Samnang is a 31-year-old farmer from Cambodia. Residing in rural Kampong Speu province with his elderly parents and older brother, Samnang and his brother are subsistence rice farmers. What they do not eat, they sell at the local market in exchange for vegetables and other items. Before his injury, he enjoyed football matches with neighbors as part of everyday life. In September 2023, Samnang had a motorbike collision with a car, falling hard on his right shoulder on the pavement. This caused head trauma and paralysis of his right shoulder and arm. He was taken to a local hospital, where it was confirmed that he ruptured his brachial plexus, causing certain muscles to be unusable. 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. However, he was unable to afford the care that is required to help and has not been able to use his arm or work for the past four months. He has pain over his shoulder and no sensation in his forearm. Samnang traveled to Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. On January 30th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he hopes to have some function of his right arm restored. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Samnang said: "I hope I can use my hand again so I can work and my brother will not have to take care of me."

Nyi is a 22-year-old man from Thailand. He lives in the monastery with two other monks. He helps the monk with cooking, cleaning, and looking after the monks. He receives free food and free accommodation. He has no income but has enough food. Originally from Burma, his aim of coming to Thailand was to look for better job opportunities and also to seek treatment but because of his condition, he does not have job and ended up living in the monastery. In December 2022, Nyi started experiencing some headaches and blurred vision. He went to the local eye clinic and his eyes were tested and he received a pair of eyeglasses. However, the eyeglasses did not help him see better so the doctor suggested him to have further investigation and possibly a computerized scan (CT). Nyi had no money so he did not pursue further investigation of his symptoms. He was looking for a way to get treatment and finally arrived in Thailand and visited Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in November 2023. After meeting with the doctor at MTC, the doctor told him to go to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation and explained to him that his eyes looked normal but there might be a tumor that is causing his blurred vision, the doctor then recommended he undergo a CT scan to confirm his diagnosis and make the best plan for his care. Doctors want Nyi 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 Nyi's CT scan and care, scheduled for January 30th. Nyi said, "I want to recover and get a job so that I can earn money for my living."

Margaret is a shopkeeper and a single mother of three. Her kids are all adults. She used to work at a small shop selling exam papers. However, she has not been able to go to work since December because of her pain. She is currently at home without a source of income and does not have medical coverage. She lives in a three-room house which her family shares with her elderly mother. Margaret has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1110 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Margaret. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 23rd. After treatment, Margaret will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Margaret says, “I am currently experiencing a lot of pain. This condition has caused me not to be able to work at all. I need this surgery to stop the disease from spreading.”