Rodas is a four-year-old girl from Ethiopia. She lives in a loving home with her older sister, her stay-at-home mother who cares for her daily, and her father, who works tirelessly as an electrician to provide for the family. Despite their strong bond and dedication, her condition creates a heavy, continuous strain on their household. Three years ago, Rodas started to experience snoring, mouth breathing, struggling to swallow, and loss of appetite. Nights are especially grueling. Her swollen tonsils make breathing and sleeping difficult, leaving her parents awake for hours trying to soothe her pain, bring down fevers, and administer medication. This ongoing health struggle deeply affects her day-to-day life. Frequent sickness forces her to miss school, making it hard to keep up with her classmates or enjoy regular childhood activities. Rodas was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Rodas, which is scheduled to take place on July 20th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Rodas of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. "We just want these painful nights to end. We want our little girl to sleep peacefully, play with her friends, and grow up healthy. Healing her will bring our family the peace we so desperately need," said Rodas's parents.

Paw is a 24-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her parents, her husband, and seven siblings in the village in Hpapun District, Karen State, Burma. Her parents and husband are small-scale farmers with two of her siblings, while the other siblings are students. She is also a farmer and helps her family on the farm, until she became ill in October 2025. At the family farm, they grow rice, raise chickens and pigs, and forage for vegetables in the forest. Paw has a heart condition that requires replacement of the aortic and mitral heart valves, as well as the repair of the tricuspid valve. These valves control the blood flow between the chambers of the heart and are necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Paw continues to experience fatigue, and she suffers from breathing difficulties when she is tired. She can no longer walk long distances. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help fund the complex surgery that Paw needs. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 1st. Once completed, Paw should be able to live more comfortably and to have a more active and healthy life. Paw said, “I cannot work with my parents and siblings as I get tired easily, and I feel sad for them. Once I recover, I hope to help my family, and in the future, I want to be a teacher and teach grade one and two students in my village.”

Punleu is a 17-year-old Grade 11 student from Cambodia. He lives in Kampot Province with his parents and younger brother, who is in Grade 8. His father works as a construction contractor, and his mother stays at home to manage household duties and take care of their orange farm. Punleu enjoys studying Khmer literature. In his free time, he likes listening to music and playing volleyball with his friends in the village. He hopes to become an agricultural specialist in the future. In December 2024, Punleu was in in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture in his right lower leg. He was treated at a provincial hospital where he underwent ORIF surgery with plate and screw fixation of the leg. Since the surgery, he has been experiencing pain when walking long distances and stiffness in his right leg during cold weather, which affects his daily activities and mobility. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 18th, Punleu will undergo a hardware removal procedure to reduce pain and stiffness and improve his walking ability and overall comfort. Punleu's family is contributing to his surgery, but they need to raise an additional $303 for the procedure. Punleu says, “After the surgery, I hope I will be able to walk better without pain, regain my strength and confidence, and return to my normal daily life, studies, and activities without any limitation.”