Lucia is a two-year-old girl from Bolivia. She lives in a rural village in northeast Bolivia with her parents and three siblings. Her parents are both farmers. Lucia has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect where a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and unable to gain weight. On August 22nd, she will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole so that blood no longer leaks. Lucia's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Lucia's father says, "Our family is very excited for this surgery so that our daughter can start to gain strength."

Bean is a 45-year-old fisherman from Cambodia who lives with his father, wife, and their two children: a nine-year-old son and a twelve-year-old daughter, both currently attending primary school. Bean's wife works as a grocery seller, while his father stays at home and helps take care of the children. In his free time, Bean enjoys drinking coffee and watching sports on TV with his friends in the village. Bean has had a tumor near the left side of his jaw, in front of his ear, for eight years without getting treatment. The tumor is about 3 cm long, feels soft, has smooth edges, and has been slowly growing. Bean is concerned about the tumor getting bigger and the chance that it might turn cancerous in the future. Bean traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On August 15th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Bean is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and needs help raising $173 more to fund the procedure. Bean says, "I've had this swelling near my jaw for eight years now, and I've been worried. I hope to have the mass removed so I can stop worrying about it and go back to work as quickly as possible."

Bunrith is a high school student from Cambodia. He lives with his mother and three siblings in Kandal Province, while his father works as a truck driver in another province. Bunrith just completed the 9th grade and enjoys science. At home, he likes to eat rice with stir-fried beef. In his free time, he enjoys helping his mother cook for the family and watching cooking channels on social media. In May 2023, Bunrith was in a road traffic accident which resulted in a fracture of his right ankle. He was taken to a private clinic in Phnom Penh where he underwent an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery. During the procedure, the doctor fixated a plate and screws to facilitate the healing of his fracture. Now, the fracture has healed, but the metalwork is uncomfortable and it is difficult for him to walk. His family does not have enough savings to support further surgeries at the hospital where Bunrith was initially treated. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On July 11th, Bunrith will undergo a hardware removal procedure that will help him walk easily again. Bunrith's family was able to contribute $100 towards his medical costs but needs help to raise $204 more to fund the procedure. Bunrith hopes that he will be able to return to school soon, and be able to walk more comfortably.