Nak is a 59-year-old man from Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. He lives with his wife and their two school-aged children. He and his wife earn a living by making traditional Khmer woven mats. Although they work hard to support their family, their income is limited. In 1990, Nak lost his right leg below the knee after a landmine accident. He adapted to life with a prosthetic leg, but over the past year, he developed a chronic wound at the amputation stump. The wound causes pain, discharge, and stiffness, making it difficult to wear his prosthesis, work, and carry out daily activities. After learning about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, through a relative, he traveled 3.5 hours to seek treatment. On July 7th, he is scheduled to undergo a right below-knee amputation (BKA) stump revision to remove unhealthy tissue, promote healing, and improve the shape of the stump. The surgery is expected to reduce pain, allow him to wear his prosthetic leg more comfortably, and help him regain his mobility and independence. His family can contribute $50, but needs help raising $428 more to fund his procedure and care. Nak said, “I hope this surgery will heal my wound so I can wear my prosthetic leg comfortably again and move around without pain.”

Raya is a four-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He is a middle child in a family of three boys, and just completed KG 1. His father works as a day laborer, while his mother takes care of their home. For about a year now, Raya has been experiencing severe tonsillitis. It started with throat pain, trouble sleeping and difficult in breathing. The illness has impacted the joy and experiences of his growing up. He finds it difficult to run around, play games or interact with his two brothers. Doctors have advised that Raya needs to undergo surgery, but unfortunately his family cannot afford it. If the condition is left untreated, his symptoms will persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Raya, which is scheduled to take place on August 11th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Raya of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. "We are worried about our son's health and accruing hospital bills. Our only wish is for him to be healthy, eat his food, and run around playing like any other child his age," his parents shared.

Ricarson is a 45-year-old man from Haiti. He lives by himself in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; he has seven siblings. He works primarily as an electrician, but also as a freelance journalist. Ricarson has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart does not open and close properly as a result of an infection he suffered earlier in his life. This has led to heart failure, leaving him weak and short of breath. Ricarson needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On August 12th, he will undergo heart surgery, during which surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Haitian Hearts Foundation, is contributing to the cost of the surgery. But Ricarson's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover laboratory tests, medications, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Ricarson's family overseas. Richardson says, "I am looking forward to having the strength and energy I need to live my life, and would like to say thank you to everyone!"