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.”

Ashley is a four-year-old preschooler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and one younger sister in an agricultural village in central Haiti. Her parents both work as farmers and raise animals. Ashley likes listening to music on the radio and singing in church. Ashley has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels next to her heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. Ashley will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 13th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT, during which doctors will use a device on the end of a catheter to plug the hole in her heart, so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $4,000 to pay for the surgery. Ashley's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Ashley's family overseas. Ashley's mother said: "We will be so happy when we can stop worrying so much about our daughter's health!"

Phary is a six-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives in a small neighbourhood near Phnom Penh with her parents and her two-year-old younger sister. Her parents sell clothes to support the family and work hard to provide for their children. She is in Grade 1 and enjoys learning to read and write Khmer. In her free time, she likes playing with toys with her younger sister. Her favorite foods are caramelized pork and grilled fish, and she dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up. Phary was born with an abnormality in her right leg. Three months ago, she underwent surgery to correct the position of her leg. Doctors implanted metal plates in her right leg to help repair the abnormal bone. Recently, the area around the metal plate became infected and swollen. This has caused her pain and made it difficult for her to walk comfortably. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 16th, Phary will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $378. This treatment will help remove the infection and allow her leg to heal so she can walk comfortably again and return to her normal activities as a child. Phary's mother shared, “I feel very worried seeing my child in pain and having difficulty walking. I hope the doctors can treat her so the infection will heal and she can walk comfortably again like other children.”