Korb lives in a rural village around two hours from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Korb and his wife earn a living by catching river fish in the Mekong and selling them in the local market. At home, they care for his 82 year-old mother-in-law, and their seven children ranging in age from one to 17. Before his injury, Korb was an avid volleyball player and always playing with his kids around the village. In December 2023, Korb was rear-ended while driving his motorbike and dislocated his left elbow. Since then, he has been receiving treatment from a local healer in the village. Unfortunately, his injury has not healed, and now his elbow is locked and he is in chronic pain. He is unable to effectively carry out his everyday activities at work and with his family. On February 19th, Korb will undergo a procedure to realign the bones, and restore function to his arm. He shared, "I hope I can do everything I used to do before the accident so I can care for my family and play volleyball again."

Alazar is a sweet boy from Ethiopia. He is the seventh child in his family. Five of the children are girls and two are boys. He loves to sing songs, go to church, try martial arts, and drink juice. His dad is diabetic and his condition causes him to faint often. He has government health insurance and gets treatment in a local government hospital. Because of his condition, Alazar's dad cannot work. His mom makes traditional bread and sells it on the street to feed her children. She makes her bread by firewood and this makes it hard for her to always have the smoke of the wood making the bread. She is the only one who works for income in their family, but her older children help with housework. They bring water from the spring carrying it on their back. She proudly sends all her children to school. Alazar underwent an earlier colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Alazar's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,009 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Alazar. The surgery is scheduled to take place on January 9th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Alazar's mom said: “After he gets the treatment and heals I will praise my Lord. I will tell everyone who knows me about the hand of God. I did ask God ‘to heal my baby. You gave me this child; don’t take it away from me. I always cry and pray.’ I hope God has heard my prayer leading me to you. I will go to my church and testify what God did to all community in the church.”

Phyu is a 32-year-old mother of three from Thailand. She resides with her family in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp along the Thai-Burma border where she also teaches at the camp school. During her free time, Phyu enjoys spending quality time with her family. Since August 2023, Phyu has been experiencing pain in her abdomen, pelvis, and lower back, along with irregular menstruation. She has been diagnosed with left ovarian cyst, and has been advised to undergo a hysterectomy, which surgically removes of her uterus and ovaries. If left untreated, Phyu's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Phyu is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on February 23rd. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Phyu will be relieved of her pain and able to resume her daily activities. Phyu said, “With my current condition, I cannot teach my students, do household chores for my children, or assist my husband. I am looking forward to a complete recovery soon."