Reaksa is a hardworking barber from Takeo province, Cambodia. He lives with his parents and his sister, who works in a garment factory. His father is a truck driver, and his mother also works in a garment factory. In his free time, Reaksa enjoys listening to music and helping his parents with daily tasks around the home. In 2016, Reaksa fell down the stairs at his home, injuring his hip. Since then, he has suffered from ankylosis of the hip with severe flexion deformity, which makes it difficult for him to walk, sit, and maintain a normal posture. He also experiences back pain when sitting for long periods. After the accident, he was treated at a government hospital with medication, but his condition did not improve. He was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), where doctors treated him with a cast. It initially relieved his pain and allowed him to walk without support. However, over time, his posture gradually worsened, and the hip deformity became more noticeable. On March 16th, Reaksa will undergo an uncemented hip replacement procedure on his left hip. Reaksa can contribute $100 for his treatment, and needs help to raise an additional $1,400 to cover surgery, a special prosthesis, medications, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. Reaksa shared, “My hip still makes it hard to sit and walk properly, and I worry about my posture getting worse. I hope the treatment at CSC will help me move more comfortably and live without pain.”

Eyob is a 10-year-old boy who lives with his parents and two younger sisters in Ethiopia. His father works with an electric company, while his mother is a home maker. For the past four years, Eyob has been experiencing severe tonsillitis which has caused extreme throat pain, loss of appetite, high fever, trouble swallowing, and breathing difficulties. This has affected his sleep and rest, and he often feels disappointed when he's unable to help his sisters with their homework or when they seek his assistance. When he was younger, his parents tried treating him with traditional remedies, hoping he would get better, but the condition persisted. Eyob was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Eyob, which is scheduled to take place on August 10th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Eyob of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. His parents say: "We hope that our son can go back to being a happy, energetic boy, so he can go to school without interruptions, and play with his sisters, like other children."

Chu is a 44-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her sister and niece in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. She left her home in Yangon Region, Burma, to escape violence after a military coup in 2021. Chu and her sister work at a church in Mae Sot, where they cook and clean for daily events and handle behind-the-scenes tasks for weddings, funerals, and parties. They rely on donations from the church and have no formal salary. The income she receives is enough to cover basic expenses for the family, including food and healthcare. In her free time, she loves to cook and bake desserts. After surgery, she wants to continue to make snacks and potentially start a business selling them on her own. Since 2023, Chu has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including right lower back pain and right lower abdomen pain. The pain worsens when Chu stands or sits for long periods of time. Her symptoms are exacerbated at work, but she continues her duties, taking oral painkillers to manage the pain. Doctors plan to perform a ureteroscopy, a procedure used to diagnose and treat kidney stones or ureteral blockages by passing a small, fiberoptic scope through the urethra and bladder into the ureter. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on April 10th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Chu said, "I had nowhere else to look for money. After your organisation agreed to help me, I felt relieved. I have fled from my home and left my family to come here. However, I feel warm and supported by my church with basic needs. Thank you for helping me.”