Vouch is a 41-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has three children and enjoys watching comedy shows on the internet. Seven years ago, Vouch developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her irritation, itchiness, photophobia, blurry vision, and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Vouch learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one hour seeking treatment. Vouch needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $201. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for May 7. She says, "I hope that my surgery is successful so that I can see clearly and no longer have any irritation."

20-year-old Chin is a factory worker from Cambodia. She is the youngest of four siblings, and her favorite pastimes are reading books and cleaning. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) shares, "When Chin was ten years old, she began having recurrent ear discharge and hearing loss from her right ear." Despite receiving treatment in the past, she still experiences pain, discharge, and hearing loss. "When I have ear discharge it feels painful and there is a bad smell," shares Chin. "This disrupts my life and makes it difficult to communicate with my friends." After hearing about CSC from a fellow villager who received treatment, Chin traveled three hours to seek help from our medical partner. For $399 Chin will receive a myringoplasty to stop the discharge and regain her hearing. "I hope after treatment, the ear discharge stops and I can have good hearing," Chin shares. "I want to study English."