Sophearith is a 9-year-old student from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His mother works as a tailor, and his father drives a TukTuk. Sophearith is the youngest in his family, with three older siblings. He is in the 4th grade and enjoys math and P.E. classes. In his free time, he likes to play soccer with his friends, and his dream is to become a professional soccer player one day! About seven months ago, Sophearith began experiencing difficulty breathing at night, snoring, sore throats, difficulty eating, and weight loss. The frequent illness is causing him to miss school. He was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Fortunately, our medical partner is helping Sophearith undergo tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy surgery on April 8th. During the procedure, the surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sophearith of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Sophearith and his family contributed $100, but need an additional $265 to fund this procedure. Sophearith shared: "I hope I can feel better and breathe easier after my operation."

Festus is a three-month-old infant from Kenya. His mother gave birth to him while she was still in high school, and she had to discontinue her studies to care for him. Festus and his mother were driven out of their home by his grandfather, and although a relative has provided them with shelter, they lack the financial means to support themselves or cover their medical expenses. Festus' mother got to know about our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids, through a mobile clinic in their locality, following which they were referred to the hospital for treatment. At BethanyKids, Festus was diagnosed with spina bifida, a congenital neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Festus is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Festus receive treatment. On March 20th, surgeons at BethanyKids will perform a spina bifida closure surgery to alleviate the risks associated with the condition, allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Now, Festus' family needs help to fund this $1,151 procedure. Festus’ mother says “It is very painful seeing him with the swelling at the back. I wish to see him healed so he can grow up as other children.”

Min is a 43-year-old construction worker and father of ten from Cambodia. Min and his wife live in Koh Kong province near the Thai border with four of their ten children. The other children have moved out in search of jobs in nearby towns. While Min works in construction, his wife is busy taking care of their children. In his free time, Min enjoys watching Thai and Cambodian boxing and playing soccer in the village. On April 12th, Min was in a motorbike accident, causing an open fracture on his right forearm. He received treatment for the fracture at a provincial hospital, where the wound was dressed and closed. Unfortunately, the wound became infected. Now he experiences pain, swelling, and limited function in his arm. When Min learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove damaged and infected tissue from the wound. Now, Min needs help to fund this $324 procedure. Min shared, "I hope this will heal so I can return to work and support my family."