While scaling a wall, Shyam lost his balance and fractured his left arm. “The area of injury looks slightly deformed and there is considerable swelling,” reports our medical partner in Nepal, Possible. Five-year-old Shyam has been in considerable pain since the accident. He has been using pain medication as a temporary solution, as his family cannot afford the cost of the surgery he needs. $224 will fund surgery to reposition the fracture in his arm, and hold it together with wires implanted into the bone. The procedure will eliminate further bone deformity and relieve Shyam of pain. During his recovery, Shyam’s arm will be placed in a cast so that proper healing can take place. With the funding he receives, Shyam will continue to receive medication and follow-up visits to monitor his progress.

Meet Nem, a 68-year-old woman from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us, “Nem is married with two sons, three daughters, and 12 grandchildren. She enjoys going to the pagoda to join in ceremonies.” One year ago, Nem developed cataracts in both of her eyes. This condition causes a filmy layer to develop over the eye lens. Due to vision loss, cataracts often detract from a patient’s overall independence. “My vision is cloudy,” Nem explains. “I can't do my work very well or go walking by myself. It is hard to see the faces of people clearly.” Hopeful for treatment, Nem and her nephew traveled three hours to reach CSC’s clinic. For $225, Nem will receive cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear lens implant. This is a widely practiced procedure and only takes about an hour. Afterwards, Nem will be able to see clearly again. Nem shares, "I hope I can see everything clearer than now so I can take care of my grandchildren at home easily, and go walking anywhere outside by myself."

Meet Choeb, a 51-year-old father living in Cambodia. “Choeb is married with one son and three daughters and when he is not working as a farmer he enjoys watching boxing," says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Earlier this year, “Choeb got into an accident with a car when he was on his moto," CSC shares. In the accident, he fractured his left tibia, also known as the shin bone. There is swelling around the bone, and Choeb explains, “It is difficult for me to walk without a lot of pain.” After receiving Khmer traditional medicine for over three months to no avail, he came to CSC for care. With $405, Choeb can undergo an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure. In this surgery, Choeb will first have his tibia put back in position, then a nail placed in his bone to keep it in place. CSC expects that after this procedure, “Choeb’s tibia will heal and he will be able to walk without pain and return to work.” As a farmer, Choeb’s ability to walk is important for his livelihood. “After my surgery,” he shares, “I want to go back to work.” Let’s make this possible for Choeb!

Meet Yi, a 58-year-old woman from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us, “Yi is married with a daughter and two grandchildren, and she spends her days doing housework and watching Thai dramas on TV.” For a decade now, Yi has been living with cataracts in both of her eyes. This is a condition that can develop with age as the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, and as it worsens it can lead to blindness. CSC says that Yi’s cataracts, “Really blur her vision and she finds it hard to do any work at home, difficult to go outside alone, and she thinks she will soon go blind.” Yi’s vision can be restored with cataract surgery. This procedure costs $225 and will remove the cloudy lenses in both of her eyes and replace them with a clear implant. CSC tells us that with this surgery, “Yi will have clear vision.” CSC continues, “After surgery Yi mainly wants to be able to do things independently and be able to go outside without any problems.” Yi’s goal is attainable with this surgery – let’s make it happen!