Phorn is a 49-year-old married rice farmer from Cambodia who has one son, three daughters, and two grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys watching social news. Four months ago, Phorn developed a cataract in each eye. A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Phorn's symptoms include blurred vision, eye pain, and photophobia (light sensitivity). She cannot see clearly enough to do work well or recognize people. Phorn traveled five hours with her husband to reach Children's Surgical Centre for treatment of her cataracts. For $292, she will undergo small incision cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from her eyes and replace them with intraocular lens implants. Funding for her treatment also includes a pre- and post-surgical consultations, four days of hospital care, eye drops, and medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection. "I hope I can see clearly so I can find a job as a garment worker in a factory to support my family," shares Phorn.

Meet Kadango, a 60-year-old man who lives in Malawi and works as a farmer. For the past two months, Kadango has been experiencing symptoms of an enlarged prostate. In this condition, the prostate becomes abnormally big (though not cancerous) and puts pressure on the urethra, the channel that moves urine out of the patient’s bladder. As a result, Kadango has difficulty urinating, and has been using a catheter. Unfortunately, though, the catheter is prone to leaking and discomfort, leaving him with pain and inconvenience. An operation known as a prostate resection would help him. In this procedure, doctors remove parts of his enlarged prostate to reduce it to a healthier size. Kandango cannot afford this surgery on the salary he earns as a farmer. $742 covers the cost of the operation, as well as Kandango’s medications, travel, and stay at the hospital. Kadango is expected to make a complete recovery after the operation. He is excited to receive his surgery and be able to resume his life catheter-free.

Jonalyn is a happy, 13-year-old student who loves to study and play a game similar to kick-the-can. She lives with her parents and two siblings in the Philippines, where their one-room house has a cement floor and a thatched roof made of nipa leaves. Jonalyn noticed a mass on the right side of neck when she was 12 years old. She told her mother about it, but they did not seek help since they did not have money to spend on medical consultations or medicine. After a few months, she complained of pain when swallowing and difficulty breathing and also noticed that the mass on her neck was getting bigger. She has been unable to concentrate during her classes because of the on-and-off throbbing pain in her neck. During a church activity in May of 2015, Jonalyn felt a throbbing pain in her neck and was examined by a doctor. She was diagnosed with a goiter—an enlarged thyroid gland usually caused by a deficiency of iodine, an important element in the production of thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic for seven days and iron supplements for 10 days and referred Jonalyn to another care facility to undergo tests to determine the type of goiter. Unfortunately, the family was unable to seek further care for Jonalyn until now. She was screened by a health trainer in one of our sponsored communities, consultation was facilitated, and she was advised to undergo a thyroidectomy to remove the thyroid gland. Jonalyn's mother is a housewife, and her father raises pigs. They cannot pay for surgery for Jonalyn because their income is barely enough to sustain the family's daily needs. $1,500 covers the cost of Jonalyn's surgery, transportation to and from the hospital, 10 days of hospital care—including medicine, imaging, and blood tests—and medicine to take after she goes home. The surgery will lessen Jonalyn's discomfort due to her condition. "I am very thankful to you for helping people like me in my condition, especially those who are not financially capable in terms of health treatment," shares Jonalyn. "I was truly blessed because I was given an opportunity to be treated. After the surgery, I plan to continue my schooling to reach my dreams and help my family someday."

Meet Sopha, a 17-year-old boy who lives in Cambodia with his two brothers and one sister. Sopha enjoys listening to music and playing football with his friends at school. Sopha began having ear discharge and hearing loss from his right ear when he was just two-years-old. Chronic otitis media-- inflammation of the middle ear-- caused his tympanic membrane to perforate and the ear discharge became a daily occurrence. This is painful and causes him tinnitus-- a ringing in the ear. After learning about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a friend who had an eye operation there, Sopha traveled two hours with his mom to reach CSC for proper treatment. $399 will fund his myringoplasty, where doctors will repair the perforated tympanic membrane in his right ear. Sopha's discharge will stop, and over time his hearing can improve.

Nith is a four-year-old girl from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us “Nith was born with a cataract in each eye.” Cataracts are cloudiness that form at the lenses in the eye. The condition has caused Nith to struggle with seeing and walking, and if left untreated, could lead to blindness. CSC can help Nith with cataract repair surgery. To help her vision, they will remove her clouded lenses and replace them with new prosthetic lenses. After years of struggling with her vision, this surgery will allow Nith to “be able to see clearly for the first time” Treatment will cost $225, which covers medical and surgical expenses, as well as a two day stay in the hospital and a follow-up visit with an eye doctor. More than anything, Nith’s mother wants her daughter to be able to go to school and “play like the other kids.”

A couple years ago, seven-year-old Lowasa was playing in his home in Tanzania when he fell into an open fire. "The material of his clothes that he was wearing quickly caught fire and he incurred severe burns," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), explains. After being rushed to the hospital, Lowasa's burns on his chest were treated and have since healed. Because of the skin damage he sustained from the burns, he developed a keloid on his chest, which is a build up of extra scar tissue where the skin has healed after injury. "If not treated, the growing keloid will eventually take over his whole chest," AMHF explains. The keloid is very itchy, causing Lowasa to scratch it and create small open wounds. To treat his condition, Lowasa will have the keloid surgically removed and will need injections of steroids and fluorouacil (an ointment for his skin). It will cost, in total, $920. After treatment, Lowasa will no longer feel uncomfortable due to his condition, and will have a much smaller scar. As the third born in a family of four children, Lowasa's parents are worried what will happen to their son. He loves school, and his parents hope that he can return after treatment. "The best thing I can do for my children is to take them to school," Lowasa's father shares with us. "I will be happy for Lowasa to go to school without frequent interruptions of having to go to the hospital."

