“Por was married with two sons and one foster daughter,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Por's husband and two sons passed away, and today she "lives with her foster daughter, and enjoys going to the pagoda to listen to the monks pray and to meditate.” Two years ago Por developed a cataract in her right eye. “This causes her to be partially blind and experience tearing,” says CSC. A cataract is a thickened, cloudy lens over the eye. Over time, the altered lens loses its ability to focus light properly, resulting in blurry, dull vision and increasing difficulty with seeing faraway objects. "I can't do work well, see anyone clearly, or go places on my own,” says Por. Cataracts can be treated with a simple procedure where doctors surgically remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial lens that will allow the patient to see clearly. The entire process takes only 45 minutes to an hour to complete, and patients typically only need a few days to heal. For $150, Por can receive surgery to restore her eyesight. Funds will cover surgical costs, medicine, and her two-day hospital stay. "I hope my mother can see everything clearly again so she can easily do any work and go anywhere outside by herself,” shares Por’s foster daughter. “I won't have to worry about her becoming blind."

Lopenyo is a four-month old baby boy, the most recent addition to his family of thirteen children. The family lives in a grass-thatched, mud-walled house in Kenya where they raise livestock to support themselves. Unfortunately, they recently many of their animals and much of their farmable land because of a drought in their region. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), has diagnosed Lopenyo with hydrocephalus, a medical condition where there is a buildup of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain. The extra fluid exerts pressure on the developing brain, and can cause head enlargement, loss of vision, permanent brain damage, and death. “He has been vomiting especially in the mornings, is very irritable and seems drowsy,” reports AMHF. “Lopenyo is likely to have delayed development.” For $980, we can help fund treatment to drain Lopenyo’s excess intra-cranial fluid, regulate his intra-cranial pressure, and reduce his risk of suffering permanent brain damage or premature death. “Our family lives a very simple life and now that my son is sick, I feel devastated that we cannot meet his care. I really wish that he gets treated soon,” says Lopenyo’s mother. Let’s help make her dream a reality.