Meet Mas, a 61-year-old mother of six and grandmother of four who lives in Cambodia. She enjoys spending her time doing housework and visiting the temple. "Mas developed a cataract in each eye five months ago," our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us. A cataract occurs when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy from a buildup of proteins. Due to this condition, Mas has experienced blurred vision and tearing. "She can't see clearly, do work well, or go outside on her own," CSC explains. This cloudiness in Mas' eyes has accumulated over time, and has slowly deteriorated her vision. If left untreated, she could completely lose her ability to see. After hearing about CSC from her neighbor, Mas has travelled three hours with her sister to reach CSC for proper medical care. With $225, doctors at CSC will perform an operation to remove the cloudy lenses in both of Mas' eyes and replace them with new, artificial lenses. Within one day of her procedure, Mas will be able to see clearly again. Mas is very excited for her treatment. "I hope my eyes can see everything clear, so that I can go anywhere outside well and help my daughter to cook and take care of my grandchildren," Mas shares.

Meet Sokhom, a 75-year-old grandpa from Cambodia with three sons, three daughters, and 19 grandchildren. Sokhom, a patient with our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to the monks pray. “Sokhom developed a cataract in each eye six months ago. This causes him blurred vision, irritation, and tearing. He can't see everything clearly, do work well, and go anywhere outside,” explains CSC. $225 funds cataract surgery that will remove the cloudy lenses from both of his eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. Funding for his surgery includes post-operative care, and after the surgery, he will be able to see clearly again. With restored vision, Sokhom looks forward to going to his farm with ease, planting vegetables, and going outside without assistance.

"It's difficult for me to see Susmita in so much pain. I wish for her treatment to happen as early as possible so that she is free of pain," her father tells our medical partner, Possible. Susmita is a nine-year-old girl who lives in Nepal with her parents and 11 siblings. Recently, an incident caused a fracture in her left hand. "Susmita was grazing her cattle when a dog chased after her. While running from the dog, she slipped and broke her left hand. Her hand has swollen and it's been painful since," Possible says. Susmita is usually a great help to her family, but lately she has "needed assistance to do basic day to day chores like bathing, dressing, and so on; she's been missing school and cannot help with chores." For $579, Susmita will undergo surgery to have her fractured bone surgically reset so that her hand can heal properly. This operation will ensure that she will regain full use of her hand, and once again be able to take care of herself and return to school.

Joselin is a 19-year-old Guatemalan woman, who needs treatment for cataracts. She is developmentally delayed, and started to lose her eyesight due to cataracts a few years ago. Without eyesight, her ability to work and socialize is compromised. Joselin is from a large family with many young children. As she gets older, her family struggles to support her. “Although she is mentally challenged, she is an extremely capable individual, and could potentially work or contribute to the household in some way,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “However, without eyesight life is made much more difficult, and her ability to work and assist her family is close to eliminated.” “Even though she wants to learn, Joselin has never attended school,” continues WK. “Social stigma around her appearance and weakened ability to physically see others has limited her social interactions/community acceptance, and now she spends many days sitting at home.” With $1485, Joselin will receive cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens, which will be replaced by a clear lens implant. The cost also includes antibiotic drops as well as transportation costs. Cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed worldwide and only takes an hour. Just one day after surgery, Joselin’s vision will improve to 20/20.

“Dominic is our only son and we wish for him to have straight legs, strong bones and the ability to walk properly so that he can walk to school when the time comes,” says Dominic’s father. Meet Dominic, a three-year-old boy from Tanzania who has bilateral genu varum, a bow-legged condition that can lead to osteoarthritis. “Dominic wiggles when walking and he falls down easily when playing with other children. The deformity is limiting his ability to walk properly and energetically involve himself in playing games,” reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “At home, Dominic likes to sit down and play with tins and cars and sometimes he will try to run around with other children,” continues AMHF. He enjoys the company of other children and would like to play with them unaffected by his condition. Dominic’s parents are both maize farmers. “The little they get from farming is not enough to cover their daily needs as well as pay for the corrective surgery which Dominic needs,” says AMHF. For $940, we can fund surgery to straighten Dominic’s legs so that he will have normal mobility as he grows up. AMHF concludes that after the procedure, “Dominic will have straight legs, a better gait, and reduced risk of developing osteoarthritis at an early age.”

"Hilda takes inspiration from others and has not lost hope in her ability to recover," says our medical partner, Ortho FOCOS (OF). "She is very appreciative of all of those who are assisting with the raising of funds for her treatment." 12-year-old Hilda is a girl from Ghana who currently lives with congenital scoliosis, a curvature of her spine. "While she is not currently in pain, her deformity is progressively worsening," says OF. "She has become very withdrawn and is no longer socially engaged. Walking long distances has been difficult and she no longer engages in any sort of physical activity." In order to make a full recovery, Hilda will need surgery to correct her spine. The surgery costs $1500, and Hilda's family is unable to cover the cost. Her father is a civil servant, and her mother is a petty trader. The surgery is crucial for Hilda to grow and develop normally, and without pain. She is expected to make a full recovery. Hilda is passionate about drawing and dancing. She is a respectful, intelligent girl and one day dreams of becoming a nurse. Let's help her get there, and fund this important surgery!

Heng (pictured with her mother) is a one-year-old Cambodian baby and the youngest of six siblings. "She unsurprisingly likes to drink milk!" Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us of Heng. “Heng was born with cataracts in both of her eyes - making her partially blind." CSC writes. Heng's mother is worried about this. She is looking forward to seeing her daughter grow, play, and go to school. But without a simple surgery to repair Heng's cataracts, it's unlikely she'll be able to live a normal life. For $150, we can fund Heng's cataract surgery, a procedure that will both improve her eyesight and prevent blindness. Let’s help Heng grow up with clear vision!

Say hi to Awa, a 44-year-old widowed mother who lives with her 17-year-old son in Mali. Awa has been working in a shoe factory since her husband’s death. Her son relies on her income to provide for his needs and pay his school fees. For more than a year, Awa has been experiencing abdominal pain caused by uterine bleeding. As a result of the bleeding masses in her uterus, called fibroids, Awa is anemic. Anemia is debilitating and Awa has missed a lot of work and nearly lost her job as a result. She is worried that without treatment, she won't be able to support her family. For $795, Awa will receive an operation that will stop the bleeding and the abdominal pain and resolve the anemia. “I hope to recover for my son because he means the world to me,” says Awa. With treatment, Awa will resume an active and productive life, taking care of herself and her son. Let’s support Awa and help her get back to a happy and productive life!