Rachana is a 27-year-old from Cambodia. He lives with his parents, who are rice farmers in the Svay Rieng province. Originally, Rachana worked in a bank but has been unable to work since his injury. He has one brother and two sisters, all of whom still live nearby. In his free time, Rachana likes to go through social media apps on his phone. In January 2022, Rachana was in a motorcycle collision and lost consciousness for about ten minutes. He injured his left foot and was treated at a local hospital, where he lost his left big toe due to trauma. The traumatic injury from the fall also left him unable to move his left upper arm. He visited several hospitals and a Khmer traditional healer, but the immobility has not been able to be treated. Rachana also has bent toes on his left foot, which can be a symptom of a neurological disease, making it painful for him to walk or run. He has also been depressed since his injury because his limited mobility affects his daily activities. When Rachana learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On May 2nd, surgeons at CSC will perform an arthrodesis fusion of his left toes, allowing him to walk again after this procedure. His shoulder injury is too old for a nerve transfer, but he may be eligible for a free flap muscle transfer at a later time. CSC is requesting $600 to fund this procedure. Rachana contributed $100 to his care. Rachana said: “I hope, after this surgery, my toes will be normal, and it will not be painful to walk or run. I also hope doctors will be able to help me with my arm later.”

Sophy is from Takeo province in Cambodia. She and her husband work as rice farmers and have two sons, three daughters, and five grandchildren. Due to her deteriorating vision, Sophy has not been able to work as much and has been spending more time at home caring for her grandchildren. In her free time, she likes going to the pagoda to pray and cook for her family. Around two years ago, Sophy developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her to experience itchiness and watery eyes. 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. As a result, she has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going outside. When Sophy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. Sophy 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 her procedure is $225, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for September 4th. Sophy said, "I want my eye to stop hurting because I want to go back to work and be able to take care of my family."

Magret is a single mother with five children: four boys and one girl. Magret works as a nanny. She provides all the required support for upkeep and school for her family. Magret lives in a single room with water and electricity; she likes thinking about her children and enjoys eating local food. In 2018, Magret started experiencing frequent choking, especially at night. She visited Queen's Hospital in Malawi, where she was given some medication. In 2019, Magret went back to the hospital after developing swelling on her neck which was diagnosed as a goiter. She experiences many symptoms, including neck heaviness and swelling, shortness of breath, tremors, chest pains, weight gain, headaches, muscle aches, heart palpitations, and inability to carry heavy items on her head, which has really affected her daily activities of carrying a baby on her back. Magret visited our medical partner's care center Partners in Hope Medical Center where the doctor confirmed the diagnosis of goiter and expressed the need for a surgical intervention called a thyroidectomy. She is able to contribute $68 to the cost of the surgery and needs $1,015 to fully fund the procedure scheduled for June 24th. Magret believes the surgical operation will help her get better so she can continue supporting her five children as a single mother. She shared, "I can’t manage to pay for my surgery; please help me. I don’t want to die and leave my children to suffer."