Mesa is 10 years old and a Grade 4 student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and younger brother in Kompong Spue Province. His parents run a small shop where they take photos for students and print documents. He enjoys math at school, looks after his younger brother, and plays football with friends in his village. His favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup with eggs. When Mesa was one year old, he was burned by hot water, causing an injury to his left hand. He received a skin graft to the back of his hand at a governmental hospital, followed by a release of the fourth web space about a year later. He has since developed burn scar contractures between the second, third, and fourth fingers. The scars between his fingers restrict the spaces between them and make it difficult for him to fully straighten his left-hand fingers. He sometimes struggles to hold objects, and the appearance of his hand makes him feel shy around other people. Mesa's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought treatment. On September 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help open the tight spaces between his fingers and improve the movement of his left hand, making it easier for him to straighten his fingers and hold things. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Mesa's father said, “I hope this surgery will help my son straighten his fingers and use his left hand more easily when holding things. I also hope that as his hand improves, he will feel less shy and more confident around other people.”

Heak is 60 years old and a hardworking rice farmer from Cambodia. She lives with her niece, who is a Grade 12 student. She is the seventh of ten siblings, all of whom are married. Her parents passed away during the Khmer Rouge era. Despite many hardships in life, she continues to support herself through rice farming. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and helping with household chores. In 2024, Heak was involved in an overturned car accident while traveling in Thailand, resulting in a severe fracture of her left femur near the knee. Although she underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture, the bone failed to heal properly and developed into a nonunion, causing ongoing pain in her left knee and leg. Heak experiences persistent pain and stiffness in her left knee, making it difficult to walk without support. The condition limits her independence, affects her ability to work in the rice fields, and makes everyday activities challenging. Fortunately, Heak learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), and sought treatment. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total knee replacement to relieve Heak of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for June 1st. Heak can contribute $100, but needs help raising $1,213 more for her procedure and care. Heak said, “I hope this treatment will help me walk without support again and live without pain. Being able to move independently would mean so much to me and allow me to return to my normal life.”

Kwah is an 18-year-old man who lives with his family in Karen State, Burma. He and his parents are farmers, but he has not been able to work since a tragic accident. He has access to basic health care through the Karen Department of Health and Welfare, but more advanced care is not available where he lives. About four months ago, Kwah fell off a bridge and sustained a fracture of his left wrist, leaving him unable to move his hand. Kwah was initially treated with casting and pain medication, and an X-ray confirmed that his wrist was fractured in two places. Doctors informed him that due to the complexity of the fracture, he would need to travel to a larger city for fracture repair surgery. However, his family knew they could not afford the surgery, and the fracture was left to heal on its own. Over time, the fracture has not healed well, leaving Kwah in severe pain and unable to use his hand. He requires help for basic tasks and has difficulty sleeping at night because of the pain. Fortunately, Kwah has travelled to our medical partner’s care center seeking treatment. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Kwah will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 4th, and it will cost $1,500. After healing, he will be free from pain and will be able to use his hand again. Kwah shared, “I wish I could get treatment as fast as possible and want to be free from this pain. With your help, I can get treatment in a big city that I never dreamed of being there. Thank you so much for helping me.”