Vatanak is a three-year-old toddler from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and his nine-month-old brother in rural Ratanakiri province. His parents earn a small living working as cashew tree farmers in the village. Vatanak enjoys eating Cambodian sour soup made by his mom and loves keeping his little brother entertained with toys. Vatanak was born with syndactyly of the right foot. This means that his big and second toes are abnormally large due to overgrowth of the underlying bone and soft tissue. The condition makes it difficult for him to walk or move his toes, and he experiences mild pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Vatanak receive treatment. On April 22nd, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform a syndactyly repair surgery to separate and release the fused digits. This will improve Vatanak's mobility, and provide more comfort while wearing shoes. Vatanak and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $344 more to fund the procedure. Vatanak's mother says, "I hope my son's foot can be fixed so it is easy for him to run and wear shoes when he starts school."

Cyrus is an energetic young boy from Kenya. He completed his national exam last month. Cyrus is the 2nd born of a family of five children. The 1st born is 17 years, while the last born is in grade 2. His mom is a single parent, who is currently unemployed and working small jobs that she can get to make ends meet. She has been taking care of the five children by herself with no consistent source of income. He lives in single rental room which they pay $15 per month. His mother was referred to our medical partner's BethanyKids Hospital by a local doctor in a nearby facility to correct the condition. They came to BethanyKids and the doctor examined him, he has recommended surgery. This surgery will enable him to live a normal life like other children urinating properly. Cyrus was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of cancer and infertility. Fortunately, Cyrus is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 4th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $847 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Cyrus's mother says, “This condition will affect his self-esteem. He already feels low and sad because of the condition.”

Yean is a retired rice farmer who lives in Kampong Cham province with his wife and their oldest son, who supports the family by working in a nearby rubber plantation. In total, they have three grown children and seven grandchildren who visit often. Yean likes praying at the pagoda, spending time with his grandchildren, and listening to the local news on the radio. About one year ago, Yean developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him photophobia, tearing, and blurry vision. When Yean learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 14th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. He shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I feel happy again. I want to go places on my own and know my neighbors when I see them."