Panha is a nine-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents, who sell groceries in a small booth, and his younger brother, who is two years old. He is in the 5th grade, and enjoys studying mathematics, eating fried pork, playing football with his friends in the village, and doing his homework. He dreams of becoming a police officer when he grows up. Recently, while playing with his friends, Panha fell and fractured his left elbow. He is experiencing significant pain, has difficulty moving his arm, and is unable to lift his hand, which makes daily activities and schoolwork challenging. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 5th, Panha will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $600. This treatment will help relieve his pain, restore movement of his left arm, and allow him to use his hand easily again so he can return to school and focus on his studies. Panha's mother said, “After the surgery, I hope my son will be able to use his hand easily again and be free from pain, so he can grow healthy and focus more on his studies.”

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.”

Gilbert is 65 years old and a retired secondary school teacher from Malawi. He is married and a father of five children. His wife is a farmer. Six years ago, Gilbert began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small swelling on his neck. He visited the hospital, where he was diagnosed with recurrent follicular neoplasia of the thyroid. His medical history shows that he previously had a goiter in 1978, which was surgically removed, and he remained well afterwards. In 2023, Gilbert's condition worsened. After several tests, he was then started on chemotherapy for follicular thyroid disease and completed six cycles. He was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center, for surgery and specialized care. He was diagnosed with a goiter, which is an abnormal swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. He needs surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Gilbert receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 7th. Surgeons will remove all or part of his thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and he and his family need help raising money. Gilbert shared, "My condition has brought in more pain to my retirement life, ending up draining all my resources on hospital support; kindly help me to get better and get away with the stigma around me, said Gilbert during assessment."