Ren is a 43-year-old rice farmer. Residing in Pursat province, she and her husband have three daughters. Their eldest, a 17-year-old, has transitioned from school to assisting her parents on the family farm. The middle daughter, aged 12, attends the 5th grade, while the youngest, a one-year-old, remains in the care of other close relatives at home. Six months ago, while carrying a large bundle, Ren slipped and fell, fracturing the bones in her right forearm. The family did not have the financial means to go to a hospital and visited a Khmer healer. Despite receiving treatment, her fracture persists without healing, and she has now developed a rash on her arm as a side effect of the traditional treatment. Her pain radiates sharply to her thumb, and she is unable to use her arm. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 8th, Ren will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. Following three days of traction involving the use of weights, pulleys, and ropes to delicately apply pressure and realign the bones, surgeons are preparing to proceed with an open reduction internal fixation surgery to address her fractures. After surgery Ren will have improved mobility of her arm. Ren said: "I hope my bones are back in place to be fixed, and I can use my arm again after this operation, and have no more pain."

Chan Bora is an angelic baby boy from Cambodia. He lives with his parents, his 10-year-old sister, and his 8-year-old brother in Phnom Penh province. His parents work as fruit sellers at the local market, often taking Chan Bora with them when his siblings are in school. His favorite pastime involves playful interactions with items left on the floor, especially his siblings' toys. Additionally, he has a fondness for nutritious duck eggs prepared by his mother. Chan Bora has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Chan Bora's family traveled one and a half to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). There, surgeons will perform bilateral tendo-achilles lengthening and casting to correct the foot equinus (pointing down) position on January 9th. CSC is requesting $444 to fund Chan Bora's clubfoot repair. After treatment, both of the affected tendons in his feet will stretch and grow into the right position, allowing him to walk as he grows. Chan Bora's mother said: "I hope after surgery and taking off the cast, he can run around like other children."

Oscar is a 28-year-old married man from a village in Lilongwe District in Malawi. He has a young child who is not yet of school age, and relies on small-scale farming to support the family by growing maize, groundnuts, and keeping livestock. One year ago, Oscar noticed an itch in his throat and a slight hoarseness in his voice, initially thinking he was developing a cough. However, he later discovered a small painful swelling that has been gradually getting larger. He did not seek medical help as he had no funds to pay for treatment until his mother heard about a care program when she visited our medical partner care center, Nkhoma Hospital. Oscar was diagnosed with goiter, and was scheduled to undergo thyroidectomy surgery. The condition has negatively affected his life as the swelling is painful and sometimes, he experiences shortness of breath. Treatment will relieve him of these symptoms, improving the quality of his life. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is helping Oscar receive treatment at their care center. On March 7th surgeons will perform thyroid surgery so he can regain his health. Now, he needs help to fund this $491 procedure. Oscar says, “Thank you for this opportunity, I am looking forward to treatment and recovery.”