Elile is a three-year-old girl from Ethiopia. This bright young girl lives in a home dedicated to helping others, with a physician for a father and a teacher for a mother. Despite their medical and educational expertise, the family faces a tiring cycle of hospital visits that places a heavy logistical burden on parents working as dedicated government staff members. For one year now, Ellie has been experiencing chronic tonsillitis, causing fever and difficulty eating. This drains her energy and makes it difficult for her to obtain the necessary nutrition to thrive. If not treated, it will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Elile, which is scheduled to take place on April 25th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Elile of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. Ellie's parents said, "We hope to leave the constant anxiety of illness behind. We look forward to a time when we can focus on work, while Ellie can simply focus on being a healthy and active child."

Saroeun is a 37-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He lives with his wife, who is also a rice farmer, and their two children. Their eldest child is in Grade 2, and their youngest is 13 months old. In his free time, he enjoys taking care of his children and feeding the family's chickens. In September 2018, Saoeun was involved in a motorcycle traffic accident that caused a closed fracture of his right femur. He underwent surgery the same day at a government hospital, and the fracture was stabilized with a locking nail. Although the fracture has healed well, he often experiences pain in his right thigh during cold weather, which makes farming and some daily activities uncomfortable. The metal implant is no longer needed and is believed to be contributing to his discomfort. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On July 17th, Saroeun will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will relieve his pain, improve his comfort, and allow him to continue farming and caring for his family without discomfort related to the implant. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $278 more to fund his procedure and care. Saroeun said, “I hope removing the metal implant will stop the pain I feel during cold weather. I want to continue farming comfortably and carry out my daily activities without worrying about my leg.”

Sambath is 17 years old and a first-year university student majoring in marketing from Cambodia. He lives in a small village in Kampong Cham province with his parents, who work as rice farmers. He is the second child among four siblings. His older sister is studying accounting at university, while his two younger siblings are still attending high school. In addition to helping his family, he works a part-time job to help cover household expenses and support his education. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and doing his assignments. Since he was five years old, Sambath had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in his left ear to perforate. For this reason, Sambath experiences persistent ear pain, ear discharge, hearing loss, and a ringing sound in the ear. This makes it difficult for him to hear clearly, which affects communication with others and his ability to focus in class. Hearing problems have also caused discomfort and reduced his confidence in social interactions and academic activities. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Sambath receive treatment. On March 4th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his left ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. His family can contribute $25, but needs help raising $338 more to fund his procedure and care. Sambath shared, “Since I was young, I have struggled with my hearing. It is hard for me to follow lessons in class and talk with my friends. I hope that one day I can have surgery to repair my ear so I can hear clearly, study better, and feel more confident when communicating with others.”