Borey is a 28-year-old father who lives alongside his wife in Takeo province. They recently celebrated the arrival of their daughter, now a delightful 10-month-old. They both work as wait staff in a local restaurant and take turns caring for their daughter. When not working or caring for his precious daughter, Borey likes to play basketball with his friends. On and off for the last 11 years, Borey has had an ear infection. He bought medicine at the local pharmacy, but the infection always returned. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in the right ear to perforate, which has caused hearing loss and tinnitus. His ear pain makes it hard for Borey to sleep at night, and his hearing loss makes it difficult to hear others speak at work. Borey worries he will not hear his daughter if she cries. Borey traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 5th, he will undergo a myringoplasty in his right ear. During this operation, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Borey said: "I hope this operation will stop the ear infections and I can hear better than before."

Shinka is a 6-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the last born in a family of seven children. His father, who was the sole breadwinner of the family passed away in 2017 after a short illness. To provide for the family, the eldest son, who finished his high school studies last year, sells milk to earn some money. Sometimes the earnings are not much, and they have to rely on family members for financial support. The family does not have medical coverage and is not able to raise the money needed to pay for Shinka's surgery. In May of last year, Shinka started experiencing some difficulty when passing urine. At some point, he had stopped going to school for a few weeks. His mother shared Shinka's condition with his uncle who took him to a local health center for review. Shinka was examined and referred to our facility. When he came with his uncle for examination, doctors were able to diagnose his condition and also found a condition called cryptorchidism that first requires a bilateral orchidopexy surgery. If left untreated, Shinka has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Shinka will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 11th. AMHF is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Shinka’s uncle says, “We are very much worried as a family about Shinka’s condition. His studies are affected, and we want him to go back to school as soon as possible.”

Reaksa is an 11-year-old fifth grader from Cambodia. She is the oldest of four children. Reaska's mother stays home to look after the children, while her father works for a local construction company. At school, Reaska enjoys learning Math and Khmer history. Reaksa wants to become a nurse when she's older. In her free time, she plays with her siblings and the other kids in the village. She also loves to draw. Reaksa has been experiencing frequent sore throats, difficulty swallowing, snoring and coughing at night, weight loss, and recurring fevers. These frequent illnesses have caused her to miss school. Reaksa was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Reaksa, which is scheduled to take place on March 18th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Reaksa of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. After undergoing surgery, Reaksa hopes to enjoy meals without discomfort and attend school regularly.