Chea is a 22-year-old from Cambodia who is eager to start working again. He lives in Phnom Penh province with his sister and her husband, who are drink sellers outside the local vegetable market. Before his motorbike accident, he worked as a carpenter's assistant and enjoyed playing football. Now, he just stays home. In August 2022, Chea was in a traffic accident and fractured the mid-shaft of his right femur in his leg. He went to a local trauma hospital and had metalwork inserted into his femur to support healing. He has a constant ache in the leg and hopes that after the removal of the metal, he can complete rehabilitation of his leg. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 9th, Chea will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. In the future, he hopes to be able to find work after removing the metal from his leg. Chea said: "I want to make sure my leg is strong so I can find work again, and have no infection and no pain."

Pheak Tra is an 18-month-old living in Kandal province with his parents, grandparents, and three siblings. Pheak Tra's mom works in a nearby clothing factory and his dad is a rice farmer. His grandparents help care for the children, and Pheak Tra is the only child not in school yet. His favorite things are milk, fish soup, and playing with his siblings. Pheak Tra was born with radial club hand, a rare birth defect characterized by a hand that turns inward toward the body, and an absent thumb. Pheak Tra's function in his left hand is limited, which makes it hard to play with his toys and carry out everyday activities. His parents have been worrying about how and when to treat him, due to the fear of the costs. Pheak Tra and his grandma traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for help. On February 1st, he will undergo a tendon procedure under the care of visiting specialists from Singapore and a small team of Cambodian surgeons as part of an ongoing nerve and tendon surgical training program. After surgery, Pheak Tra will have improved function in his hand. Pheak Tra's grandma shared, "We want him to be able to do things with his brother and sister, and to be able to use his hand when he starts school in the future."

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.”