“Thank you so much for this support, for keeping my daughter in your heart,” says Ingrid's mother. Ingrid is a 23-month-old girl from Guatemala who is acutely malnourished. “She is much too small for her age since she has not had access to a diverse and caloric diet,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). “Her diet has not only made her unable to gain weight, but has left her immune system too weak to fight off illnesses such as diarrhea, fevers, and cough--which can be lethal in a child like Ingrid that has a compromised immune system.” WK goes on to say, “Ingrid’s mother is worried because she noticed that she gets sick more often than the other children in the neighborhood.” Indigenous Guatemalans are one of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in the world. They live in rural areas and suffer from high rates of food insecurity. The poorest indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. $512 will fund a multifaceted treatment for Ingrid's malnutrition. WK explains, “This treatment will greatly improve Ingrid's quality of life. She will receive food supplementation, deworming medication, growth monitoring, and micronutrients that will help her grow and develop healthily. Ingrid’s parents will also receive intense nutrition education so they feel empowered to give her the varied diet she needs." Ingrid is the youngest of five children. She loves to play with her older siblings and her older sister's doll. Let's help her get back track so that she can reach a positive growth trajectory.

Leak is a 20-year-old woman living with her parents in Cambodia. She works at a garment factory making clothes. When she isn’t working, Leak enjoys reading the newspaper and listening to the radio. For the past 15 years, Leak has had left ear otitis media, an inflammation in the middle ear region of her left ear. This condition has caused her to experience tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, hearing loss, and ear discharge. Her left ear also has a torn eardrum, which also contributes to her hearing loss. “I am unhappy that I have this ear pain and it is hard to me to talk with other people because of my poor hearing,” shares Leak. Unfortunately, the condition of her ear will worsen without proper treatment. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), explains that Leak needs a myringoplasty - surgical repair of her eardrum. The procedure will cost a total of $399, which includes all of Leak’s surgical and medical expenses, as well as her hospital stay. CSC is confident that after her eardrum is repaired, her hearing will improve and her discomfort will stop. “I am happy that my daughter is having this operation. I hope her ear discharge will stop, and she will be able to hear better and have good health,” shares Leak’s mother.

Pors is a 70-year-old grandfather from Cambodia. “Pors is married with two sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). "He enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray in his free time." “One year ago Pors developed a cataract in each eye,” reports CSC. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, usually due to aging. Pors’s condition has caused blurred vision, irritation, and a “fear of sunshine.” With $225, Pors will undergo a simple cataract surgery. A surgeon will remove the cloudy lenses and replace them with clear implants, thereby restoring Pors' vision. Pors shares his hopes for after surgery: "I can help my family do some work at the farm again and I can easily go to the pagoda to join ceremonies."