Rayan is a baby from Tanzania with two siblings. Their parents are small-scale farmers and cattle breeders who cultivate maize and wheat, and cattle for milk production. The family's livelihood has been impacted by drought, and recently the cost of maintaining the farm exceeds any profit they make. When Ryan was 11 months old, he crawled to the kitchen where his mother had started an open fire, and burned his right hand on a piece of firewood. The scars from the wound have since made it difficult for Rayan to use his right hand because the skin around the fingers is webbed together. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will help Rayan with treatment. On March 9th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery. After the procedure, Rayan will be able to open his fingers fully and use his hand. Now, Rayan and his family need help to fund this $832 procedure. Rayans’s mother says, “I hope this surgery will be a big step in helping my son’s condition.”

Su is 10-year-old girl who lives in Thailand. Both of her parents work for a community based organization helping others in their area. In her free time, Su likes to draw pictures and play with her friends. Su was born with clubfeet and a dislocated hip. She received corrective surgery in Chiang Mai with the help of our medical partner BCMF after she was born. During her last visit to the hospital when she was young, the doctor told her mother that they only had to return to the hospital when she outgrew her clubfeet correction shoes. However, her parents could never bring her back. In additional to financial constraints, their legal documents expired, and later when they had legal documents, they could not go to Chiang Mai due to covid-19 travel restrictions. In June 2022, Su started to experience pain in her right foot whenever she walked more than 10 minutes. She also experienced pain in her right hip for the first time when she walked. The doctor at Mae Sot Hospital diagnosed her with a dislocated hip and referred her to the larger hospital Chiang Mai for further treatment. In October an MRI was performed for Su and it was determined that she may need two surgeries: one for hrt hip and another for her clubfeet condition. The first surgery is for a hip replacement and the doctor scheduled her for surgery on November 25th so she can be out of pain as quickly as possible. Her family needs $1500 for her hip replacement surgery. Su's father said, "I am hopeful for my daughter to receive surgery soon. After surgery, I hope that she will be able to walk like other children and she will not be shy when she grows up. Now, when she goes to school, some of her friends tease her that she cannot walk properly like other children."

Reasey is a 26-year-old rubber farmer. He lives at home with his parents and has five siblings: four brothers and one sister. He and his siblings support his elderly parents by working at a local rubber plantation in Kampong Cham province. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, watching TV, listening to the radio, and helping with housework. In September 2021, he was in a car accident with trauma to his left knee. His family took him to a local hospital for x-rays and he received a brace to support his knee. Because he could not afford any surgery, he visited a Khmer traditional healer for ongoing care. However, he continues to have pain in his knee and his kneecap is unstable. He takes medication to ease his symptoms, but he is still in pain, and cannot extend his knee or work on the rubber plantation anymore. When Reasey learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform a left knee fusion to create a stable, immobile joint in order to relieve his debilitating pain. Now, Reasey needs help to fund this $600 procedure. Reasey shared: "After surgery, I hope my knee will have no pain, I can walk better, and return to work to support my parents."