Srey Ni is a 26-year-old homemaker. She is married, with a young daughter at home. Srey Ni grows vegetables around the house to supplement the family's meals, and after she has finished her daily tasks and put her daughter to bed, she likes to watch television. Several years ago, Srey Ni developed nasal polyps, which are noncancerous growths in the lining of the nasal passage. As a result of these polyps, she experiences difficulty breathing during the day, trouble sleeping at night, frequent headaches, and a runny nose. She often feels tired during the day, and lacks the energy to keep up with her daughter. Srey Ni learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought their help. Now she is scheduled to undergo a nasal polypectomy on October 18th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, after which she should breathe more easily, sleep better, and have the energy to match that of her daughter. Now, she needs your help to fund this $319 procedure. Srey Ni shared: "It has been very difficult for me to care for my family when I feel poorly. I hope to sleep well at night, have no more headaches, and breathe easier."

Sonita is from the Koh Kong province and lives with her parents and younger brother. Her parents are rainy-day rice farmers, and her brother is in grade one. She is in grade four and excels in Khmer literature and math. She shared that she would like to be a lawyer some day. When not studying, Sonita likes writing stories, reading books, doing homework, watching TV, and going to the market with her mother. At home, she eats a soft meal and drinks juice due to her inability to open her mouth. Sonita was born with temporal mandibular joint ankylosis. This is a bony or fibrous adhesion of the mandible joint components. Trauma is the most frequent cause, followed by infection, but Sonita's parents do not know how she developed it. She is unable to open her mouth, causing difficulties with chewing, speaking, and oral hygiene as well as limiting the growth of her mandible (micrognathia). She is shy, and shared that she is often embarrassed that she cannot speak well enough to be heard. Her parents took her to a local hospital when she was three, but did not receive any treatment. A villager suggested her parents should visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for a diagnosis and treatment. Doctors have determined that she needs a bilateral condylectomy with the addition of a bone graft from her femur. Now, her family needs help to pay for the $469 procedure. Your donation will cover Sonita's surgery, medicines, and hospital stay. Sonita's mother said: "We are hopeful that the doctors can fix my daughter's jaw so she can open her mouth. We worry that she will not grow well because she cannot eat well."

Nicholaus is a young boy from a family of five living in Tanzania. His parents are local farmers who practice subsistence farming. They try to provide for the family, but it has been hard for them to provide the basic needs. They sometimes live on one meal a day, and shared that buying clothes for their children is difficult. When Nicholaus was two years old, he fell into a pit of hot ashes, burning his right hand. The parents applied honey on the wound and left it to heal. They got rid of the open wound, but it left the boy with a burn scar contracture on his right hand. They live in a remote area where it is hard to access social services like medical care. The contractures tighten the area around the burn, and it is now hard for him to move the hand especially around the wrist and part of the fingers. Nicholaus' parents have tried seeking professional medical opinion for their son before, but have not been able to afford the recommended treatment. When they heard about Friends of the Plaster House (ALMC), they were hopeful, and travelled over 600 km to seek assistance for their son. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Nicholaus receive treatment. On October 12th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him move his hand easily. Now, he needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Nicholaus’s mother says “We left home with hope that when he comes back, his hand will be okay."

Kaung is a 16-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his parents, two aunts and his brother on the border of Thailand and Burma. His parents are retired, while his brother and his aunts work in a factory. Kaung is in grade 10. In his free time he likes to play cane ball and football. On November 25th, Kaung was playing cane ball during gym class. While jumping to kick the ball in the air, he slipped and fell on his left arm, breaking both bones in his forearm. Currently, he cannot hold anything with his left hand and is in a lot of pain. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Kaung will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 25th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help his arm heal properly and allow him to use his left arm again. "I feel very sad and I am also worried that I will never be able to use my left arm," said Kaung. "I also feel bad for not listening to my mother because she doesn't allow me to play football as she is always worried that I will hurt myself. And now I have. Thank you to the donors for supporting my treatment. Without their help I could never receive treatment."

James is a beautiful newborn baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of three children. To support their family, his father practices small-scale farming, and his mother is a homemaker. His parents share that their income is only enough to meet their day-to-day needs. James has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, meaning both of James's legs are twisted downward and inward. Without treatment, he will grow up and have difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Fortunately, James's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund James's clubfoot repair. This procedure will allow him to grow in good health and walk with ease when he grows up. James's mother says, "It has been rough for the past two weeks, moving with my baby from one health centre to another without any success. I am glad that he will get the treatment required."

Meet Sokhorn, a recently married 27 year old man, living with his wife in Cambodia. Sokhorn works at a factory that produces automobile and motorcycle plates, and when he has free time, he enjoys swimming, running, and keeping up with current events. In August 2022, when he was on his motorcycle delivering food, Sokhorn was in a collision with a car. He fractured his left tibia, and was operated on at a local hospital. An external fixation device to keep the bones in place was used, and Sokhorn was sent home to heal. Because he lacked the money to do so, Sokhorn never followed up with the doctors who treated him. He now finds that he has no range of motion in his ankle; has lost all sensation in the area where the surgery was performed, and he is unable to walk. He feels so unwell overall, that he no longer goes to work, leaving his wife as their sole support. Fortunately, a neighbor introduced Sokhorn to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, where he was diagnosed with a chronic infection of his wound, and osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone. Sokhorn needs debridement of the wound and reconstructive surgery, in order to save his leg and to heal completely. Thanks to Children's Surgical Centre, Sokhorn is scheduled for this life changing procedure on October 6th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Now he needs your help to fund the $991 required to cover the costs of his surgery and care. Sokhorn said: "I hope the doctors will fix my leg so I have no more infections. I want to find work so I can support my wife and have a good life with her."

Medard is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is his mother's only child, but he lives with his grandmother because his mother's health is currently compromised. While she was pregnant, his mother experienced a difficult pregnancy and was constantly on medication to help ensure healthy brain growth for Medard. He arrived before his due date and had to spend a few weeks in nursery. As he grew older and began walking, his grandmother noticed his leg bowing. Medard was diagnosed with genu valgus, a condition that causes his right leg to bow inward. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Medard struggles to walk. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Medard. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 4th. Treatment will hopefully restore his mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. His grandmother shares, “I believe that by helping Medard I will be helping his mother heal too."