Mark is a 2-year-old boy, His mother works as a teacher, while the father owns a small business of selling thrift shoes around town. However, ever since the lock down period during the COVID-19 pandemic, their business has been slow, thus, reducing their household income. The past year has been the most difficult for them, and they are unable to raise funds to seek medical treatment for their son. Last year, while playing with his friends, Mark accidentally pulled on a flask of hot water resulting in the water spilling and burning most parts of his arms and stomach. Following the accident, his mother applied honey and a raw egg on the wound as first aid and then rushed him to the hospital. Mark was given ointments to help the wound heal, but his mother was led to believe that applying mashed cassava mixed with honey would help Mark’s wound heal faster and better compared to the medicine he was given at the hospital. Two months after the incident, Mark no longer had an open wound, but the skin around the fingers of his right hand was badly damaged. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the burn. Now it is difficult for him to use his right hand. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mark receive treatment. On March 3rd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to increase the functionality of his fingers. Now, he needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Mark’s mother says, “Sometimes I wonder if not following the doctor’s advice is the reason my son’s hand is the way it is, and I’m the one responsible for that.”

Chamroeurn is a 20-year-old soccer player from Cambodia. He lives with his mother and father in Preah Sihanouk province. His father is a fisherman, and his mother is a homemaker. Chamroeurn plays soccer and is hoping to get a soccer scholarship to attend university. Last year, while training, he tripped over and fell without any collision. He tore a meniscus- a cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the shinbone and the thighbone- and ruptured a ligament in his right knee. Chamrouern has pain, swelling, and loss of range of motion in his right knee. He continues to have a feeling of instability or "giving way" while bearing any weight on his knee and requires pain medication. Missing out on training and competing has affected his emotional and social well-being, as well as his identity as a fierce competitor. When Chamroeurn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for five hours seeking treatment. On February 17th, surgeons at CSC will perform an anterior cruciate ligament repair procedure to relocate and secure his right knee. Chamroeurn needs help to fund this $600 procedure. Chamroeurn said: "After surgery, I hope that I can play soccer again and get the scholarship. This will help me to support my parents."

Phionah is a cashier at a local bank. She is a confident and outgoing lady in her late 20s. She is single and the youngest of ten children, with two brothers still studying. Three of her elder sisters are married and work as farmers, while the rest are still in school. Phionah loves music and singing, and she is a member of the church choir. She holds a degree in business management, but despite her qualifications, she has been unable to secure a job in her profession. She works as a bank teller, where she earns $27 a month. She uses her salary to support her parents by contributing to fund her siblings' education. In 2020, Phionah began to experience troubling symptoms, including anterior neck swelling. Initially, it was small, but over time it increased in size, causing her shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and even protrusion of the eyes. She was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Phionah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 4th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Phionah says “This has caused me a lot of pain yet without support, I may not raise the money needed for my surgery, I appeal for your support.”