Pheak Tra is an 18-month-old living in Kandal province with his parents, grandparents, and three siblings. Pheak Tra's mom works in a nearby clothing factory and his dad is a rice farmer. His grandparents help care for the children, and Pheak Tra is the only child not in school yet. His favorite things are milk, fish soup, and playing with his siblings. Pheak Tra was born with radial club hand, a rare birth defect characterized by a hand that turns inward toward the body, and an absent thumb. Pheak Tra's function in his left hand is limited, which makes it hard to play with his toys and carry out everyday activities. His parents have been worrying about how and when to treat him, due to the fear of the costs. Pheak Tra and his grandma traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for help. On February 1st, he will undergo a tendon procedure under the care of visiting specialists from Singapore and a small team of Cambodian surgeons as part of an ongoing nerve and tendon surgical training program. After surgery, Pheak Tra will have improved function in his hand. Pheak Tra's grandma shared, "We want him to be able to do things with his brother and sister, and to be able to use his hand when he starts school in the future."

Brian is a teenager from Kenya. He is the third born in a family of seven children. He stopped going to school last year in March after he fell ill and currently stays at home mostly in pain. His mother is a subsistence farmer and his father works on construction sites to provide for the family. The family does not have a medical insurance coverage and cannot raise the required amount of money to pay for Brian's treatment. Brian has a painful swelling in a sensitive area which impacts his movement and his ability to engage in any physical activities. He has been to different hospitals without any improvement. Earlier this year, Brian was brought to BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital where he underwent tests and has been scheduled for an urgent surgery. Brian was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Brian has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and future fertility problems. Brian will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH) and is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 22nd. AMH is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Brian says, “I want the pain to go away so that I can go back to school.”

Daliya is a single mother of 4 children. She farms and does some daily work when available to support her living. Daliya likes chatting with her mother and enjoys eating a local favorite called nsima served with pumpkin leaves. In 2016, Daliya started experiencing a feeling of heat on her left breast followed by a small lump that initially was not painful. Later in the year, she visited several nearby hospitals, but was not able to find any answers. In 2018, her lump grew and had become painful. Daliya visited Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), where she was diagnosed with cancer. So far, Daliya has received 4 cycles of chemotherapy. Lately, Daliya has been experiencing needle-pricking pains, backache, and chest and abdominal pains. This has affected her ability to work. On February 2nd, Daliya reported to Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) where it was confirmed she will need a modified radical mastectomy. Dailya and her mother were able to pay $29.88 towards her treatment and need our help raising $1,194 to cover her care, which is scheduled for February 6th. Daliya believes that the surgical operation will help her get back home to join her family and continue supporting her children. She believes her children are the reason she lives and has to be in good health for their sake as a single mother. Daliya said, ‘Kindly help me to get better for me to go back home, my children need my support for them to go back to school.”