Chhem is a 61-year-old woman from Cambodia. She lives in Prey Veng Province with her elderly husband and her second child, who is a rice farmer. She has six children, three of whom are married and live in a nearby village. She helps care for her grandchildren and spends her free time listening to monks' sermons. One year ago, Chhem started to experience pain in her nose and ears, headaches, and blurred vision, which have significantly affected her daily life. These symptoms make it difficult for her to sleep and leave her feeling constantly tired, limiting her ability to care for her family. She previously sought treatment at another hospital, where she received medication for two weeks, but her condition did not improve. Chhem has now traveled to our medical partner’s care center to seek further treatment. On April 2nd, surgeons at Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) will perform endoscopic sinus surgery to help relieve her symptoms and improve her quality of life. Her family can contribute $50, but needs help raising $299 more to fund her procedure and care. Chhem said, “After the surgery, I hope that the pain in my nostril, headache, ear pain, and blurred vision will go away, so I can sleep better and feel healthy again."

Salorn is 44 years old and a mother of two from Cambodia. Her husband is a construction worker. Their oldest child is married, and the youngest is in Grade 5. In her free time, she enjoys watching the news on her phone and doing household chores. In 2018, Salorn developed right calcaneum osteomyelitis, a condition where bacteria penetrate the bone tissue and bone marrow, often involving the surrounding soft tissues. She experiences constant pain, discharge, and difficulty walking, requiring a crutch to maintain balance. Her condition has limited her mobility and ability to work. She visited a hospital in Vietnam, where doctors recommended surgery, but she could not afford the cost. Salorn was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where she underwent several surgeries in 2020. For a time, she was able to walk and move more comfortably again. However, a year ago, the pain returned, and her condition worsened. Again, Salorn traveled to CSC for four hours seeking treatment. On March 18th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to relieve pain, remove infected tissue, and restore her ability to walk and return to work. Now, Salorn needs help to fund this $412 procedure. Salorn said, “After the surgery, I truly hope that I can finally walk without pain again, regain my strength, and return to work so I can better support my family and give my youngest child a brighter future.”

Stanley is a 64-year-old father of four from Malawi. To provide income for his family, Stanley works as a car sales representative and at a local motorcycle shop, though he admits that his income is often insufficient to fully support them. For the past six months, Stanley has been experiencing abdominal swelling and discomfort. At first, the symptoms were subtle, but over the last two weeks they have become more severe, leaving him with increasing pain and difficulty in walking. This has made both work and home life very challenging. Stanley has been diagnosed with a bilateral inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles. Stanley needs a hernia repair procedure, but with his current income, he cannot afford the cost of surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Stanley undergo hernia repair surgery on April 20th. This procedure will cost $500, and Stanley needs your support to fund the procedure. Stanley said, “I am struggling with this condition, which has made my life very difficult. I wish to be able to work and provide for my family again, without pain. I truly hope I can receive support, because I cannot manage raising the funds on my own.”