Ty is a 24-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. His wife works as a footwear factory worker. His father is a rice farmer, and his mother works in a garment factory. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball with friends in his village. When he was 13 years old, Ty had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in his right ear to perforate. For this reason, Ty experiences chronic ear discharge, hearing loss, itchiness, and tinnitus or ringing in the ear. The condition has significantly affected his daily life. He has difficulty hearing and communicating with others, which often leads to frustration and emotional distress. It also affects his sleep and social interactions. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Ty receive treatment. On June 9th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. He can contribute $75, but needs help raising $288 more needed for his procedure and care. Ty said, “I have lived with hearing problems since I was young. I hope this surgery will improve my hearing so I can communicate more easily and enjoy a better quality of life.”

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.”

Akshay is 18 years old and lives in Palamu, Jharkhand, India. He lives with his parents and elder sister. His father is a farmer. He studied until the 8th grade. When Akshay was six months old, he fell into a traditional cooking stove and burned his right hand. The burn caused a contracture, where the skin healed tightly, and over time, his hand became restricted in movement. He has lived with this since he was a baby. The contracture on his right hand makes daily tasks difficult. At 18, with a father who farms and a family that depends on physical work, this has been a real limitation in his day-to-day life. When Akshay learned about our medical partner, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center, he and his mother traveled 6.5 hours to receive treatment to release the post-burn contracture of his right hand. On July 1st, specialty surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery so he can regain function and mobility in his hand. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,442 procedure. Akshay shared, "I want my hand to work properly so that I can help my family."