Samon is a 57-year-old grandfather who lives in Kandal province with his wife. They both work as rice farmers and spend their free time with their four children and their grandchildren. Samon also enjoys watching Cambodian news and boxing on TV. Around two months ago, Samon noticed a wound on his foot getting worse. He has tried traditional medicine, but the wound has not improved and he is in chronic pain. At the suggestion of a neighbor, he and his wife traveled 1.5 hours to reach our medical partner Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) for further care. Doctors at CSC diagnosed Samon with a diabetic ulcer. This is a common condition in patients with diabetes, with the ulcer usually on the bottom of the foot. Unfortunately, Samon's condition is quite serious with large areas of infected and dead tissue. The best option is to perform an amputation. Samon is scheduled for surgery on September 7th. He is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of the surgery. He and CSC need help raising $479 to fully fund the procedure to alleviate his pain. Samon shared, "I hope I can have surgery so that I can go home and not worry about the infection and pain getting worse."

Sopheak is an 8-year-old third grader who lives in Prey Veng province with his parents, who earn a small income selling fish in the local market. He has two older sisters, the oldest of whom recently moved out and started working as a tailor. Sopheak loves studying history, and he wants to be a teacher when he grows up. His other favorite things are playing basketball with his friends and drinking bubble tea. Four years ago, Sopheak began experiencing a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. This causes him to frequently miss school and interferes with his sleep. Sopheak was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids. If not treated, his symptoms will persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Sopheak, which is scheduled to take place on September 6. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sopheak of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. His mother shared that she just wants her son to feel good again, and to be able to attend school regularly.

Elisante is a 16-year-old boy from Tanzania. He lives in Arusha with his mother and father. He has five siblings. Elisante loves playing football and enjoys watching matches on television. In 2020, Elisante was playing football and hit his leg. He experienced pain in his leg, swelling, and discomfort walking. After about a month, his leg began to feel better and he continued his usual activities. However, Elisante identifies this injury as the start of various issues with his legs. Recently, Elisante was diagnosed with windswept deformity. His legs bow both inward and outward, causing a windswept appearance. As a result, he experiences difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Elisante. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 21st. Treatment will hopefully restore Elisante's mobility, allow him to participate in his usual activities, and decrease his risk of future complications. Ephraim says: “I can no longer play football much. Walking has become challenging and I can no longer wear shorts due to how my legs are bent. I would be grateful if I had this surgery.”