Saret is a rice farmer from Prey Veng, Cambodia. She is a single mom with two daughters in high school. During the off-season in the rice fields, Saret earns extra income by looking after cows and chickens on a nearby farm. In her free time, she likes spending time with her daughters and listening to the news on her phone. About one year ago, Saret developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. As her vision loss has deteriorated, she has not been able to work for several months. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Saret learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On May 29th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $218 procedure. Saret shared, "I hope I can return to work and support my daughters."

Hen is a 46-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. She lives in Kampot province with her husband and her three children. Both Hen and her husband recently got jobs in construction, after many years as rice farmers. In her free time, Hen likes spending time with her family and growing vegetables around her house. In 2020, Hen was in a motorbike accident and fractured her left knee. She was taken to a nearby clinic and treated for the fracture with internal hardware. The fracture has healed, but she developed chronic pain and muscle stiffness in her left leg. She is unable to fully straighten her knee, which makes everyday activities extremely difficult or impossible. When Hen learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On July 11th, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty procedure on her left leg. This procedure will help her improve her leg function and mobility. Now, Hen needs help to fund this $482 procedure. She shared, "I hope I can go home and be able to walk and not be in pain."

“Patrick likes to be alone most of the time," says Patrick's mother. "We hope once he is able to walk properly he will be more active and social." Patrick is a quiet and shy six-year-old boy from Tanzania. He likes coloring picture books and playing with cars. He is the first-born in a family of three children. Patrick was born with bilateral clubfoot, a condition where the feet are twisted inwards. As a result, Patrick had trouble walking until unusually late in life; he was crawling for so long that he now has chronic sores on his knees. Patrick now walks on the outside parts of his feet instead of on the soles, which has seriously affected his gait. Walking—let alone running, or participating in other playtime activities that children his age do—is painful and slow for him. Fortunately, there is a tried and true surgical solution for clubfoot. But Patrick’s parents cannot afford the procedure. The little money that Patrick’s parents earn as farmers is not enough to cover their daily expenses as well as the cost of corrective surgery which Patrick needs. But we can change that. For $1,160, doctors at Arusha Lutcheran Medical Centre will perform the operation that Patrick needs, correcting the abnormal connective tissues in his feet. This funding will also cover the cast, foot braces, and four-month stay at a recuperation center that will ensure Patrick recovers safely. When he’s healed from his procedure, Patrick will be able to walk normally, on the soles of his feet, for the first time in his life. This will mean a more physically comfortable life for him, and -- as his mother hopes -- a more social one.

"I can't walk, and my leg is in pain," says Touch, a 37-year-old farmer who lives with her husband, son, and daughter in Cambodia. When she is not tending to her farm, she looks after her children and cooks and cleans at home, but her work and daily activities have been impacted by her pain. “Touch has been experiencing hip pain for one year, mostly at night,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “She can walk at most 100 meters before walking becomes very painful.” Touch has developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), a dislocation of the hip that is present at birth and can lead to hip osteoarthritis if not treated. DDH results from laxity of the ligaments that hold the hip joint in place and is more common in women and in babies born in breech position. Trauma to Touch’s hip from a fall when she was approximately six months old may have complicated her current condition. Symptoms of DDH include pain, differing leg lengths, and increased turn-out and reduced range of motion of the involved leg. “Touch’s right hip is painful, and her right leg is shorter than her left leg,” explains CSC. For $430, Touch will undergo hip replacement surgery to remove the deteriorated portions of the hip joint and replace them with new, artificial parts. Funding also covers the costs of two weeks of hospital care (including labs and imaging), physiotherapy, and six follow-up appointments during the first year after surgery. “After a hip replacement surgery,” says CSC, “Touch will be able to walk without pain.” "I hope I can walk without pain after surgery,” shares Touch. “When I am healed, I will go home and return to working on the farm."