Pheareak is a 39-year-old grocery seller from Cambodia. He lives in Kandal Province with his elderly parents and four siblings. He is the third of five children. His older brother is a chef, his older sister sells vegetables, his younger brother works for a company, and his youngest sister stays at home. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and watching the news on his phone In 2015, Pheareak was involved in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture of his left femur. He underwent several procedures to repair the fracture, including fixation and later revision surgery. Unfortunately, the fracture became complicated by an infection, requiring further treatment with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). After recovering, he was able to walk well and continued with his daily life for several years. Two months ago, Pheareak began experiencing increasing pain in his left thigh and knee after trying to bend his knee. His left leg gradually became weaker, and he eventually lost the ability to walk. He now relies on a wheelchair and has limited movement in his left knee. A recent X-ray revealed another fracture of his left femur. Fortunately, CSC can help Pheareak. On September 1st, Pheareak will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will stabilize and realign his left femur and give the bone a better chance to heal, helping him regain strength and mobility so he can walk and return to his normal daily activities. His family can contribute $1000, but needs help raising $500 more to fund his procedure and care. Pheareak said, “I hope this surgery will help my leg heal properly and allow me to walk again without pain. I want to regain my strength and return to my normal daily activities.”

Bekelu is 40 years old and a farmer from Ethiopia. Her husband is also a farmer, and they work hard to support their six children. One year ago, Bekelu started to experience bleeding and severe abdominal bloating. Her illness has affected every part of her life. She once worked side by side with her husband on their farm, but she can no longer do the heavy work. She also finds it challenging to cook, clean, and look after her six children the way she used to. She was a strong, independent mother, and now she depends on others for help. Her whole family lives with stress and worry about her health and their future. Bekelu was diagnosed with uterine fibroids, painful growths in her uterus. She needs to undergo a myomectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove the fibroids. She is scheduled to undergo surgery on October 5th, and our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $1,050 to fund her surgery. Bekelu shared, "I want to be strong again, work on our farm with my husband, and take care of my children. I don't want my family to worry about me anymore."

Sathya is six years old and a first-grade student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents, who are rice farmers, and his older brother, who is in Grade 4. He enjoys reading and writing Khmer at school and playing with toy cars in his free time. His favorite foods are sour fish soup and oranges. For the past year, Sathya has been experiencing a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and occasional snoring at night. These symptoms may affect his comfort during daily activities and make it harder for him to enjoy school and play. Sathya was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Sathya, which is scheduled to take place on October 20th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sathya of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Sathya's father said, “I hope my son will have fewer throat problems after surgery so he can swallow and sleep more comfortably. I want him to enjoy school, play with his toy cars, and keep following his dream of becoming a teacher.”