Nancy is a one-month-old baby from Uganda. She has just been diagnosed with severe malnutrition. Since birth, Nancy’s mother, Evaliine, has had trouble nursing. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, reports that if Nancy is left untreated, “it is likely she will not survive.” Nancy is Evaliine’s only child and they live together in a village in Uganda with Evaliine’s mother. To help support the family, Evaliine works as a farmer. But although she works hard, she is not able to provide the food and milk that Nancy needs to grow at a healthy rate. For $375, Nancy will receive food supplementation and treatment to stabilize her, and ultimately help her improve. Evaliine will also be given guidance and education about the types of foods she should be providing for her family. The Kellermann Foundation is confident that with the right treatment, "Nancy will return to normal development." Let's help Nancy have a chance to grow up healthy, and avoid the long-term effects of malnutrition.

San is a 53-year-old woman from Burma who lives with her son and older brother. When she was 34 years old, working as maid in Bangkok, San began noticing her fatigue, inability to carry heavy loads, swelling of her face and joints, back pain, and shortness of breath. She frequently vomited and gasped for breath. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) shares, “San went to a hospital in Bangkok, and the doctor diagnosed her with rheumatic heart disease (RHD).” After the diagnosis, San’s symptoms forced her to quit her job. Her other children, living abroad in Malaysia and Australia, send enough money home to cover daily living expenses. RHD is a chronic heart condition arising from complications with rheumatic fever, especially common in developing countries. This can lead to rheumatic mitral stenosis, which causes a heart valve to malfunction, decreasing blood flow to the rest of the body. The upper heart chamber swells as pressure builds, and blood and fluid collect in the lung tissue, making it difficult to breathe. San was diagnosed with rheumatic mitral stenosis. Now, she suffers from numbness in her back, lack of appetite, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. $1500 will cover the cost of her surgery. BBP, explains, “Following the surgery, San should be able to work again. She should be able to not suffer from fatigue, numbness, or shortness of breath.” San shares, “I enjoy my work as a maid or seamstress, and if I can regain my health, I want to go back and work in Bangkok again.”

26-year-old Akandinda is a kindergarten teacher from Uganda. She and her husband are expecting a baby soon. This is Akandinda's second pregnancy. During her first delivery, "she was operated on due to a contracted pelvis," reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "Unfortunately, she still lost the baby." Due to her condition during her first pregnancy, as well as the scarring from her previous operation, Akandinda needs extra care and attention in order to safely deliver her child. Unfortunately, Akandinda's small income as a teacher and her husband's earnings as a casual worker are not enough to cover the costs of another Caesarian (C-) section. For $160, doctors will perform a C-section in order to safely deliver Akandinda's baby. They will make an incision through Akandinda's abdomen and uterus, "allowing her to have a safe delivery and deliver a live and healthy baby," AMHF tells us. Akandinda and her husband are very hopeful for her operation. "I pray that I deliver my baby healthy and alive," Akandinda shares. "I also pray that I will make it alive after the surgery."

Immediately after she was born, doctors noticed that Elaine, an eight-month-old girl from Kenya, was developing hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a condition that causes an enlarged head, sleepiness, and irritability. Although she was treated early, her ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt- a device that relieves pressure on the brain caused by fluid accumulation- began to press on her brain and now a revision to the shunt is needed. Although Elaine’s mother works as a schoolteacher, she has not been able to work as a result of her daughter’s condition, and therefore cannot pay for the shunt revision. “Our life was much better and we were relaxed and happy and I even got a babysitter. When Elaine began throwing up, she left without notifying me. I just pray and hope that Elaine will get treated,” says Elaine’s mother. For $600, we can fully fund treatment that will reduce the pressure in Elaine’s brain and prevent visual impairment.

After a traumatic accident involving firewood, Chan, a 20-year-old woman in Cambodia, developed a cataract in her right eye. According to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, this causes Chan to be partially blind, experience a white lens, and have some pain. Chan works as a rice farmer and in her spare time she enjoys listening to hip hop music. Chan hopes that with the right treatment she will see everything clearly again, and that the appearance of her white lens will improve. Although Chan works as a farmer, she is unable to pay for the small incision cataract surgery (SICS) and the IOL (intra-ocular lens) implant that will restore her vision. For $150, Chan will receive the treatment that she needs continue supporting her family. “I hope that my daughter will see everything clear again so that she can work and not be shy about her appearance,” says Chan’s mother.

“I hope my child can grow better,” says Tomas' mother. Tomas, an 18-month-old boy from Guatemala, is acutely malnourished. “He has a cough and fever and frequent bouts of diarrhea. His mother says that they cannot afford to buy fruit, vegetables, or protein sources (like eggs) for their children. His immune system is weak and his height for age and weight for age are far below average. He is at risk for the long-term effects of malnutrition and permanent physical and mental stunting that will affect his ability to succeed academically and in the work force. Without intervention, his immune system will continue to weaken and he will experience the effects of stunted mental and physical development,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). 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. $270 funds a multifaceted intervention for Tomas' malnutrition. “He will receive micronutrient and food supplementation as well as medications to treat his fever, cough, and gastrointestinal infection. This will help him to hold on to/absorb the calories he consumes. A physician will evaluate him and if his health falters during the program he will receive all necessary medical attention to help him recoup lost weight. We believe this treatment will help him to gain both height and weight, strengthen his immune system, and help him get back on track to develop to his full potential,” describes WK. Tomas likes to play with his little car and plastic boxes, and eat squash and zucchini. He is always smiling and likes to share toys with his sister. Let's help him get back on track, and fund this treatment!