Kakada is a 21-year-old university student from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the eldest of four siblings. He lives with his mother, who works as a cleaner to support the family. One of his younger brothers passed away a few years ago due to illness, and his remaining siblings are still students. Despite financial struggles, he continues his studies in Information Technology and hopes to build a better future for his family. In his free time, he enjoys reading and listening to podcasts. Seven months ago, Kakada injured his right thumb while playing volleyball at school. The injury resulted in a dislocation that caused ongoing pain and difficulty using his hand for daily activities, including studying and writing. After the initial injury, he received conservative treatment with closed reduction at a local hospital and was discharged home. Unfortunately, the thumb dislocated again after he lifted a heavy object, worsening his condition and further limiting his hand function. Kakada was advised to seek care at our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), by a relative. He traveled about one and a half hours to reach the hospital, to seek specialized care. On January 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform a reduction procedure to stabilize his thumb, relieve his pain, restore function, and allow him to return to his studies and daily life more comfortably. Kakada's family is able to contribute towards his treatment, but needs an additional $415 to fund the procedure. Kakada's mother says: “After the surgery, I hope that my son will be able to use his hand comfortably again.”

Mongkul is a cheerful 5-year-old kindergarten student from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh with his parents and three siblings, who are all still young students. His father works in a factory, and his mother runs a small grocery business to support the family. He is the third child in the family. He enjoys learning English at school, loves playing with toy cars and balls, and dreams of becoming a police officer when he grows up. For the past three years, Mongkul has been experiencing difficulty breathing at night, loud snoring, sleep apnea, difficulty swallowing, and frequent throat infections. His condition disturbs his sleep and causes discomfort at night. The frequent throat infections and swallowing difficulties also affect his comfort and overall health. Mongkul was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Mongkul, which is scheduled to take place on May 22nd. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Mongkul of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Mongkul's father said, “We are very thankful for this chance to help our son heal. We hope this surgery will help him breathe easily, sleep peacefully, and grow up healthy and happy like other children.”

Phary is a six-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives in a small neighbourhood near Phnom Penh with her parents and her two-year-old younger sister. Her parents sell clothes to support the family and work hard to provide for their children. She is in Grade 1 and enjoys learning to read and write Khmer. In her free time, she likes playing with toys with her younger sister. Her favorite foods are caramelized pork and grilled fish, and she dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up. Phary was born with an abnormality in her right leg. Three months ago, she underwent surgery to correct the position of her leg. Doctors implanted metal plates in her right leg to help repair the abnormal bone. Recently, the area around the metal plate became infected and swollen. This has caused her pain and made it difficult for her to walk comfortably. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 16th, Phary will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $378. This treatment will help remove the infection and allow her leg to heal so she can walk comfortably again and return to her normal activities as a child. Phary's mother shared, “I feel very worried seeing my child in pain and having difficulty walking. I hope the doctors can treat her so the infection will heal and she can walk comfortably again like other children.”