Gay is a 23-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and her toddler son in a refugee camp in Thailand. She is a homemaker, while her husband works as a day laborer near the refugee camp. His salary is not always enough to cover their daily expenses. She often purchases groceries on credit at the local shop, repaying them after her husband receives his salary. In her free time, Naw Gay weaves and embroider traditional Karen clothes that she sells to earn extra income. Gay is pregnant, and her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of a high-risk pregnancy. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Gay undergo a C-Section on October 9th. This procedure will cost $1500, and Gay needs your support. Gay said, “In the future, I want to work with my husband outside of the camp. My parents said they would look after our children while we work.”

Chorn is a 69-year-old retired farmer from Cambodia. He lives with his wife, who is a rice farmer. His first wife passed away 16 years ago, and he has three children from his previous marriage. All three are married; his eldest child serves in the army, the second works as a grocery seller, and the youngest is employed at a laundry shop. In his free time, he enjoys listening to the radio and watching the news on his phone. Around 10 years ago, Chorn underwent total hip replacement surgery on both hips. However, over time, the artificial components in his right hip became severely worn and loose, causing damage to the surrounding bone. He has experienced right hip pain for approximately four years, which has become much worse over the past year. Standing and walking are now extremely difficult, and he relies on a wheelchair to get around. The pain and limited mobility have also prevented him from returning to farming and managing his daily activities independently. Although his left hip also shows some loosening, it is not currently causing him significant problems. On November 3rd, Chorn will undergo surgery with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. Doctors will perform a right hip revision surgery, with removal of the existing artificial components and conversion to an excision arthroplasty. Chorn and his family can contribute $100 and need help raising $1,400 more to fund his procedure and care. Chorn said, “I hope this surgery will help reduce the pain in my right hip so I can stand and walk more comfortably again. I want to be able to take care of my daily activities with less help from others. If my recovery goes well, I hope I can return to farming and enjoy being active again.”

Meng Leap is a 13-month-old baby boy from Cambodia. He lives in Kratie Province with his parents and two older brothers. He is the youngest child in the family. His first brother is in Grade 4, and his second brother is a kindergarten student. He enjoys playing with toys and likes eating different kinds of fish soup. Meng Leap was born with syndactyly of the right hand. This means that his second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers of his right hand are fused. The fused fingers make it difficult for him to hold and grasp objects, affecting the normal use of his right hand. His right hand and arm are smaller than the left side, which may affect his hand function and confidence as he grows older. Fortunately, on July 20th, surgeons will perform a syndactyly repair procedure to separate and release the fused digits. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $462 to fund this procedure. After surgery, he will be able to hold and grasp objects more easily and use his hand more normally as he grows. Meng Leap's parents said, “We hope this surgery will help our son use his hand more easily to hold and grasp things. We also hope he will grow up feeling confident and never feel shy because of his hand.”