Four-year-old Sinan is a KG 1 student living in Ethiopia. He is the only child of his loving parents. His mother sells vegetables, while his father is a wood craftsman at a local furniture workshop. One year ago, Sinan started to experience a loss of appetite, painful swallowing, severe snoring and nightly sleep disruptions. His throat hurts all the time, swallowing is painful, and his sleep is interrupted every night. He eats so little that doctors had to prescribe medicine to help him regain his appetite. Initially, Sinan's parents didn't realize how serious the situation was, so they treated him with simple painkillers from the local clinic. Four months ago, however, his symptoms grew much worse, and they took him to a specialist hospital. Doctors found severe tonsillitis, and said that he needed surgery as soon as possible. For his parents, the hardest part is watching their only child in pain, day after day, and needing medicine simply to eat. They work hard, yet they still cannot pay for the operation that would make him well. This weighs heavily on them. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Sinan, which is scheduled to take place on October 17th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Sinan of his symptoms, and helping him to live more comfortably. "We have waited so long and we feel helpless. We cannot wait for this surgery to finally be done," said Sinan's parents.

Rebira is a young boy from Ethiopia. This five-year-old boy lives with his mother and his older sister. His father is a soldier, serving away from home, so his mother raises the children on her own. She earns a small income selling vegetables at the local market. Rebira arrived at the hospital wearing his traditional dress, as last month was a season of holidays in Ethiopia. He came full of hope that he would finally be free from the trouble he has lived with for so long. His problems began more than three years ago with repeated throat infections. A year ago, surgeons removed his tonsils, but the adenoids behind his nose were left in place. They are still swollen, and they continue to block his airway. Because of this, he snores loudly, breathes through his mouth day and night, and wakes often. He never sleeps properly, and he wakes up tired. Poor sleep leaves him exhausted every day. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund surgery for Rebira, which is scheduled to take place on October 17th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Rebira of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. Rebira's mother shared, "We hope this is the last time he has to go into an operating room. We just want him to be completely healthy."

Poeurt is a 43-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He lives with his wife, who manages household tasks and cares for their two children. His first child is in Grade 8, and his second child is in Grade 6. He earns a living by growing rice and lotus. In his free time, he enjoys feeding and caring for his chickens and cows. In 2018, Poeurt had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in his right ear to perforate. For this reason, Poeurt experiences hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and a history of chronic ear discharge caused by chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). The condition affects his ability to hear and communicate clearly with his family and others. His hearing difficulties make daily communication harder and may affect his ability to work comfortably on his farm. Poeurt traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 16th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is asking for help to fund this procedure. Poeurt can contribute $100, but needs help raising $263 more. Poeurt said, “I hope this surgery will improve my hearing and stop the problems with my ear. I want to work on my farm, communicate with my family more easily, and live my daily life without worrying about my hearing.”