Chelangat is the youngest of 6 children in her family and is currently in 1st grade. Her mother is a local roadside vendor selling vegetables and other seasonal groceries in her small village to meet her children’s basic needs. Her father is a young farmer growing maize and beans which are seasonal crops. Her siblings are all currently in primary school. Chelangat was brought into Kapsowar Hospital by her mother and her cousin with complaints of pain in her right elbow, and progressive swelling. Chelangat's mother reports that on January 31st, 2024, Chelangat fell at school, injuring her elbow. She was then taken to a nearby health center twice where she was given painkillers and both times was discharged back home, although the pain kept persisting. Her family decided to come to Kapsowar Hospital for further treatment. An X-ray was done which revealed that she had a displaced upper arm fracture and developed compartment syndrome, which causes pain and could cause nerve damage. She was then put in a skin traction and the arm was elevated to help decrease the swelling as she awaits surgery. Chelangat needs to undergo surgery on her elbow so that she can be able to go back to school and continue with her studies. The surgery costs $679 and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting funds to support this surgery. Chelangat's mother says, “My daughter is in a lot of pain, please help her so that she gets better and joins her classmates to continue with her studies.”

Nay is a 31-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his mother, two sisters, two brothers-in-law, two nephews, and two nieces in a village in Karen State along the Burma border. Nay works in Thailand as a day laborer, spending one week working in Mae Sot and then returning for two days to his village. Nay’s mother is retired and one of his sisters is a homemaker, taking care of her children. The other sister and two brothers-in-law are day laborers on a farm in Karen State. They also grow vegetables for family consumption. His nephews and one niece go to school. Their monthly income is enough for basic needs and they make an effort to pay for basic health care. In his free time, Nay enjoys helping in his community and fixing electronic items. In July 2023, Nay began to experience blurred vision in his right eye. He has intermittent pain and discharge. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for him to see clearly. Nay feels uncomfortable seeing only with his left eye and feels sad and depressed about his condition. Nay was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, he could lose vision entirely in the right eye. Nay is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his retina on January 18th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of this procedure and care. After the surgery, Nay's vision will hopefully be restored, and he will resume his daily activities comfortably. Nay said “I was stuck and hopeless while the doctor was telling me that I would need a surgery. I don’t even know how to explain about my health problem to my family. I worry they will feel so sad and worry about me. I am unhappy and feel tired emotionally. After learning that I have donors who will help me paying for my treatment in Chiang Mai, I feel like my hope has returned and I'm wishing my vision would repair and I'll be able to continue my career in the future."

Voeun is a retired rice farmer from Kompong Thom province in Cambodia. He is 73 years-old and married with two sons, three daughters, and five grandchildren. One of his daughters and her husband live nearby and help support Voeun and his wife by working in the rice fields. The other children help when they can. In his free time, Voeun likes listening to the news on the radio and going to the pagoda to pray. About one year ago, Voeun developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Voeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On February 7th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. He shared, "I hope after surgery I can recognize my grandchildren better and I would like to go to the pagoda on my own without my family worrying about me."