Mao is a 46-year-old mother from Cambodia. She lives in Kandal province with her husband and 13-year-old daughter. Her husband works as a security guard at a clothing factory, and her daughter is in the 6th grade. Mao looks after the household and does small jobs around the village to supplement the family income. In her free time, she likes going to the local market with her daughter and preparing new recipes. Mao was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture on her left forearm. She is unable to use her arm for every day tasks, and is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 20th, Mao will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will help her forearm move easily again. Now, Mao needs help to fund this $483 procedure. Mao says, "I hope I can care for my family again. I want to be able to take care of my family's home, and not be in pain anymore."

The birth of twins Jane and her sister brought joy to their parents. She is the 4th born in a family of five. She is a bright grade 1 student who likes reading, drawing and colouring. Her family hails from a small village, and both her parents are farmers. Soon after birth, her parents discovered the challenge of Jane being born with multiple birth conditions: Bilateral clubfeet, hydrocephalus, and spina bifida. They shared that they were quite shocked as they had not heard or experienced any of them before. Treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida required a collaborative effort between orthopaedic specialists and neurosurgeons. At ten days, she underwent a spina bifida surgery at a local hospital to address the neural tube defect affecting her spine and then hydrocephalus. Jane is a resilient girl and has overcome so much, carrying a big smile on her face. She now needs treatment for her clubfoot condition as her feet are bent inward, hindering her mobility. She is scheduled to undergo surgery, which will be impactful to her because she will be able to walk confidently like other children and continue with her education. “My desire is to see my daughter walking well and any kind of help is greatly appreciated,” Jane’s mother told us.

Magdalena is a two-year-old toddler from Tanzania. Her family depends on crop cultivation for both sustenance and income. Three of Magdalena’s siblings are school-going. In 2022, tragedy struck as Magdalena sustained severe burns on her hip, extending down to her thigh, as a result of an accident with a hot stove while she was playing. Although she required medical attention for the extensive burn wounds, her family's financial circumstances prevented them from affording extended hospital care for her. Consequently, Magdalena received only initial first aid and continued her treatment at home. Unfortunately, as her wound healed, her thigh became fused to her waist, impairing her ability to use her right leg. Since then, Magdalena’s family has been struggling to find proper treatment for her condition. During one of our medical partner care center's outreach visits, the team met Magdalena and her family and recognized the severity of her situation. The family was directed to Kafika House, where a plastic surgery camp was being held. Despite the arduous journey of over nine hours, they arrived seeking hope and help. Upon examination, Magdalena was diagnosed by a plastic surgeon who determined that she would require a release procedure to separate her thigh from her waist. However, due to the complexity of her treatment, the surgeon has clearly communicated the possibility of amputating her leg if complications arise during the surgery. Magdalena is scheduled for surgery March 7th and her family is requesting help in raising $1,088 for surgery and postoperative care. Magdalena’s mother says: “I hope my daughter’s treatment will go well and that she will be able to walk after she completes her treatment.”