Wishes is a 5-year-old who hails from a village in Lilongwe District. She is the last born in a family of 3 children and is a bright young student in primary school. Wishes’ parents depend on small-scale farming where they grow maize and groundnuts for their family to eat and for commercial purposes to support the family. Since she was born, Wishes has been experiencing a painful abdomen, vomiting, frequent diarrhea, and feeling weak. Her mother has been taking her to Nkhoma Hospital where she was advised to come back to meet a surgeon for assessment. Wishes was diagnosed with a periumbilical hernia, and she was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. However, her parents cannot afford the surgery although they hope to have their daughter undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Wishes’s life as she feels abdominal pain and cannot go to school when this happens, therefore, affecting her school performance. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Wishes is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $421 to fund surgery. After surgery, Wishes will be relived of pain and she will be able to attend school without any hindrances from the condition. Wishes’ mother says, “Thank you for this opportunity that has brought new hope to my daughter.”

Sunnary is a 32-year-old father from Phnom Penh province, Cambodia. He and his wife work in a shoe factory and they have a lively 6-year-old daughter who has just started the first grade. He and his wife enjoy taking walks with their daughter, and sometimes he plays soccer after work with friends. When Sunnary was 12 years old, he fell from a tree, fracturing the bones in his left forearm. His family could not afford healthcare, and he was treated by a Khmer traditional healer. Over the past 20 years, he has developed a left wrist deformity, called distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability. He has weakness and pain in his left wrist, and increasing difficulty using his hand. After so many years of pain, a friend told him about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) where patients who cannot afford care elsewhere can receive free or low-cost care. Doctors have determined that surgery is necessary for his joint instability when nonsurgical treatment fails to restore forearm stability. Sunnary is now scheduled for an osteotomy on December 11th and needs your help raising $469, which will cover the surgery, hospitalization, and post-op physiotherapy. Sunnary shared, "I hope after surgery, I can lift heavy objects again and work hard to support my wife and daughter."

Savan is a 69-year-old retired rice farmer. He lives in Prey Veang near the border of Cambodia and Vietnam with his family. He and his wife have three sons, four daughters, and twelve grandchildren. His youngest daughter still lives at home and helps support the family by working at a local construction company. At home, Savan and his wife like taking walks, spending time with family, caring for his chickens, and watching the news. About three months ago, Savan developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has been having difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about potential falls while walking, which has made him reluctant to venture out independently. When Savan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 1st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, Savan needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Savan shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better so I can easily go out in the village on my own and help take my grandkids to school."