Sak is a five-year-old kindergarten student from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Thom with his mother and older brother, who is in Grade 6. His parents divorced three years ago, and he is currently under the care of his mother, who works as a chef in a private household. He enjoys going to school and likes learning Khmer reading and writing. In his free time, he plays outdoor games with his friends in the neighborhood. His favorite food is vegetable soup, and he hopes to become a police officer in the future. For the past three months, Sak has been experiencing difficulty in breathing during sleep, difficulty swallowing, and recurrent sore throat (pharyngitis). This has affected his sleep quality, which has led to reduced energy, and impacted his ability to focus at school. The recurrent throat infections also cause frequent discomfort and illness. Sak was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Sak, which is scheduled to take place on May 13th. During the procedure, surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sak of his symptoms, allowing him a healthier life. His mother says, “After the surgery, I hope my son can breathe and sleep better, so he can wake up energetic, attend school happily, and enjoy being a child again.”

Neary is a resilient widow and devoted mother of two from Cambodia. She is a 52-year-old grocery seller from Pursat Province who lives with her daughter. Her husband passed away six years ago due to an illness. She has two children—her son is a police officer, and her daughter is a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and planting vegetables around her home. In 2022, Neary was involved in a motorcycle accident that caused a fracture of her left femur. After the accident, she received treatment at a clinic in Pursat Province, where doctors performed internal fixation surgery and implanted hardware to stabilize the fracture. In 2023, after a proximal screw broke, she underwent another procedure to remove the broken screw and replace it with a new one. She is now experiencing lower back pain, pain in her left leg, difficulty walking, and occasional stiffness. The non-union of her left femur has affected her mobility and causes discomfort that makes daily activities and running her grocery-selling work difficult. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 26th, Neary will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will remove the problematic top screw and use bone grafting to promote proper healing of the fracture. It will help reduce pain, improve stability, and allow her to walk more comfortably and independently again. Neary can contribute $100, but needs help raising $278 more to fund her procedure and care. Neary said, “After the surgery, I hope that my pain will be relieved and that I will be able to walk comfortably again. I hope to recover well and return to my normal daily activities without difficulty. I am very thankful to the doctors and everyone who is helping make my treatment possible.”

Rodas is a four-year-old boy who lives in Ethiopia with his parents and younger brother. His father is a hardworking doctor who works hard to provide for his family and help sick people, and his mother is a stay-at-home mother. About one year ago, Rodas began to experience the symptoms of tonsillitis, which makes it difficult for him to breathe normally, and sleep well. His parents first noticed that he was snoring heavily, and often breathed through this mouth instead of his nose. The continued lack of sleep has been difficult for Rodas and his family, as he is often tired and emotional. Because Rodas's tonsillitis is failing to resolve on its own, doctors are recommending surgery to remove his tonsils. Without surgery, his symptoms will persist and possibly intensify. Doctors are also worried that the constant sleep deprivation will affect Rodas's growth and quality of life, and that the mouth breathing will affect the development of his jaw and face. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Rodas, which is scheduled to take place on September 20th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Rodas of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. His parents say, "We hope that Rodas can finally sleep soundly through the night, without loud snoring or trouble breathing. We also hope that he can enjoy a healthy, happy childhood."