Khouy is a 16-year-old tenth-grade student. Khouy lives in Kampong Thom province with his parents, who work as rice farmers. Khouy shares his home with his older brother who sells Khmer cakes at the local market. Additionally, he has a younger brother and sister, both actively attending school in the nearby area. Khouy loves going to school, particularly enjoying math and Khmer history at school. He aspires to become an electrician in the future. Outside of academics, he likes playing football games with his friends. In December 2022, Khouy fractured his femur during a football game. Khouy underwent surgery at a local hospital, where metal hardware was implanted to facilitate healing. The fracture has since healed, but Khouy experiences persistent discomfort in his leg and now needs to have the implanted metal removed. Fortunately, the skilled surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can provide the necessary assistance. Khouy's surgeon scheduled a hardware removal procedure for January 9th, the cost of this operation amounts to $304. Khouy hopes to return to football soon and contribute to his parent's farm. Khouy's mother said, "We hope Khouy's leg will be strong again so he can walk well and help us on the farm."

Theare is a 15-year-old student from Cambodia. He has two older brothers and they live with their grandmother and cousins in Battambang province. His parents are divorced and his mother works in a clothing factory in another province to support her children. In school, he is in grade five and enjoys classes about Khmer history. He would like to be a teacher when he is older. At home, he enjoys soccer, but cannot play due to his condition. Two years ago, he was riding with his brother on a motorbike and fell, suffering a severe injury to his left tibia or shin. His leg became red, swollen, and painful. His grandmother took him to a local hospital, where he had several different surgeries. Unfortunately, none of the surgeries repaired his leg and has since been diagnosed with a delayed union fracture or a fracture that will not heal without intervention. The local surgeons told his grandmother they could not do any more surgery to fix his leg as Theare needed a more complicated procedure that would entail internal fixation and bone grafting. His current condition hinders his mobility, forcing him to rely on crutches and endure constant pain, impeding his ability to keep up with school and indulge in his love for soccer. When Theare learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for six hours seeking treatment. On March 12th, surgeons at CSC will perform a joint arthrodesis procedure to fuse his left tibia and to correct the non-union. This will help him walk unaided and help relieve the pain. Now, Theare needs help to fund this $600 procedure. Theare said, "I hope to walk with no pain and continue my schooling."

Sokha is a 19-year-old elephant sanctuary worker. She lives in rural northeast of Cambodia, where she works at one of the country's few elephant sanctuaries. Tragically, her mother passed away during childbirth, and her father has recently passed too. Since then, Sokha and her older sister moved in with their aunt and uncle nearby. In her free time, she enjoys reading, checking her social media, and cooking. About six years ago, she started to develop a painful mass in her salivary gland on the right side of her jaw. She experiences chronic pain and difficulty swallowing. Sokha traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment and hope to feel better soon. On February 19th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Now, Sokha needs $273 to fund this procedure. She shared, "I hope I can stop having the painful swelling so I can work and feel happy."