Darika is 11 years old, and lives in Phnom Penh City, Cambodia with her parents and her two younger brothers. She attends grade seven in public school, and her favorite subject is Khmer literature. When she grows up, she would like to be a doctor. At home, she enjoys writing stories and reading books to her brothers. Darika has genou valgum or knock knees. It is a knee misalignment that turns her knees inward. Additionally, her left leg is shorter than her right leg. This causes her to limp, and if she walks for too long, her legs become painful. She shared that she feels embarrassed by how her legs look, and doesn't want other children to make fun of her. Darika needs to under go a procedure using metal plates to realign her legs, while lengthening the bones in her left leg. With the aid of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, Darika is now scheduled for surgery at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, on December 12th. Darika and her family need your help to pay for this procedure, which will cost $469. The surgery, and physical therapy afterwards, will enable Darika to walk without pain. Darika's mother said: "I hope my daughter's legs will be straight, and she will be able to be like other children, and not be in pain anymore."

Chhai Ya is a friendly 6-year-old boy from Cambodia. He and his parents and older brother live in Kandal province; his parents are both construction workers. In school, he likes to hear stories from Khmer literature, and at home, he likes to play with his brother or jump rope. His favorite meal is ice cream. Chhai Ya's right foot was burned in a fire at home when he was nine months old. After the burn healed, the skin on his foot retracted and bent his toes. The joints have become partially dislocated, and it is painful, as well as very difficult for him to walk or run normally. Chhai Ya and his family traveled one and half hours to our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) to seek treatment. On February 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him walk easily and keep up with his friends. His family has contributed $75 to the cost of the surgery, but needs help raising an additional $495 to fully fund his procedure and care. His mother said, "I hope Chhai Ya's foot will look better than before and he can walk and run like other children."

Meet Ku, a 21-year-old from Thailand. He lives with his parents, four younger brothers, and one younger sister. Two of his brothers are in school, while his parents and other siblings practice subsistence farming. Ku works as a day laborer, providing the sole income for his household. In his free time, Ku enjoys gardening, growing vegetables, and looking after his family's two cows. In March, Ku was in a driving accident that caused his motorcycle to fall onto his left leg, fracturing his left thigh. He was brought to a clinic before being referred to the local hospital. After an x-ray confirmed his diagnosis, he was referred to our medical partner's hospital for further treatment. Currently, Ku is experiencing a lot of pain and cannot move or lift his left leg, sit up, or leave the hospital bed. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Ku will undergo surgery on March 13th to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. This procedure will help him walk again and live pain-free. He will also be able to go back to work and will no longer require a caregiver. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund Ku's surgery. Ku shared, "I feel so upset. I never thought I would become like this [bed-bound]. I want to get surgery soon so that I can recover and go back to work. If I'm not working, my family could have a problem. I had to borrow money from my friend [to pay for basic expenses while getting treatment]. I want to go back to work and pay back my debt."