Phikhirona is a shy 8-year-old student in grade one. Her family consists of her father, formerly employed near Children's Surgical Centre crafting prosthetic limbs, and her two elder sisters. One, aged 13, is currently in grade 5, while the other, aged 11, is navigating grade 4. Unfortunately, her mother succumbed to breast cancer several years ago, so her older sisters watch after her. In her first year of attending school, she has interest in Khmer subjects. Back at home, her cooking skills are being developed by her older sisters, who are teaching her how to prepare her favorite dish - fried pork with vegetables. Phikhirona was born with polydactyly of both hands and feet. This means that she has an extra digit on the side of both hands and polysyndactyly of her feet. On each foot, she has an extra toe that is connected, via fusing or webbing, to an adjacent toe. She faces difficulty wearing conventional shoes due to the presence of extra toes and fingers, and unfortunately, she endures teasing from other children as a result. Fortunately, on January 29th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digits of her hands. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $299 to fund this procedure. After surgery, she will feel more comfortable about her appearance, and she won't be ashamed of how her feet look. Her father shared: "I hope that the surgery will not cause any infection and the extra fingers will not grow back."

Gian is a one-year-old baby boy from Kenya. Both of his parents are Intern Teachers and Gian is their only baby. About seven months ago, Gian’s father noticed there was something different about Gian's body. They took him to a nearby health center where, after examination, they were advised to take him to a major Hospital. They brought him to Nazareth Hospital and was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Gian has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, infection, testicular torsion, and fertility problems in the future. Gian will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 4th. AMH is requesting $483 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Gian's father said, “When we took him to the health center, we were told this can cause problems for him in the future. We now seek help so that he can undergo the treatment and at least grow up like any other boy."

Ruth is farmer from Uganda. She's 36 years old and a mother of four living children one boys and three girls. Her children are doing well and two of them are in school. She is the fourth born in a family of six, all her siblings are grown-ups and have families. She and her husband do small scale farming so as to sustain their family. Ruth has a history of miscarriage and high risk deliveries so her doctors recommend a C-section. This way, the team can best ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ruth undergo a caesarian section surgery on February 29th. This procedure will cost $234, and Ruth's family needs your support. Ruth says, "I hope to get back to my fields after delivery."