Mai is a 78-year-old widow from Cambodia. She has two children and lives with her eldest child, who is a rice farmer. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks praying. In April 2026, Mai accidentally fell from a chair and fractured the neck of her left femur, resulting in an intracapsular hip fracture. At first, she was still able to walk with support, but the pain gradually became worse over the following months. Since September, her condition has significantly deteriorated, leaving her unable to walk. She now relies on a wheelchair to move around. The ongoing pain and limited mobility have made even her everyday activities increasingly difficult, and she needs support with getting around. On November 3rd, Mai will receive a hip hemiarthroplasty with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). A hip hemi-arthroplasty is a partial hip replacement that involves replacing half of the hip joint. Hopefully, this procedure will help Mai move without discomfort. Mai's family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $612 more to fund her procedure and care. Mai's granddaughter said, “I hope my grandmother’s surgery goes well and helps her walk again. I want her to be free from the pain, move around more easily, and enjoy spending time with our family without being confined to a wheelchair.”

Ly Chheng is a 77-year-old man from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh with his wife and their third child, who works as a tailor. He has six children in total, all of whom are married and have their own jobs. He is no longer working, and in his free time, he enjoys planting vegetables around his home. Ly Chheng has severe cervical spinal stenosis, a condition in which narrowing of the spinal canal puts pressure on the spinal cord. He has experienced intermittent numbness and weakness in his hands and extremities for approximately four to five years, with his symptoms becoming progressively worse since early 2026. He now experiences numbness and weakness in both hands, hand clumsiness, difficulty walking steadily, and frequent urges to urinate. He also has neck stiffness and pain that can extend toward his shoulders. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for him to move around safely and manage his daily activities independently. Ly Chheng's family was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), to seek specialized care. On August 17th, surgeons at CSC plan to perform cervical spine decompression to relieve pressure on his spinal cord and help prevent further deterioration. The surgery costs $1,500, and his family can contribute $50, but they need help covering the remaining $1,450. After surgery, he hopes to have less numbness and weakness, walk more steadily, and become more independent in his daily activities. Ly Chheng said, “I hope the treatment will relieve the pressure on my spinal cord, improve the numbness and weakness in my hands, and help me walk more steadily. I want to be more independent and able to manage my daily activities more comfortably.”

Wadaje is an 18-year-old girl from Ethiopia. She is a college student who lives with her older sister. Two months ago, Wadaje started to experience an itchy infection on her right finger. The wound developed into a contracture, causing significant difficulty with movement. Following her initial treatment at a local small clinic, she developed a severe hand contracture that has left her hand stiff and difficult to use. This has significantly disrupted her studies and daily life. The resulting loss of independence is deeply distressing, as she now depends on her sister for almost everything, which creates a difficult situation for them both. When Wadaje learned about our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, she traveled for one week seeking treatment. On June 3rd, surgeons will perform a contracture release surgery to gradually restore movement to the right finger. This will make it easier to handle schoolwork and help with household duties comfortably, while also decreasing the frequency and cost of hospital visits. Now, she needs help to fund this $500 procedure. Wadaje said, "I hope to regain the health and skills required to perform my academic and daily tasks with ease, which is vital for my success as a college student."