Rin is a 78-year-old retired rice farmer from Kompong Chhnang province in Cambodia. He has one daughter, two sons, and seven grandchildren. Sadly, his wife passed away almost fifteen years ago, due to complications from chronic illnesses. Rin then moved in with his daughter, who helps support him by working for a local construction company. He loves spending time with his grandkids, harvesting fruit in the village, and listening to the local Buddhist radio station. About one year ago, Rin developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about potential falls while walking, which has made him reluctant to venture out independently. When Rin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 1st, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, Rin needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Rin shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly. This would make me happy and I would feel more confident about going to the pagoda on my own."

Phikhirona is a shy 8-year-old student in grade one. Her family consists of her father, formerly employed near Children's Surgical Centre crafting prosthetic limbs, and her two elder sisters. One, aged 13, is currently in grade 5, while the other, aged 11, is navigating grade 4. Unfortunately, her mother succumbed to breast cancer several years ago, so her older sisters watch after her. In her first year of attending school, she has interest in Khmer subjects. Back at home, her cooking skills are being developed by her older sisters, who are teaching her how to prepare her favorite dish - fried pork with vegetables. Phikhirona was born with polydactyly of both hands and feet. This means that she has an extra digit on the side of both hands and polysyndactyly of her feet. On each foot, she has an extra toe that is connected, via fusing or webbing, to an adjacent toe. She faces difficulty wearing conventional shoes due to the presence of extra toes and fingers, and unfortunately, she endures teasing from other children as a result. Fortunately, on January 29th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digits of her hands. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $299 to fund this procedure. After surgery, she will feel more comfortable about her appearance, and she won't be ashamed of how her feet look. Her father shared: "I hope that the surgery will not cause any infection and the extra fingers will not grow back."

Innocent is an outgoing and hardworking lady, who is 49 years old. She and her husband and three school age children live in Uganda. Because Innocent was orphaned, she didn't have the opportunity to pursue her education beyond primary school. Today she farms, primarily to produce food crops for the family's consumption, while selling any surplus to help generate some income. Her husband is a builder, who is also engaged in farming. One year ago, Innocent began to experience troubling symptoms, including shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, heart palpitations with high blood pressure, and fatigue on walking even a short distance. Due to limited finances, she tried using local herbs and traditional cutting, with the hope that she would improve, but nothing has worked to alleviate her symptoms. A friend with whom she shared her concerns referred Innocent to the hospital in Nyakibale, where tests and scans were performed. Innocent was diagnosed with bilateral goiter, which impacts the thyroid gland's production of hormones critical to Innocent's metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Innocent receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 28th at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and Innocent and her family need your help to raise the money. Innocent says: “I believe with your support I will be able to be operated on and will finally be relieved from all these symptoms I’ve been having.”