Noah is a 3-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the second-to-last child in a family of 4 children. His family resides in a remote village known in Simanjiro, Tanzania. Noah’s mother is a homemaker and also assists her husband with agricultural activities, given that farming is their primary source of sustenance and income. Noah takes pleasure in helping others and enjoys solving puzzles alongside his friends. When Noah was merely eight months old, he was crawling around the house and ventured into the kitchen alone, just as his mother was occupied with washing chores. Inadvertently, he encountered a pan which slipped from the stove, causing hot water to spill onto the left side of his body, resulting in severe burns on his left armpit and elbow. Noah’s parents swiftly transported him to the nearest medical facility for urgent treatment. After receiving initial first aid, he was subsequently discharged with instructions for proper wound care. Despite these efforts, his wounds took two months to fully heal. Even after healing, noticeable damage to the skin remained on his left axilla (armpit) and elbow, which subsequently restricted the range of motion in his left arm, leading to his discomfort while crawling. The gravity of the situation became apparent to Noah’s parents, who were initially unaware of the necessity for further medical intervention to enhance their son’s quality of life. Noah was diagnosed with burn scar contractures affecting his left axilla and elbow. The contractures tighten the skin around the arm such that he is unable to use his hand without discomfort. Recognizing the significance of their son’s well-being, Noah’s parents humbly seek assistance to ensure he receives the requisite treatment to enhance his quality of life. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is helping Noah receive treatment. On August 14th, surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to enable him to use his hand with ease and improve his quality of life. AMH needs help raising $874 to fund the procedure. Noah’s father says, “We are excited for his treatment as this condition has made him less interactive with his peers, and we are hopeful for a positive outcome from the treatment."

Sroeun is a 41 year-old tuk tuk driver who needs surgery so that he can hear more clearly. He lives in Kandal province with his wife and two sons, ages 2 and 6. In his free time, Sroeun likes spending time with his kids, and he is also an avid chess player. In 2005, Sroeun had his first ear infection. Since then, these infections have been recurring regularly. He uses treatments from the local pharmacy at home, but he never gets better. As a result of one of these infections, the tympanic membrane - or the ear drum - in Sroeun's left ear, perforated. Now Sroeun experiences ear discharge, pain, and tinnitus, and he has difficulty hearing and communicating with others, including his family members and customers at work. Sroeun traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 17th, he will undergo a myringoplasty at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation, freeing Sroeun from his current symptoms, and enabling him to hear clearly again. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund the cost of the procedure, medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Sroeun hopes surgery will improve his life by helping his communication with others.

Khin is a 28-year-old man from Burma who lives with his wife, two children, parents-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law in a village in Karen State. Khin, his parents, and his sister-in-law are subsistence farmers, while his daughter and brother-in-law are students. His son is too young to enroll in school. They also raise chickens and pigs for their family to eat, forage for vegetables, and go fishing. To pay school fees, Khin sometimes is able to work as a day labourer. On July 10th, Khin was picking dog fruit when suddenly the branch he was standing on broke. He fell out of the tree onto a wooden dwelling and broke his spine. Doctors want Khin 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 help doctors to formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical (BCM) is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Khin's CT scan and care, scheduled for July 17th. Khin said, "I don't know what to do as I am one of the sole income earners for my family. Now I cannot work to earn extra money so I am very worried that my children will not have enough food and that we won't be able to afford to buy formula milk for my son. I hope I can receive treatment and recover so that I can support my family."