Joselito, a 59-year-old father from the Philippines, works as a taxi driver and earns minimum wage. His income is insufficient to provide for his family of five, prompting him to take on extra jobs to make ends meet. Twenty years ago, Joselito began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe pain on the left side of his stomach, which radiated to his back. Initially, he tried drinking a lot of water to ease the pain, and it subsided. When he consulted with a doctor he was asked to take an ultrasound, but could not due to financial constraints. At the onset of an extremely painful episode, Joselito was rushed to a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with gallstones. He was advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. He was informed that if left untreated, his symptoms would continue to worsen and put him at risk of further health complications in the future. Unable to cover the cost of the necessary surgery, he was prescribed pain medication instead. Fortunately, Joselito then sought treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP). He is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 27th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Jose is seeking support for the remaining $1,128. Joselito says, "Since I started to feel the symptoms attack more often, I had to reduce my work hours and this took a toll on the family's income and expenses. While my family worries about my health, I am worried that I will not be able to give them what they need because of my condition, so I deeply appreciate the assistance I am receiving for my medical care."

Veasna is a happy 4-year-old who loves soccer, cars, and watching cartoons on his mom's phone! His parents work in clothing factories supplying major global retailers, and while they are at work, Veasna's grandparents and family neighbors help care for him. About two years ago, Veasna burned his left hand in an accident. Since then, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the fingers. When Veasna's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On February 6th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the functioning of Veasna's hand by releasing the scar tissue on three of his fingers. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this procedure and Veasna's family contributed $100 to his care. Veasna shared, "I hope I can use my hand more easily and play with my toys."

Mengse is a 15-year-old tailor, originally from Ratanakiri province in Cambodia. He and his family relocated to Phnom Penh in an effort to find better job opportunities. Mengse's father works as a cook for a company that caters weddings, while his mother sells vegetables in a local market. Mengse works as a tailor, but he is hopeful that he will be able to return to school. Mengse was born with a preauricular pit - a congenital condition where there is a sinus tract under the skin that shouldn't be there. It is manifested by a small hole located on his right ear. As often happens in these cases, this small hole has become infected, and a cyst has formed. As a result, Mengse experiences redness, swelling, pain, and discharge. Mengse traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On January 15th, surgeons from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Now, Mengse needs your help to raise $273 to fund this procedure. Mengse shared: "I hope I can have surgery so I can't feel pain, and so I can do my work and feel better again."