Ravin is a 13-year-old monk from Prey Veng province where his father is a construction worker and his mother is a homemaker. He has two younger brothers - a 6-year-old in grade one, and a 2-year-old not yet in school who stays home with their mother. He resides in the local temple, learning chanting, meditation, and the study of religious texts. When Ravin was just one year old, an unfortunate incident occurred where he accidentally plunged his hand into a fire, resulting in severe burns to his right hand and wrist. He had medical care at a nearby children's hospital. However, when he and his family returned for follow-up care, they faced a setback. The crucial paperwork from his initial treatment had gone missing, leading to a situation where the hospital declined to proceed with any additional necessary surgeries. He suffers from burn scar contracture on his right wrist which are deviated to the ulnar side, meaning his fingers are bent toward his little finger. His right fingers are webbed and he is unable to write, or grasp objects with his right hand. When Ravin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On January 29th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to to help him use his hand again. Now, he needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Ravin said: "I hope my hand will be better and I can use my hand for writing after my surgery."

Belta is a 14-year-old girl from Kenya. Belta's father operates a boda-boda taxi in town, while her mother sells clothing in a nearby market. Belta is the second of three children and she aspires to become a pilot. When Belta was 10 years old, her mother noticed a change in how she walked. Belta would complain of pain while walking, which emanated from her back to her legs. Belta's family heard about our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure Hospital, through a friend, whose child had been successfully treated for a similar condition. The doctors found that Belta has a curvature of the spine and scheduled her for posterior instrument fusion surgery to take place on March 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund Belta's life-changing surgery which will enable her to walk without pain and discomfort. Belta shared, “I am looking forward to a complete recovery, continuing and finishing my studies well, and becoming a better person in the future who will greatly impact society.”

Gyan is a 14 year-old student joining high school this year from Kenya. He says that he is anxious but looking forward to upgrading to secondary school. He is the firstborn in a family of three children. His siblings are 5 and 12 years old. His father is the sole breadwinner who does hawking for a living. Income from this venture is inconsistent and therefore negligible to pay for the proposed surgery that Gyan needs. Gyan was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Gyan has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Gyan will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 5th. AMH is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Gyan's father says: “The boy is all grown now. I hope the condition is treated to avoid complications in the future.”