71-year-old Yean lives with his wife and their youngest daughter in Kandal province in Cambodia. He and his wife have a total of seven children, with six of them already married and living with their own families. In his free time, Yean likes to watch boxing and "Lakhaon Bassac", a Cambodian traditional theatre performance on TV. About two years ago, Yean began experiencing weight loss, fatigue and a chronic pain in his right knee. When he visited a local hospital, he was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), which was an hour's drive, for further care. Yean was diagnosed with Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST), a rare type of cancer that develops in the soft tissues that cover and protect peripheral nerves. If left untreated, MPNST can also spread to other parts of the body. Although the surgeons had hoped to remove the tumor and save his leg, it was determined that Yean needed to have his leg amputated. Our partner, CSC, is helping Yean receive treatment. On April 24th, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform a leg amputation surgery to relieve his symptoms and prevent the cancer from spreading. Yean and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $379 more to fund the procedure. Yean says: "After surgery, I hope to no longer be in pain, so that I can go home and spend time with my family."

Jonathan and his mother are refugees from Southern Sudan. He is the 1st born in a family of three children. He is a special needs child after being diagnosed with autism when he was young. His mother says he developed jaundice as a neonate, which was not well controlled, which she believes led to brain damage. Hence, she cannot work because Jonathan requires constant support. It takes the help of relatives and friends to help her make ends meet. Since 2021, Jonathan has been experiencing frequent adenoid infections, accompanied by difficulty sleeping, breathing, as well as pain, making him cry a lot. He has been treated many times with not much change. They were introduced to our partner's care centre, Nazareth Hospital, by one of the doctors from South Sudan. After consultation, the surgeon advised to have an adenoidectomy, but the family is not able to raise the fee required. If not treated, Jonathan will have more problems. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting help raising the $565 to fund the surgery planned January 28th. Jonathon's mother shared: “It is not easy to bring up or care for a child with autism, but at least I try my best. It is worse when he has a painful or disturbing condition like this. I kindly seek help so that he may be treated and at least I can have one less problem to deal with. I would appreciate it.”

Veneranda is an elderly lady who is married and practices small-scale farming together with her husband. She shared that she had ten children but only six are alive. One of her late children left three children whom she is currently taking care of. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. Eight months ago, Veneranda began to experience troubling symptoms, including right upper abdominal pains. She visited a nearby health centre and was given medication which only assisted her for a short while. She later reported to Rushoroza Hospital where the doctor ordered some tests including a scan. She was diagnosed with choledochal cystitis and the doctor recommended a cholecystectomy, gallbladder surgery. She is currently unable to work on her small farm to get food for her family and cannot raise the required funds for the surgery. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Veneranda receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove her gallbladder on November 24th at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $284, and Veneranda and her family need your support. Veneranda says, “I am praying for my surgery and being able to return to my farming soon."