Negaso is a young boy from Ethiopia. He is the third child of his parents. He loves playing football with his friends and wants to attend school. He loves the spinach his mother makes. When he was only one day old, he underwent a emergency colostomy in Butajira Hospital as he was born with a birth condition that leads to intestinal blockage. His mother has a small vegetable business on the streets. At the same time, his father is a daily laborer, and their income is minimal. Negaso wants to go to school and cries when he sees other students go to school by school bus in the morning. His family can't send him to school since he has a colostomy, and they haven't been able to get him the necessary follow-up treatment for his condition. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Negaso is now scheduled to undergo surgery to heal his condition on January 4th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, requests $1,500 to cover Negaso's procedure and care. After his recovery, Negaso will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. His mother said, "I worry that kids would touch his colostomy while I keep him on the street market with me."

Samnang is a two-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh with his parents and his 3-year-old brother. His mother stays home to care for the children and his father is in the army. At home, Samnang likes to play with his toys and enjoys eating fried chicken prepared by his mother. At birth, Samnang was diagnosed with arthrogryposis, a term used to describe a variety of conditions involving multiple joint and muscle contractures or stiffness. As a result of this condition, Samnang has clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a condition where the foot is rotated. This causes pain and difficulty walking. Samnang traveled for one and a half hours to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). There, surgeons will perform a bilateral tendon release and insert a K-wire on March 1st. CSC is requesting $444 to fund Samnang's clubfoot repair. After treatment and therapy, he will be able to walk and be more active. Samnang's mother said, "I hope after surgery, my son will learn to walk, have no pain, and keep up with his older brother."

Ren is a 43-year-old rice farmer. Residing in Pursat province, she and her husband have three daughters. Their eldest, a 17-year-old, has transitioned from school to assisting her parents on the family farm. The middle daughter, aged 12, attends the 5th grade, while the youngest, a one-year-old, remains in the care of other close relatives at home. Six months ago, while carrying a large bundle, Ren slipped and fell, fracturing the bones in her right forearm. The family did not have the financial means to go to a hospital and visited a Khmer healer. Despite receiving treatment, her fracture persists without healing, and she has now developed a rash on her arm as a side effect of the traditional treatment. Her pain radiates sharply to her thumb, and she is unable to use her arm. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 8th, Ren will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. Following three days of traction involving the use of weights, pulleys, and ropes to delicately apply pressure and realign the bones, surgeons are preparing to proceed with an open reduction internal fixation surgery to address her fractures. After surgery Ren will have improved mobility of her arm. Ren said: "I hope my bones are back in place to be fixed, and I can use my arm again after this operation, and have no more pain."