Reaksa is a hardworking barber from Takeo province, Cambodia. He lives with his parents and his sister, who works in a garment factory. His father is a truck driver, and his mother also works in a garment factory. In his free time, Reaksa enjoys listening to music and helping his parents with daily tasks around the home. In 2016, Reaksa fell down the stairs at his home, injuring his hip. Since then, he has suffered from ankylosis of the hip with severe flexion deformity, which makes it difficult for him to walk, sit, and maintain a normal posture. He also experiences back pain when sitting for long periods. After the accident, he was treated at a government hospital with medication, but his condition did not improve. He was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), where doctors treated him with a cast. It initially relieved his pain and allowed him to walk without support. However, over time, his posture gradually worsened, and the hip deformity became more noticeable. On March 16th, Reaksa will undergo an uncemented hip replacement procedure on his left hip. Reaksa can contribute $100 for his treatment, and needs help to raise an additional $1,400 to cover surgery, a special prosthesis, medications, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. Reaksa shared, “My hip still makes it hard to sit and walk properly, and I worry about my posture getting worse. I hope the treatment at CSC will help me move more comfortably and live without pain.”

Pong is a cheerful 11-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives in Kampot Province with his parents and two siblings. His father works as a reporter at a radio station, and his mother stays at home to care for the family and manage household tasks. He is the middle child of three children. He is in the fifth grade and enjoys mathematics. He dreams of becoming an army officer when he grows up. During his free time, he enjoys playing football with his friends in the village and likes eating fried onions with beef. Pong has camptodactyly of the left thumb, a congenital condition affecting the proximal phalanx of his left first finger. This limits the movement of his thumb and causes pain when he tries to bend it. This affects his ability to use his hand normally for schoolwork, daily activities, and play. Pong's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), and sought treatment. On May 20th, Pong will undergo surgery on his hand that will improve his strength and mobility. Now, he needs help to fund this $582 procedure. Pong's mother said, “I pray that this surgery will help straighten his finger, improve its movement, and allow him to use his hand more normally and confidently in his daily life.”

Edson is a five-year-old boy from Haiti. He lives with his parents and older sister in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, where his parents work as vendors. Edson is in preschool, likes arts and crafts, and has been learning to read. Edson has a cardiac condition that involves several related congenital conditions, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects prevent blood from circulating normally through the heart and from passing through the lungs to obtain enough oxygen. Edson needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On April 6th, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in his heart and remove the muscular blockage from the valve. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, has raised $6,500 to assist in paying for surgery. Edson's family needs help funding the costs of surgical preparation. He needs help raising $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Edson's family overseas. Edson's mother shared, "Our family is hopeful that after this surgery, our son's health will finally be completely normal!"