Rai is a 15-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives in Siem Reap Province with his parents and siblings, where they share a modest home. His entire family works together as construction workers, putting in long, physically demanding hours each day to support one another and make a living. In his free time, he enjoys playing football and helping his parents with work. His favorite meal is sour fish soup with fried vegetables. When he was seven years old, Rai had a severe burn on his left arm in an accident involving hot glue at his parents’ worksite in Thailand. After the injury, he developed a burn scar contracture on his left arm, which limits his movement and sometimes causes pain. This makes it difficult for him to carry out physical work and affects his daily activities. When Rai's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for eight hours seeking treatment. On March 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve movement in his arm, reduce pain, and allow him to work more comfortably. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Rai's mother said, “After the surgery, I truly hope my son will recover well, regain full movement in his arm, and live without pain so he can work comfortably and have a better, brighter future.”

Seav Y is a four-year-old girl from Cambodia. She is a cheerful kindergarten student from Kompong Cham Province. She lives with her parents and two siblings. Her father is a math teacher, and her mother sells fish at a local market. She is the youngest child in the family, with an older brother in Grade 6 and an older sister in Grade 3. She enjoys writing and reading Khmer at school. In her free time, she loves playing with her toys. Her favorite meals are soups, especially those with plenty of vegetables, and she dreams of becoming a teacher when she grows up. One year ago, Seav Y had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the eardrum. For this reason, Seav Y experiences left ear pain, intermittent ear discharge with a foul smell, and hearing loss. This condition makes it difficult for her to hear clearly, which can affect her learning and communication. The ongoing pain and discharge also cause discomfort and may prevent her from fully enjoying school and playtime like other children. Seav Y traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On April 21st, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $477 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Seav Y's mother said, “I hope she can receive proper treatment so she can be free from pain and discomfort, and live happily like other children.”

Barkot is a nine-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He is in the second grade at school, and lives with his parents and brother. His mother is a police officer, and his father is a driver. Since birth, Barkot has suffered from persistent tonsillitis. The condition has been causing him pain and discomfort, difficulty in sleeping at night and snoring. This has worried his parents, especially since they both hold demanding jobs and it's challenging to have them stay home when he is sick. Additionally, frequent school absences have become a major barrier to both his academic progress and social development. Barkot was recently brought to our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, and diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. His family is seeking $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Barkot, which is scheduled to take place on June 6th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Barkot of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. "We are fully committed to getting him healthier, to ensure that he consistently attends school and achieves academic growth," said Barkot's parents.