Akshay is 18 years old and lives in Palamu, Jharkhand, India. He lives with his parents and elder sister. His father is a farmer. He studied until the 8th grade. When Akshay was six months old, he fell into a traditional cooking stove and burned his right hand. The burn caused a contracture, where the skin healed tightly, and over time, his hand became restricted in movement. He has lived with this since he was a baby. The contracture on his right hand makes daily tasks difficult. At 18, with a father who farms and a family that depends on physical work, this has been a real limitation in his day-to-day life. When Akshay learned about our medical partner, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center, he and his mother traveled 6.5 hours to receive treatment to release the post-burn contracture of his right hand. On July 1st, specialty surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery so he can regain function and mobility in his hand. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,442 procedure. Akshay shared, "I want my hand to work properly so that I can help my family."

Saroeun is a 37-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He lives with his wife, who is also a rice farmer, and their two children. Their eldest child is in Grade 2, and their youngest is 13 months old. In his free time, he enjoys taking care of his children and feeding the family's chickens. In September 2018, Saoeun was involved in a motorcycle traffic accident that caused a closed fracture of his right femur. He underwent surgery the same day at a government hospital, and the fracture was stabilized with a locking nail. Although the fracture has healed well, he often experiences pain in his right thigh during cold weather, which makes farming and some daily activities uncomfortable. The metal implant is no longer needed and is believed to be contributing to his discomfort. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On July 17th, Saroeun will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will relieve his pain, improve his comfort, and allow him to continue farming and caring for his family without discomfort related to the implant. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $278 more to fund his procedure and care. Saroeun said, “I hope removing the metal implant will stop the pain I feel during cold weather. I want to continue farming comfortably and carry out my daily activities without worrying about my leg.”

Neisha is a three-year-old preschooler from Haiti. She is the first born child in her family, and lives with her parents in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. She likes coloring with crayons and going to church with her mother. Neisha has a cardiac condition called a ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart; blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Neisha needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 15th, she will undergo heart surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole so that blood no longer leaks through it. Another organization is contributing money to pay for surgery. Neisha's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Neisha's family overseas. Neisha's mother says, "I have been so worried and scared about my daughter's health, and am so happy that her heart can finally be fixed!"