Meet 46-year-old Nou from Cambodia. “Nou is married with one son. She works as a seller at the market,” reports our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “In her free time, Nou likes to clean her house and study English.” Nou has a bilateral cholesteatoma, a non-cancerous skin cyst in the middle section of the ear. Over time, this skin growth can increase in size and destroy the surrounding delicate bones of the middle ear, resulting in loss of hearing and potential facial paralysis. “When Nou was 18-years-old, she began having ear discharge on both sides, with hearing loss, tinnitus [ringing in the ears], and pain,” continues CSC. With $809, Nou can receive a mastoidectomy in order to surgically remove cells in the hollow, air-filled spaces in the skull behind the ear and relieve her unpleasant symptoms. CSC explains, “After a mastoidectomy procedure, the ear discharge will stop, and Nou will be able to have improved hearing.” Nou and her husband remain hopeful for treatment and are eager to restore her good health. She tells us, “I hope the ear discharge will stop, and I can have good hearing without pain.”

Sun is a 75-year-old mother of six and grandmother of 13. Sun lives in Cambodia, where she spends her free time talking with her neighbors and visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray. "Ten years ago, Sun developed a cataract in each eye," says our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). A cataract occurs when proteins buildup inside the eye lens, clouding sight. With blurry vision, itchiness, and sensitivity to bright light, Sun finds herself with less overall independence. She explains, "It is hard for me to see anything and recognize the faces of everyone clearly. It is hard to do any work by myself or go walking anywhere on my own." After hearing about CSC from a neighbor, Sun travelled four hours to reach their clinic. For $225, doctors at CSC will perform an operation to remove the cloudy lenses in both of Sun's eyes and replace them with new, artificial implants. Within one day of her procedure, Sun will be able to see clearly again. Excited for her treatment, Sun says, "I hope my eyes can see everything clearly after treatment so I can easily do any work by myself and go walking anywhere outside."