Sineth is an 18-year-old plantation worker from Cambodia. He lives with his family in Kampong Cham province and works on a coconut plantation. Sineth and his family extract and boil coconut meat to produce coconut oil for sale. In the evenings, he enjoys playing soccer with other workers. In July 2023, he was involved in a traffic collision on a motorbike. He fell on his left shoulder and hit his head hard, losing consciousness. When he awoke, he was unable to move his left arm and had a fracture of his right wrist. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He has no movement of his arm, along with pain, numbness, and lack of muscle control. Sineth traveled to Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. On April 26th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he hopes to have use of his left arm again. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Sineth said, "I hope the doctors can fix my arm so I can use it to work and help support my parents."

Penh is a loving grandmother from Kandal province. With three sons and one daughter, she has lived with her youngest son and his family since a divorce from her husband forty years ago. Formerly a farmer cultivating vegetables and rice, she is now trying to enjoy her retirement. Her days are occupied with looking after her grandchildren and preparing meals for the family. Occasionally, she finds comfort in visiting the nearby pagoda to listen to the monks chant. About four years ago, Penh developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her distress, as she struggles with the inability to see, do housework, or participate in the ceremonies at the pagoda. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, wind or dust and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Penh learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. Penh needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for January 2nd. Penh shared: "I feel bad because I cannot see and cannot take care of myself or do housework. I hope I can be better after my operation."

Hassan is an only child whose parents separated before he was born. Prior to his birth, Hassan's mother worked alongside his grandmother, doing farm work to earn income. After Hassan was born, his mother had to stop working so she could take care of him. Hassan was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth, a condition that occurs when a developing baby's spinal cord fails to develop or close properly while in the womb. Hassan had a swelling on his back that was open and leaking. He was admitted in hospital for a few days while his mother was taught how to dress the wound. An MRI and a CT scan were done and he was scheduled for surgery weeks later. While home, his mother continued with the wound dressings as instructed until the leaking stopped. During one of the post-natal clinics, Hassan and his mother were referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids, for treatment. Upon arrival at BethanyKids, Hassan was examined and was additionally diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a build up of fluids in the brain. He was then scheduled for a spina bifida repair surgery, and the mother was told that once he recovered, he would be scheduled for a shunt insertion surgery. Due to financial challenges and a loss of income for Hassan's mother, the family is unable to meet the medical expenses. Without treatment, Hassan is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Hassan receive treatment. On March 15th, surgeons at BethanyKids will conduct a spina bifida closure surgery to promote Hassan's healthy growth and development. Now, Hassan's family needs help to fund this $1,151 procedure. Hassan’s mother says, “A while back, I had already given up on Hassan's treatment. Because the community had never seen such a condition, I was told that I would always get children who have different medical conditions. After coming to this facility, I realized that this was not the case. My hopes were raised again and now I’m looking forward to the best outcome in Hassan’s treatment.”