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.”

Sreyka is eight years old and a second-grader from Cambodia. She lives in a rural area in Koh Kong province with her parents and her brother. Her father works as a boat driver, and her mother works in a garment factory. Despite their modest income, her parents work very hard to provide for their children’s education and daily needs. Sreyka enjoys studying math, playing hide and seek with her friends, and watching cartoons. Her favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup. She hopes to become a nurse in the future so she can help other people. Sreyka was born with a cleft lip and palate, which was repaired when she was a baby. However, there is still a gap in her upper gum where teeth should grow. Without further treatment, her permanent teeth may not grow properly, and she may continue to face challenges with chewing, speaking clearly, and smiling confidently. Sometimes, she feels shy because of the gap in her teeth. The family traveled for six hours to reach our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). On March 4th, she will undergo an alveolar bone graft surgery to repair the gap in her upper gum. With proper treatment and recovery, her permanent teeth will be able to grow normally. This will help her chew food more easily, improve her speech, and give her the confidence to smile freely. Her journey to CSC brings hope that she will grow up healthy, confident, and able to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Sreyka and her family need help raising $665 to fund her procedure and care. Sreyka said, “I feel shy sometimes because of the gap in my teeth, but I hope this treatment will help me smile confidently and speak clearly. I want to feel happy and confident like other children.”

Kosal is a 35-year-old man from Cambodia. He is married and lives in Phnom Penh with his wife, who stays at home to care for their two children. Their eldest child is in Grade 3 and the youngest is in kindergarten. He works as a lathe operator to support his family and enjoys going fishing in his free time. For the past two years, Kosal has had a lump on his left ankle. It began as a small swelling and gradually increased in size over time. The mass has slowly enlarged and continues to cause discomfort and intermittent pain in the ankle. It makes daily activities such as sitting, dressing, and walking more difficult, and affects his comfort during work and movement. Kosal traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 21st, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Now, Kosal needs help to raise $334 to fund this procedure. He said: “I hope that this surgery will remove the mass and relieve my pain, so I can move freely again, return to my work comfortably, and take care of my family without difficulty.”