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.”

Khan is a 37-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and two sons in Phop Phra District, Tak Province, Thailand. She and her husband both work as agricultural day laborers. However, due to a recent accident, Khan is currently unable to work. As a result of the financial constraints caused by the loss of Khan's income, neither child can attend school, and the older child stays home to take care of his brother and the household chores. On July 1st, while walking in heavy rain to ask an employer for work, Khan slipped and fell. She used her left arm to push herself off the ground, and immediately felt severe pain. Because her arm wasn't swollen, and she desperately needed to keep working to support her family, Khan did not go to the hospital. Instead, she applied sesame oil as a traditional remedy. When her condition did not improve, Khan realized that she could no longer continue with things as they were. On July 21st, Khan borrowed money and went to a clinic, where an X-ray revealed a closed fracture in the left shaft of her radius. Khan’s arm is currently held in a bandage and remains slightly swollen. Her pain is managed by medication, but she experiences sharp pain if she tries to stretch or move it. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Khan will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones, which should ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for August 10th at Mae Sot Hospital, and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Khan to be able to use her left arm and to return to work. Khan is seeking your help to fund her procedure. Khan said, “Thank you for your support. If not for your organization and the donor, I would stay like this forever.”

Hem is a 57-year-old rice farmer from Pailin Province in Cambodia. She is married and lives with her 64-year-old husband. They have four children. Her first and second children are rice farmers, her third child works for an organization, and her youngest child is a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks praying and keeping up with the news. Hem has a herniated disc at the L4-L5 level of her lower spine, a condition in which a spinal disc presses on nearby nerves. She has experienced intermittent lower back pain for approximately three years, but about one month ago, the pain began radiating down the back of her left leg. She also experiences intermittent numbness in her left leg and weakness when extending her left toe. These symptoms have made walking and carrying out her daily activities as a farmer more difficult. Hem was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), by a relative. She traveled approximately seven hours from Pailin to seek specialized care. After evaluation, doctors recommended surgery to relieve the pressure on the affected nerves. Hem is scheduled to undergo laminectomy and decompression of the L4-L5 spine on August 17th. She has contributed $100 towards her treatment but needs an additional $1,400 in support to cover the cost of surgery and related care. The surgery aims to relieve pressure on the nerves and help reduce her back and leg symptoms, allowing her to walk more comfortably and return to farming and her normal daily activities. Hem said, “I hope that this surgery will relieve my back and leg pain, improve the numbness and weakness in my left leg, and help me walk more comfortably again. I wish to return to farming, and continue my normal daily activities.”