Chanthy is a 34-year-old garment factory worker from Cambodia. He is married and lives in Phnom Penh with his wife, who also works in a garment factory, and their three children. Their children are in Grade 5, Grade 2, and preschool, and are cared for by their grandmother while both parents are at work. Despite his disability, he continues working hard to support his family. In his free time, he enjoys designing and tailoring new styles of clothing. Chanthy developed polio during childhood, which caused permanent damage to his left leg. Over the years, his left knee became permanently bent, and his left foot developed a severe deformity. The leg is now nonfunctional, so he has chosen amputation to prepare for a prosthetic leg that will give him a better chance of walking independently again. The condition has greatly limited his mobility and independence. He relies on crutches to move around because his left leg is no longer functional, making it difficult to stand, walk long distances, continue working comfortably, and care for his family. Every day tasks require extra effort, and his quality of life has been significantly affected. Chanthy has been experiencing severe muscle wasting, weakness, a fixed deformity of the left foot, difficulty walking, and limited mobility. His doctors recommend an amputation of his left leg (through-knee amputation) to prevent symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $588 to fund Chanthy's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Chanthy said, “I hope this surgery will allow me to receive a prosthetic leg so I can walk more easily without relying on crutches. I want to become more independent, continue working, and improve my quality of life.”

Por is a 68-year-old grandmother from Cambodia. She is married and lives with her husband and her fourth child, who works in a factory. She has seven children, all of whom are married and live in nearby provinces. In her free time, she enjoys planting vegetables around her home. One year ago, Por had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in her left ear to perforate. For this reason, Por experiences pain, hearing loss, and ringing sounds (tinnitus) in both ears. Her hearing difficulties make communication with her family more challenging and can make it harder for her to fully participate in conversations and daily activities. The ongoing ear problems have also affected her comfort and quality of life. Por traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 2nd, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $363 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Por said, “I hope the surgery will help repair my left ear and control the infection so I can hear more clearly and communicate more easily with my family. I want to continue farming and doing my daily activities without being limited by my hearing problems.”

Ay Rin is eight years old and a third-grader from Cambodia. She lives in Kampot Province with her parents and her older brother, who is in Grade 7. Her father works as a construction worker, and her mother is a rice farmer. She enjoys playing with her friends in the village, her favorite subject is mathematics, and she dreams of becoming a doctor one day. For the past four months, Ay Rin has been experiencing frequent sore throats, difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, loud snoring, and pauses in breathing while sleeping. Her frequent throat infections and breathing difficulties make it hard for her to eat, sleep, and concentrate at school. The repeated illness also causes her to miss classes and prevents her from fully enjoying time with her friends. Ay Rin was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Ay Rin, which is scheduled to take place on August 4th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Ay Rin of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Ay Rin's grandmother said, “I hope this surgery will stop her frequent throat infections so she can breathe, sleep, and eat comfortably again. I want her to return to school healthy and enjoy being a child without getting sick so often.”