Mesa is 10 years old and a Grade 4 student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and younger brother in Kompong Spue Province. His parents run a small shop where they take photos for students and print documents. He enjoys math at school, looks after his younger brother, and plays football with friends in his village. His favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup with eggs. When Mesa was one year old, he was burned by hot water, causing an injury to his left hand. He received a skin graft to the back of his hand at a governmental hospital, followed by a release of the fourth web space about a year later. He has since developed burn scar contractures between the second, third, and fourth fingers. The scars between his fingers restrict the spaces between them and make it difficult for him to fully straighten his left-hand fingers. He sometimes struggles to hold objects, and the appearance of his hand makes him feel shy around other people. Mesa's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought treatment. On September 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help open the tight spaces between his fingers and improve the movement of his left hand, making it easier for him to straighten his fingers and hold things. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Mesa's father said, “I hope this surgery will help my son straighten his fingers and use his left hand more easily when holding things. I also hope that as his hand improves, he will feel less shy and more confident around other people.”

Bora is a 20-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. He is married and lives in Kampong Cham Province with his wife, who works as an online seller, and their three-month-old son. His father is a furniture seller, and his mother stays at home to manage household tasks. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton. On the 11th of December 2025, Bora was involved in a road traffic accident after crashing his car, which caused a closed fracture of his upper arm bone, near the elbow. After the accident, he was treated at a provincial hospital, where doctors performed an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery and implanted a metal plate and screws in his right distal humerus to stabilize the fracture and support bone healing. Although his fracture healed after surgery, he later developed an infection around the implanted hardware. He now has a persistent draining wound (sinus) near the surgical site with discharge, as well as stiffness and limited movement of his right elbow. This affects his ability to use his arm comfortably for daily activities and work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On August 5th, Bora will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will involve removing the metal implants, washing out the infected area, and performing a culture to help control the infection, promote wound healing, and improve the function and movement of his right arm. He can contribute $37.50, but needs help raising $341 more to fund his procedure and care. Bora said, “I hope this surgery will remove the infection, allow my arm to heal properly, and help me regain better movement so I can return to my normal activities.”

Habtamu is an 11-year-old boy from Ethiopia who lives with his mother in the city and shares a close bond with his brother and sister. Habtamu experienced an accidental puncture wound to his left leg. Unfortunately, the injury never healed properly. For over a year, he dealt with continuous pain, daily swelling, and persistent fluid discharge from the wound. Because of the constant discomfort, he was forced to stop attending his fifth-grade classes. He is unable to run, play, or move around. Following a review at our medical partner's care center, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, doctors recommended that Habtamu undergo a sequestrectomy, a surgical procedure involving the removal of fragments of infected dead bone or tissue. If not treated, it can lead to recurrent infections that may result in life-threatening complications. Fortunately, on September 30th, Habtamu will undergo surgery that will help his leg heal, alleviate his symptoms, and prevent future health complications. He needs help raising $900 to fund his procedure and care. Habtamu's mother shared, "I hope to see him walking confidently, as seeing him suffer at his young age breaks my heart."