Stephen is a young man from Kenya. He is the firstborn in a family of 3 children. Their family has relied on their mother to provide for them as his father passed away when he was young boy. His mother does deliveries for different shop owners around their town. Stephen had to drop out from college do to inability to pay his school fees, and he now helps around the house and helps his mother with the deliveries, which is the how the family makes ends meet. Stephen has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Stephen has been experiencing severe headaches since this past July. He visited a hospital where a CT scan was done that revealed that he had a cyst that was obstructing the normal flow of fluid in and out of the head. An urgent surgery was recommended to remove the cyst, but he did not undergo it due to not having the funds for the procedure. A shunt insertion surgery has been recommended along with a craniotomy that will be performed later to remove the cyst. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $720 to cover the cost of surgery for Stephen that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 23rd and will drain the excess fluid from Stephen's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Stephen will hopefully continue to develop into a strong, healthy man. Stephen says, “I really want to be treated so that I can help my mom provide for us.”

Chhai Lim is a 72-year-old rice farmer from Kompong Chhnang province in Cambodia. He is married and has three daughters, five sons, and eleven grandchildren. Chhai Lim likes to say that while he might be old chronologically, his body is still strong, and he enjoys going to work every day in the rice field with one of his sons. When at home, he likes listening to the news on the radio and spending time with his family. One year ago, Chhai Lim developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision, sensitivity to light, and tearing. The impact on his vision has made it difficult for Chhai Lim to continue to go to the rice fields or elsewhere on his own. Chhai Lim learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and he traveled for four and a half hours to seek treatment. On March 20th, doctors at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform cataract surgery, and implant an intraocular lens in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now he needs your help to fund this $253 procedure. Chhai Lim said: "I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go back to farming rice."

Somethea is a 12-year-old boy from Cambodia. He is in the 8th grade and enjoys studying Khmer literature and history. He hopes to become a policeman when he grows up. Somethea has two brothers and likes to play football with them in his free time. His mother is a tailor, and his father stays home. When he was two years old, Somethea's right hand was burned in a cooking fire. After the burn healed, the skin around his fingers retracted and bent his finger, resulting in one of his finger joints becoming partially dislocated. This condition causes him pain, and he cannot move his fingers, write with a pen or pencil, or hold objects in his hand. When Somethea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On December 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a contracture release and full-thickness skin graft to relieve him of pain and allow him to use his fingers again. CSC is requesting $673 to fund this procedure. Somethea's family was able to gather $100 to contribute to his care. Somethea said: "I hope I can use my hand after this operation and have no more pain."