Sokhorn is a 58-year-old woman living in Cambodia with her husband, three sons, one daughter, and eight grandchildren. She is a nun at the pagoda, and she "spends her time meditating, cleaning around the pagoda, and reading the Bible," says our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Sokhorn has cataracts in her left eye, which causes blurred vision, tearing and irritation. Sokhorn is fearful of the sunshine and says "It is hard to see everything clearly so I can not read or go walking anywhere very well." CSC shares that Sokhorn traveled seven hours with her husband to reach their services. For $225, Sokhorn’s cataract can be surgically corrected. Cataract surgery is an outpatient surgery and takes about one hour in total. Cataract surgery has high impact for improving visual acuity and improving quality of life. "I hope my eye can see everything clearer," Sokhorn says, "so I can help the monks cook food, and I can read letters more clearly."

Phuong is a 69-year-old man from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), shares, “Phuong is married with three sons, three daughters, and six grandchildren. He enjoys listening to both the radio and the monks praying at the pagoda.” Two years ago, Phuong developed a mature cataract in his right eye. A cataract occurs when a thin, cloudy layer forms over the eye’s lens. This condition can cause extreme discomfort, vision loss, and even functional blindness. "Everything I see is cloudy, and I can't recognize people's faces,” shares Phuong, “It is hard to walk places by myself or do my work well." After learning about CSC from a neighbor, Phuong and his wife traveled five hours to visit their clinic; they learned that, after a simple surgical procedure, Phuong may regain his sight. With $150, Phuong will undergo cataract surgery, during which his old lens will be removed and replaced with a sheer, artificial implant. This will allow Phuong to regain sight immediately after the operation. “I hope that after treatment I will be able to see everything clearer so I can help take care of my family and do more housework," Phuong shares. "I would like to take care of my yard and be able to easily travel to the pagoda on my own.”

Meet Kule, a 62 year-old father from Nepal. Kule has a wife and five sons, and “three of his sons work in a restaurant in India to support the family back home while two of his children are still young and live with him,” says our medical partner, Possible. Kule has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition characterized by difficulty in breathing and cough due to poor airflow. It is generally recognized by its two most common components: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. This condition may be a result of household smoke, tobacco smoking, infections and genetic deficiencies of certain enzymes. The primary source of COPD in Nepal is household smoke. The majority of people (68 percent) use firewood as the chief source of fuel in their kitchen, especially in rural Nepal where Possible is based. Additionally, 1 in 3 men in Nepal are smokers. Kule has had COPD for about four years now. He needs help doing basic activities, his body aches and he feels breathless frequently, and he sweats profusely. For $270, we can fund oxygen therapy and antibiotics to help him breathe easier and allow him to do basic activities. "When his condition was not as worse, he would help me with everyday chores - feeding the cattle and planting seeds. But now I feel that I'm keeping him alive with all my efforts," says Kule's wife. Let's help make treatment possible for Kule.

“Heydy likes to play and imitate her mother’s singing voice,” our medical partner, Wuku’ Kawoq (WK), tells us. “She also likes to look at picture books.” At 21 months old, Heydy is the youngest of her three siblings. Her parents support the family through farm labor and weaving. Heydy often has night sweats and suffers from allergies, her mother explains. Her height and weight are far below the average for her age, indicating acute malnutrition. The family has a limited ability to afford healthy, nutritious meals and the calories Heydy does absorb are being lost as a result of her diarrhea. Malnutrition has serious consequences for children like Heydy in Guatemala. Without treatment, she will continue to miss major mental and physical developmental milestones that are important for her to reach her potential. Her immune system will suffer, exposing her to chronic illness, and her energy and concentration levels will suffer. To get her health back on track, Heydy needs intervention by doctors and nutritionists. WK is confident in the difference this treatment will make on Heydy’s health. “She will receive micronutrient and food supplementation as well as medication to treat her fever and the gastrointestinal infection causing her diarrhea. This will help her to absorb the calories she consumes and increase her appetite,” they explain. “We believe this treatment will help her to gain both weight and height, strengthen her immune system, and help her get back on track to develop her full potential.” In addition to Heydy’s treatment, her mother will receive education nutritional classes to give her the tools to support the family’s nutritional health in the long-term. For $535 Heydy will receive the care she needs. These funds will cover the costs for the family to travel to the treatment center, afford the medicines and nutritional supplements as well as the nutritional education. Her mother is grateful for the opportunity to have Heydy treated. “This is going to help us because buying what Heydy needs is very difficult,” she shares. “I’m so happy to have her entered in this program.”