Four-year-old Sinan is a KG 1 student living in Ethiopia. He is the only child of his loving parents. His mother sells vegetables, while his father is a wood craftsman at a local furniture workshop. One year ago, Sinan started to experience a loss of appetite, painful swallowing, severe snoring and nightly sleep disruptions. His throat hurts all the time, swallowing is painful, and his sleep is interrupted every night. He eats so little that doctors had to prescribe medicine to help him regain his appetite. Initially, Sinan's parents didn't realize how serious the situation was, so they treated him with simple painkillers from the local clinic. Four months ago, however, his symptoms grew much worse, and they took him to a specialist hospital. Doctors found severe tonsillitis, and said that he needed surgery as soon as possible. For his parents, the hardest part is watching their only child in pain, day after day, and needing medicine simply to eat. They work hard, yet they still cannot pay for the operation that would make him well. This weighs heavily on them. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Sinan, which is scheduled to take place on October 17th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Sinan of his symptoms, and helping him to live more comfortably. "We have waited so long and we feel helpless. We cannot wait for this surgery to finally be done," said Sinan's parents.

Hav is a 77-year-old man from Cambodia. He lives with his wife, who stays at home and helps care for their grandchildren. They have two sons, both of whom work as concrete mixer truck drivers. In his free time, he enjoys visiting the pagoda and playing with his grandchildren. About two months ago, Hav was cut by a piece of zinc while working at home. His wife cleaned the wound, but he did not seek further medical treatment. The area has since developed into an ulcerated tumor with an irregular border. The tumor causes pain and discomfort. It sometimes bleeds, making the affected area difficult to ignore during his daily activities. When Hav learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On October 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform excision of the left shoulder tumor, followed by histology examination of the removed tissue to determine its nature and address the affected area. A local flap will then be used to close the wound and support healing, to ease his discomfort and help him return to his usual activities. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $616 more to fund his procedure and care. Hav's wife said, “It is difficult to see my husband dealing with this painful tumor on his shoulder. I hope the doctors can remove it safely and find out what caused it. I want him to recover well, feel less pain, and be able to live more comfortably again.”

Srey Lin is a cheerful nine-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives with her parents and younger brother in Takeo Province. Her father works as a chef at a private school, and her mother is a garment factory worker. She is currently in Grade 4 and enjoys studying mathematics. When she grows up, she hopes to become a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys playing Khmer traditional games with her friends and eating spicy fried chicken. On June 1st, Srey Lin sustained a third-degree electrical burn to the fourth finger on her right hand after picking up a live electrical wire from the floor of her home. The injury caused a painful wound on her right ring finger. Despite receiving regular wound dressings at a local hospital, the wound failed to heal and developed tissue necrosis. She continues to experience pain and discomfort, which affects her ability to use her hand normally. When Srey Lin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On June 10th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove damaged and dead tissue from the wound, promote healing, reduce pain, and help prevent further complications. Now, Srey Lin needs help to fund this $417 procedure. Srey Lin's mother said, “As a mother, it is very difficult to see my daughter in pain every day. I hope this treatment will heal her wound, relieve her suffering, and allow her to use her hand normally again.”