17-year-old SreyNeth lives with her parents and her four-year-old sister in Kampong Speu province in Cambodia. Her parents are rice farmers, while SreyNeth is in grade nine, where she most enjoys studying math and physics. When she is older, she would like to become a math teacher. SreyNeth's parents noticed stiffness on the left side of her neck when she was a toddler. At a local clinic, she was diagnosed with torticollis, a twisting of the neck that causes the head to rotate and tilt at an odd angle. This likely occurred because of how she was positioned in the womb and is a result of injuries to her neck muscles. SreyNeth lives with limited motion of her neck and one of her shoulders are higher than the other. She experiences difficulty performing many daily tasks, and she is shy and embarrassed because of her condition. Fortunately, a relative told her about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and she and her family traveled to seek their help. Doctors recommended a tenotomy, a cutting or removal of tendons, which should restore the range of motion in SreyNeth's neck. The procedure is scheduled for February 17th at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, and SreyNeth and her family need help to fund the $572 procedure, which would enhance SreyNeth's quality of life. SreyNeth said: "After surgery, I hope that I can move my head freely."

Eang is a 59-year-old rice farmer from Kompong Cham province. He is married, with one son. At home, he enjoys listening to news on the radio and watching agriculture shows on TV. About ten years ago, Eang developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him tearing, itchiness, and irritation. He feels like there is always something in his eye and it is very uncomfortable. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Eang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and half hours seeking treatment. Eang needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for January 11th. Eang said, "I hope I will feel better and I can easily work on my rice farm."

Mwandu is a 5-year-old girl — the first born and the only child in her family. She lives with her parents in a small town called Msevya in the northwestern side of Tanzania. Her parents are subsistence farmers who rely on agriculture for food and money. Inflation has negatively affected their source of livelihood. As small-scale farmers, managing their crops has been more costly than purchasing crops from the market. One day when Mwandu was young, she was playing inside the house while her parents were working on the farm. Her mother had set a pot on the stove to prepare tea. Mwandu walked close to the stove and pulled the pot with her bare hands. Hot tea spilled on her arm and the right side of her body. She got burnt on her arm and armpit. Now burn contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burn, limiting her arm extension and involvement in day-to-day activities. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mwandu receive treatment. On March 3rd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her increase extension of her right arm and allow her fully enjoy her childhood and school activities. Now, she needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Mwandu’s father says, “I hope she gets better because she will be starting school soon.”