Nob is a 53-year-old rice farmer from Prey Veng province in Cambodia. She and her husband work in the rice paddies near their home. Together they have one daughter in 8th grade. When not working, Nob is busy looking after her daughter and helping elderly relatives nearby. In her free time, she enjoys watching the news or Cambodian dramas on TV. About two years ago, Nob developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Nob learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On February 6th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She shared, "I hope after surgery I can see more clearly and return to work because I haven't been able to work and support my daughter's school fees."

Khin is a 49-year-old refugee living with her father, her daughter and her younger sister in a refugee camp, in Tak Province along the Thail-Burma border. Her family fled from Karen State, Burma to Thailand in 2017 because of the conflict in their area. Khin’s father is retired and her daughter is a student. Khin’s sister looks after their retired father at home. Khin Mar is a day labourer in the camp. However, the job is not available every day. Every month her family receives 1,200 baht (approx. 40 USD) on a cash card from the organization The Border Consortium. This amount combined with her monthly salary is enough to cover their daily needs. They receive free basic health care provided by the International Rescue Committee in the camp but surgical care is not available there. In the middle of 2023, Khin noticed pain in her lower abdomen. Still, she did not go to the hospital or clinic as she thought the process was normal for women who are getting older and close to menopause. However, in the beginning of November, she noticed that the pain worsened and now the pain is constant. She visited the hospital in the camp, where the medic gave her some medication and she returned home. The pain did not resolve and continued. On 13 November, she returned to the hospital in the camp where she met with the doctor and the doctor performed an ultrasound for her and told her that there is a mass in her uterus. The doctor told her that they will refer her to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) where she received another ultrasound, and the doctor diagnosed her with uterine myoma - a benign tumour in the uterus and also told her that she needs surgery to remove the mass as well as her whole uterus. Khin has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and back pain almost every day now. She cannot sleep as she worries that if she receives surgery, she will not be able to work and will not have income. At the same time, she also feels hard to perform her job well as she feels that her back pain makes it worse for her when she washes clothes. If left untreated, Khin's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Khin is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy which will heal her condition on December 4th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. After surgery, she will no longer in pain and she will be able to continue her job comfortably like before. Khin said, “if I do not work, I worry that I will not have enough income for my family and also when I heard that I need surgery, I worry about the surgery cost. When I heard that there will be a donor for me, my father and I are very happy as we know we cannot afford to pay for this expensive surgery.”

Mu is a 62-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her family in a village in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province. She works as a day laborer and housekeeper. She also collects and sells recyclable materials for additional income to support her daily needs. In September 2023, Mu accidentally fell down the stairs and fractured her hip, making it difficult for her to walk and move her legs. She is in constant pain, affecting her ability to sleep and perform her daily tasks. Fortunately, Mu learned about our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). At BCMF's care center, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Mu of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for March 1st and Mu needs help raising $1,500 to pay for this procedure. “I felt sad and depressed when I realized I needed surgery because I couldn’t afford to pay for it,” said Mu. “I am also concerned about my ability to take care of myself. I was thrilled and felt grateful to all the donors and BCMF when I learned they would help pay for my treatment. I want to take care of myself without anyone’s help. I don’t want to put anyone under unnecessary pressure. Along with that, I want to walk like I used to again.”