Chantha is a 37-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. He is married and lives in Kampong Chhnang Province with his wife, who works in a garment factory. Together, they are raising two children; their eldest is in Grade 6, and their youngest is 4 years old. In his free time, Chantha enjoys drinking coffee and chatting with his friends in the village. About three years ago, Chantha developed tuberculosis of his right ankle, which caused swelling, redness, and severe pain. Although he completed a full course of tuberculosis treatment and the infection was cured, it left his right ankle joint permanently damaged. Since then, he has continued to suffer from pain, stiffness, and difficulty walking. He now relies on crutches to get around, making it difficult to work, care for his family, and carry out everyday activities. When Chantha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On July 14th, surgeons at CSC will perform a joint arthrodesis procedure to fuse his right ankle joint and to relieve his pain, improve the stability of his ankle, and help him stand and walk more comfortably so he can return to his daily life with greater independence. Chantha can contribute $50, but needs help raising $561 more to fund his procedure and care. Chantha said, “My greatest wish is to wake up one day without this ankle pain. I hope this surgery will help me move freely again and return to the activities I have missed.”

Mercy is a 22-year-old woman from Kenya. Her educational journey and social life have been significantly disrupted by progressive hearing loss. Her challenges began in 2023, while she was in Form Three in secondary school, when she suddenly lost hearing in her right ear. From that point onwards, she struggled to follow classroom discussions, understand her teachers, and participate fully in her studies. By the time she joined Form Four, her condition had considerably affected her academic performance. She found it increasingly difficult to comprehend lessons and interact with her classmates. Unfortunately, she also experienced stigma and social isolation because her peers did not understand her condition. This affected her confidence and emotional well-being, causing her to withdraw from friendships and social activities. Consequently, she performed poorly in her final examinations and had to repeat them, falling behind her peers. In 2024, Mercy sought medical attention, and doctors recommended hearing aids to improve her hearing. However, her family could not afford the devices due to their difficult financial circumstances. Her father has been paralysed since 2011, leaving her mother as the sole provider for their family of five children. Her mother relies on casual farming, which provides only a limited and unreliable income to meet the family's basic needs. Despite these challenges, Mercy remained determined to pursue her education. However, her hearing condition continued to deteriorate, eventually affecting her left ear as well. She struggled to hear and understand her lecturers during lessons, making it increasingly difficult to keep up with her coursework and academic requirements. By her second year, her academic performance had declined significantly, and the challenges of communicating and interacting with fellow students became overwhelming. As a result, she made the difficult decision to defer her studies and has been out of school since July 2026. In November 2026, Mercy visited our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. On November 11th, she will be fitted with hearing aids, which will help her improve her ability to hear, communicate, participate in social activities, and, most importantly, resume her education. She needs help raising $1,171 to help fund the cost. “Being left behind by my peers academically and struggling to make friends because of my hearing condition has been very painful,” Mercy shared.

San is a 53-year-old woman from Burma. San lives with her family in an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp, located near the Thai border in Burma. She has three sons, two daughters, two daughters-in-law, and three grandsons. Her daughter works as a domestic worker, while her son serves as a soldier in the resistance forces. Like many others residing in the camp, San’s family has no income and relies on the camp’s medical team for healthcare. Currently, San continues to suffer from back pain, which is particularly problematic at night. She relies on pain medication to help her manage the pain. Due to this ongoing pain, San has been experiencing a loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, numbness on the left side of her body, itchy skin, and general body aches. San is scheduled to receive a CT scan on October 28th at Burma Children Medical Fund so doctors can have more information to diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. The CT scan and care will cost $469. San's son shares, "At first, all our siblings were incredibly stressed about our mother’s health condition. However, I am so happy to connect with your organization which supports vulnerable people in getting medical treatment. Thank you to your donors."