Rithy Skay is a happy first-grader from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh with his parents and 3-year-old sister. His father is in the army, and his mom stays at home to look after Rithy Skay and his sister, as well as her aging parents. At school, Rithy Skay likes music class and learning to write the Khmer alphabet. He would like to be in the military when he grows up, like his dad. For the last two years, Rithy Skay has been experiencing a sore throat, snoring, and difficulty swallowing. Being frequently ill causes him to miss school, and he has lost weight in the last six months due to skipping meals because of the pain he experiences swallowing. Rithy Skay was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Fortunately, on May 8th, Rithy Skay will undergo a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, in which surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids. The surgery will relieve Rithy Skay's symptoms and help him live much more comfortably. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), requests $265 to fund this procedure. When asked about their hopes for his future, Rithy Skay's parents shared their hopes that he can be healthy and no longer have to miss school.

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."

Vanna is a 49-year-old woman who lives in Kampong Cham province with her mother and her sister. Her mother is a rice farmer, and her sister works in a local factory. Vanna has been blind since 2000, when she was the victim of an acid attack by her neighbor. The attack melted her eyelids, nose, and upper lip. Since then, she has had various facial surgeries and skin grafts. Due to her scarring and blindness, she feels she has no creative outlets, does not leave the house, and is lonely and depressed. Recently, she has had increased pain radiating from her back to her neck. This condition is caused by scarring and contractures from acid burns. Skin contractures occur when the burned skin heals and forms scar tissue that tightens and restricts movement. The scar tissue can cause the affected area to become stiff and limit the range of motion. Vanna traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, hoping for treatment. On June 14th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to relieve the pain and help her move her neck more freely. Now, she needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Vanna said: "I hope I move my neck and will no longer have so much pain. I will be very thankful if the doctors can do this."