Rika is a seven-year-old student in first grade from Cambodia. She lives with her parents, her 87-year-old grandmother, and her older brother. Her parents work in a clothing factory in the province. Rika and her older brother attend the local primary school; her favorite subject is English. At home, her grandmother is teaching her how to cook simple dishes such as fried fish, which is her favorite. Rika also enjoys watching cartoons and following her older brother around. When she grows up, she would like to be a nurse. Three years ago, Rika accidentally burned a finger on her left hand from a hanging electrical wire. Her parents took her to a local children's hospital for care but she soon developed a contracture from the scar tissue. She is unable to straighten her finger, which makes it difficult for her to grasp objects. Her parents are worried she will not be able to develop fine motor skills. When Rika's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On March 12th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to restore the use of her left hand. Now, she needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Rika's mother said, "I hope my daughter's finger will work better and she will have no pain."

Aye is a 25-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her parents, grandfather, aunt, brother, sister and daughter. She and her sister are homemakers, while her father is a day labourer. Her brother works in a garment factory, and her mother and aunt are unemployed. Since Aye was 12 years old, she has experienced difficulty passing urine on and off. In October, this worsened and she now has blood in her urine and severe pain in her lower back. Doctors want Aye to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Aye's CT scan and care, scheduled for December 20th. Aye said, "I have been experiencing these symptoms for so many years but because of financial problems, I have never receive proper treatment."

Chouch, a 52-year-old father of three, has one son and two daughters, hailing from Cambodia. He and his wife are both construction workers based near the northern border of Thailand. Their sons work in nearby rice paddies to help support the family, and their daughter recently got married and moved to a neighboring village. In his free time, Chouch enjoys listening to music and harvesting fruit. Five months ago, Chouch was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture on his finger and a loss of mobility in his left upper arm. He was diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury, which is a sudden damage to nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Because of this condition, Chouch is experiencing paralysis on the left arm and has been unable to work. Chouch traveled to our medical partner's care facility, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to receive treatment. On March 18th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery and upon recovery, he will be able to use his arm again. Chouch and his family are requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Chouch says, "I hope that I can one day move my arm again and go back to work to support my family."