Pheak is 34-year-old mechanic from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Chnang province with his wife and three children, aged two, eight, and 12. In his free time, Pheak likes gardening and taking care of his chicken coop at home. One month ago, Pheak was in a tuk tuk tricycle accident that caused a closed fracture in his right wrist. Since the accident, Pheak has been in pain and cannot use his right hand. He is unable to lift objects, which makes it impossible for him to work as a mechanic. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 11th, Pheak will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will facilitate the healing of his wrist, reduce his pain, and allow him to use his hand again. He can contribute $40 but needs help to raise $560 more to fund his procedure and care. Pheak said, "After the surgery, I hope that I will be able to use my hand again and return to work so I can take care of my family."

Savan is a 76-year-old farm worker from Kandal province, Cambodia. He is married and the proud father of four sons and one daughter, with a growing family that includes ten grandchildren. He lives with his wife, who is unable to work due to complications from a stroke. His favorite hobbies are listening to monk prayers on the radio and reading the news on his phone. About six months ago, Savan developed a cataract in his right eye, which caused him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. Savan visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, seeking treatment. On December 9th, doctors will perform a small-incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Savan's family can contribute $25 but needs help to raise $228 more to fund Savan's procedure and care. Savan says, "I hope my vision improves after eye surgery. I want to continue providing for my family by working more on the rice farm."

Nhen is a 61-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. He is married, with four sons and six grandchildren. He lives with his wife, a vegetable farmer, while some of their children provide support for their living. He used to grow vegetables with his wife but had to stop because of his poor health. Listening to the news on his phone is one of his favorite hobbies. Nhen has type 2 diabetes that is not well-controlled. Over time, this can cause serious health problems, including damage to the eyes, feet, heart, and nerves. About six months ago, the retina of Nhen's right eye detached, causing blurred vision with progressive vision loss. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Nhen learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 29th, eye surgeons will perform a retinal detachment repair procedure in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Nhen can contribute $75 but needs your support to raise $574 to fund this procedure. Nhen says, "I am hopeful that after this operation, my eyesight will improve. I dream of being able to recognize faces again, grow crops and vegetables to support my living, and drive a motorcycle again."

Jennifer is a single parent from the Philippines. Jennifer lives with her mother and son. She works as an office staff and serves as the main provider for her family. Her mother receives a small monthly pension and helps her with the family expenses. Jennifer loves doing household chores in her free time. One year ago, Jennifer began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain on the abdominal side of her body that affected her back. Jennifer was diagnosed with chronic calculous cholecystitis or gallstones. Jennifer has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Jennifer is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on September 14th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Jennifer's surgery and care. Jennifer says "Thank you very much to all of you who will donate for my surgery. Thank you very much for your generosity. This will greatly affect our lives as I will be able to function better as a daughter and a mother."

Vanna is a 49-year-old woman who lives in Kampong Cham province with her mother and her sister. Her mother is a rice farmer, and her sister works in a local factory. Vanna has been blind since 2000, when she was the victim of an acid attack by her neighbor. The attack melted her eyelids, nose, and upper lip. Since then, she has had various facial surgeries and skin grafts. Due to her scarring and blindness, she feels she has no creative outlets, does not leave the house, and is lonely and depressed. Recently, she has had increased pain radiating from her back to her neck. This condition is caused by scarring and contractures from acid burns. Skin contractures occur when the burned skin heals and forms scar tissue that tightens and restricts movement. The scar tissue can cause the affected area to become stiff and limit the range of motion. Vanna traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, hoping for treatment. On June 14th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to relieve the pain and help her move her neck more freely. Now, she needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Vanna said: "I hope I move my neck and will no longer have so much pain. I will be very thankful if the doctors can do this."

Elibariki is a playful and friends 10-year-old boy. He is the third born child in a family of five children. Elibariki has not started school yet because his parents shared that he cannot walk for a long distance due to his foot. The only school in their village is a long-distance walk for Elibariki and too far for him to manage. Elibariki’s parents are small-scale farmers who depend entirely on their harvest for their food and sell a few of the harvest to get money for other commodities. Elibariki was involved in a fire accident when he was three years old. At home, they have an open fireplace outside their house that serves as a cooking area. His mother had prepared breakfast that morning and there were still a few charcoals burning below the hot ashes. Elibariki and his siblings were playing around the fireplace when Elibariki accidentally stepped into the fire with his left foot. Access to medical care was out of reach for their family, so his parents treated him using herbal medicines. Now he is having difficulty walking. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Elibariki receive treatment. On March 15th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery and he will be able to walk much better and without pain and discomfort. Now, their family needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Elibariki’s father says, “We always hoped one day we would find the money to take him to a hospital.”

