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.”

Lim is a three-year-old boy from Cambodia. He is an only child from Svay Rieng Province and lives with his grandmother, who is a rice farmer. Due to financial difficulties, his parents work away from home; his mother in a garment factory and his father as an air conditioning repairer. He enjoys playing with toy cars with his cousin and friends in the village, and loves eating fried eggs and caramelized pork. When he was one year old, shortly after he began walking, Lim slipped and fell, causing a fracture of his left shinbone. His grandmother initially took him to a traditional healer, but his condition did not improve. She later took him to a hospital in Phnom Penh, where an X-ray confirmed the fracture. However, the surgery kept being postponed until October. As his condition worsened, his grandmother brought him to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), after hearing about the hospital from a neighbor. The condition has made it difficult for Lim to stand and walk normally, preventing him from playing with other children and reaching normal developmental milestones for his age. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On July 1st, Lim will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $600. The surgery will stabilize and straighten his left leg, allowing the bone to heal properly. It is expected to improve his ability to walk, support normal growth of his leg, and give him the opportunity to start school and play with other children. His grandmother said, “After the surgery, I hope that my grandson will be able to walk normally, go to school, and play with his friends like other children. Thank you to everyone who will help him.”

Pyae is a 16-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, her sister, and her brother in Mandalay. Her father works as a day labor and her mother sells fruits pickle at home. Pyae and her siblings are students. Pyae was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Heart valves control the flow of blood between chambers, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Pyae has chest pain, gets tired easily, and is unable to eat and sleep well. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a heart valve replacement for Pyae. The treatment is scheduled to take place on May 15th at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital in Thailand, and once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Pyae said, "If it is not BCMF and its donors, I will not have the right to receive the surgery.” Pyae’s mother said, “I would like to say thank you so much for your support and your cares to us. This kind of opportunity and support, we can not find and receive it inside Burma. I would like to contribute back to BCMF someday in the future.”