Meet Tichheang, a 13-year-old, second-grade student from Cambodia. His parents work as farmers, cultivating rice and cashews. His favorite subjects in school are Khmer and Sociology, and he loves playing the drums with his dad and playing soccer with his friends in his free time. When Tichheang grows up, he dreams of becoming a drummer! Around five years ago, Tichheang developed an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. As a result, Tichheang experiences ear pain accompanied by fever, ear drainage, headaches, and weakened hearing on the right side. It is very difficult for Tichheang to communicate at school due to this condition. He is also often absent from class due to his symptoms. Tichheang's family traveled to our medical partner's care center for treatment. On April 9th, Tichheang will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Tichheang and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $926 more to fund this procedure, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. His mother shared: "I want to see my son in good health and able to communicate more easily."

Dalin is joyful sixth grader from Cambodia. She lives with her mom and younger brother. Sadly, her dad passed away few years ago. Dalin enjoys all her classes at school and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. In her free time, she likes to read books, eat Cambodian soup, and play with her friends. When Dalin was one year old, she accidentally burned her fingers with hot soup at home. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the burns. She is unable to use her left hand and has difficulty playing games with her friends and holding objects. When Dalin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three and half hours seeking treatment. On February 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to restore function in her hand. Now, she needs $495 to fund this procedure. Dalin says, "I just want to be able to use my hand and fingers so I can play and not feel shy at school."

Korb lives in a rural village around two hours from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Korb and his wife earn a living by catching river fish in the Mekong and selling them in the local market. At home, they care for his 82 year-old mother-in-law, and their seven children ranging in age from one to 17. Before his injury, Korb was an avid volleyball player and always playing with his kids around the village. In December 2023, Korb was rear-ended while driving his motorbike and dislocated his left elbow. Since then, he has been receiving treatment from a local healer in the village. Unfortunately, his injury has not healed, and now his elbow is locked and he is in chronic pain. He is unable to effectively carry out his everyday activities at work and with his family. On February 19th, Korb will undergo a procedure to realign the bones, and restore function to his arm. He shared, "I hope I can do everything I used to do before the accident so I can care for my family and play volleyball again."