Pukdarith is a sixth grader from Cambodia. He has one sister and eight brothers. He is the youngest in the family. He likes studying mathematics and wants to be a teacher when he grows up. He enjoys listening to classical music and going for walks. Three years ago, he was in an accident and fell from an elevator. This caused a fracture in his right femur. It is difficult for him to walk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On November 7, Pukdarith will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $430. This procedure will help him walk easily again. His mother says, "I hope my son can walk normally again after the operation."

Josue is a five-year-old boy who lives with his parents and brothers. His father works in a grocery store, and his mother works at home taking care of Josue and his siblings. Josue's mother is pregnant, so he loves to talk to his mother's belly, he says he gets kicks in return. Josue is suffering from severe strabismus (misalignment of the eyes), which requires surgery to repair. Since he cannot control the direction of both of his eyes, he has double vision and a hard time with depth perception. His mother is worried that he will not be able to attend school if he does not have his strabismus repaired, and is fearful that he will never be able to read or play sports with the other kids. Although his parents work hard to give Josue the best they can, they cannot afford an expensive surgery like Josue's. $1,500 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Josue needs to correct his strabismus. This will give Josue improved vision, allowing him to be more independent. His mother will no longer have to worry if he will be able to attend school, read, or play with the other children once his strabismus is corrected. Josue's parents said, "We feel a great satisfaction to be able to get our son into surgery. We are very appreciative for the support, since it will help our little one grow up with good self-esteem."

Angelica is 10-years-old and lives with her five siblings and parents in a one-room house with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, making only $3 per day. Her mother works taking care of Angelica and her siblings, cooking, and cleaning. Angelica has strabismus, a condition which means that she is unable to control the direction of both of her eyes. This condition has made her have trouble with depth perception and headaches, but more importantly has prevented her from going to school. After finishing the first grade, she got so worried about what others thought of her 'bad eye' that she stopped going. Although they want the best for Angelica, her parents cannot afford to pay for her surgery. This surgery will correct Angelica's strabismus, giving her better control of both of her eyes. This will alleviate her physical symptoms, as well as improve her self-esteem so she can continue to attend school. Angelica said, "This next year I would like to keep studying if my eye is better and I can see better. I want to continue studying and get a job, so I can earn money and support my parents. I appreciate the help that you can give me."

Alejandra is an 84-year-old mother of four kids and several grandchildren. She suffers from glaucoma as well as cataracts, causing her to have severely limited vision. She lives with her only daughter and helps around the house doing what she loves - cooking. She also loves to go to church, walk through the market, and visit friends, although she is unable to do so without someone accompanying her. Alejandra's vision has gotten much worse in the last few years, making it almost impossible for do things on her own. Furthermore, because of her poor vision, she has fallen a couple times. Surgical treatment will remove Alejandra's cataracts and restore her vision. She will receive transportation and interpretation in her native language Kaqchikel from Spanish, as well as a follow-up with a skilled eye specialist. This will give Alejandra the independence that she hasn't had for years due to her poor vision, and help prevent further injuries in the future.

Mukonyezi is an eleven-year-old boy from Uganda in Primary Five. His favorite classes are English and Science. He also likes music and playing games. Mukonyezi's mother is a Primary School Teacher. She can’t afford to pay for her son's surgery because her salary is little and she struggles to pays for the education of eight children; four are her own and the other four are orphans. Mukonyezi's father is a clinical officer but he is looking for a job. Three months ago, Mukonyezi developed a swelling on his abdomen. He feels a lot of pain when he bends and after meals. His mother took him to a clinic where he was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, which occurs when part of the intestine or fatty tissue pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall near the belly button. He was advised to have surgery, but his mother couldn’t afford to pay for it. Due to the pain, he is unable to do any physical exercises with fellow students at school. His performance in class last term declined because he didn’t attend class regularly due to sickness. If not treated, the hernia could become become stuck, leading to damage to the intestine or even the stomach. $249 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Mukonyezi needs. After surgery, Mukonyezi’s mother hopes he will be able to study well, have a good appetite, become healthy, and regain his weight.

Aung Myo is a 37-year-old factory worker and family man from Thailand. Together, he and his wife support two children and their parents living in Burma. According to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, “Aung Myo’s children are bright and study very hard, knowing their parents have sacrificed a lot for them to attend school.” Aung Myo has recently fallen ill due to an arterial septal defect in his heart, preventing proper blood flow to his body. “Aung Myo's current symptoms include jaundice, breathlessness, swollen legs, exhaustion, fatigue, weight loss, difficulty urinating and passing stool,” his doctors explain. Aung Myo says, “my condition has made me very stressed and worried.” Additionally, his wife has had to stop working in order to take care of him. For $1,500 we can fund a corrective surgery to repair Aung Myo’s heart. Aung Myo exclaims, “I want to be healthy so I can continue to support my children, send them to school, and look after my parents." Let’s get Aung Myo back to his happy, healthy self!