Setta is a 17-year-old student from Cambodia who lives with her mother, who works as a hairdresser from home. Setta is in the 11th grade and wants to be a teacher when she gets older. When she is at home, she enjoys eating bitter melon fried with rice, and often helps her mother with housework. Setta was born with idiopathic scoliosis, or an abnormal sideways "S" curvature of the spine. Her mom brought her to a public hospital, where she underwent a number of treatments for her condition. However, over the past five years, she has experienced back pain when walking for more than 20 minutes and the pain makes it difficult for her to sit comfortably in class. More recently, she has noticed difficulty breathing due to her rib cage pressing on her lungs. She also occasionally feels numbness in her legs from her vertebrae pressing on nerves. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Setta receive treatment. On September 3rd, specialty surgeons at CSC will perform a scoliosis spinal fusion surgery to correct Setta's spinal curvature and improve her health and quality of life. This surgery will relieve her chronic pain and allow her to breathe better, walk, sit, and study at school comfortably. Setta's mother can afford to contribute $100 toward her daughter's care. Now, she and her mother need help raising the remaining $1,400 to fund the surgery, hospitalization, implants, medication, and physiotherapy. Setta shared, "I hope after my operation, my spine will be straight. I want to walk with my friends and not have a hard time breathing, work to support myself when I am done with school, and not be ashamed of my back."

Kanika is a thirteen-year-old girl from Cambodia. She lives with her mother and younger brother in Pursat Province, near the border with Thailand. Kanika's mother sells groceries at home, and her father works at a factory in Korea to support the family. Kanika is currently in seventh grade and enjoys her geography class. She has shared that she wants to work in Korea like her father when she is older. At home, Kanika's favorite meal is fried fish with rice, and she likes doing her homework and helping take care of her younger brother. Kanika has been diagnosed with both Marfan syndrome and scoliosis, which are complex conditions leading to pronounced spinal deformities. These conditions affect her physical appearance, making her fingers and toes long and slender and causing a sunken chest. Marfan syndrome also impacts her heart function. Her scoliosis results in severe double curves in the thoracic and lumbar regions. These conditions make her feel uncomfortable at school, and in social situations, impacting her daily life. Kanika and her mother were referred by a public hospital in Phnom Penh to our medical center, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), for spine treatment. On September 4th, specialized spinal surgeons will perform a fusion surgery to stabilize and correct Kanika’s severe spinal curvature. The surgeons will use implants and bone grafts to join the vertebrae together. Kanika’s mother can only afford $100 toward her daughter’s care and needs your help to raise the remaining $1,400 for the surgery, hospitalization, implants, post-operative medication, and physiotherapy. This procedure will help relieve Kanika’s discomfort, improve posture, and prevent future complications. Kanika's mother shared, "I hope that my daughter will be able to live comfortably and continue her schooling."

Edinah is a dedicated 51-year-old small-scale farmer and a loving mother. Since losing her husband fourteen years ago, she has worked tirelessly to support her three children, who are still in school. Having dropped out at just six grade due to financial struggles, Edinah dreams of providing her children with the education she never had. For the past 15 years, Edinah has faced troubling health issues, including swelling in her neck that makes breathing and swallowing difficult. She can no longer work on her farm the way she used to, and her quality of life has suffered greatly. Edinah has been diagnosed with a non-toxic goiter, and without surgery, her situation will only worsen. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edinah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on September 3rd at Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need your support to help her regain her health and continue to care for her family. Edinah says, "I am all my children have, and I work tirelessly to help their dreams come true. However, with my current health condition, I am losing my strength. I believe that with your support, I can have the surgery I need to recover and continue farming, ensuring that I can provide for my family."