoeun said, “I am very grateful for the support that helps me receive this treatment. I hope my leg will heal so I can walk normally and support my family again.”