Meet Sim, a 70-year-old man from Cambodia. “Sim is married with one son, two daughters, and four grandchildren. He spends his free time visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “Seven years ago Sim developed a cataract in each eye. This causes him blurred vision, tearing, and irritation,” reports CSC. Cataracts occur as proteins develop in the lens of the eye, causing cloudiness. Without treatment, the cloudiness increases over time and results in slowly deteriorating vision. They can ultimately result in total blindness. "It is hard to see everything clearly and I cannot do any work very well," explains Sim. "I can't go outside by myself." For $225, Sim will undergo a surgery to replace the lenses on both of his eyes. In each eye, doctors will make a small incision to surgically remove the clouded lens and replace it with a new, artificial lens. "I hope after treatment my eyes can see everything clearly again. I can help my family do some work on the farm. I hope I can visit the pagoda or anywhere by myself,” shares Sim.

10-year-old Sopheak was born with a rare condition called meningoencephalocele (MEC). Due to this, a collection of brain tissue has pushed outside his cranium--developing a mass on his nose. If untreated, MEC can lead to further health complications. “Sopheak lives in Cambodia with his two sisters and two brothers,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “When Sopheak is not at school, he likes playing with other kids, reading books and watching TV.” After learning about CSC from a local doctor, Sopheak and his mother traveled nine hours to reach CSC’s clinic. For $390, Sopheak will receive MEC repair surgery to remove the mass from his nose. CSC explains that after this operation, Sopheak will no longer have any visible signs of MEC. “I want to be better after the operation and have a good-looking nose,” shares 10-year-old Sopheak. “After I am healed, I will return to my studies.” Sopheak's mother says, “I strongly hope my son can be healthy and go back to school.”

"For two weeks now, Tabitha - a fruit seller - has not sold a single fruit. Having to bear with a lot of pain, Tabitha has had to take a hiatus," explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "Tabitha, a divorced mother of five, has cancer of the right breast. Tabitha says she noticed a small painless lump in 2014. A year later, thousands spent, numerous tests done, Tabitha reports the lump has been rapidly increasing in size. The lump is also painful," AMHF continues. "Tabitha separated from her husband ten years ago. He provides little financial assistance and rarely communicates with the family. For ten years now, Tabitha has provided for her children and nurtured them: they have known her as both mother and father. Tabitha sells fruits in the central part of Kenya. From her earnings, Tabitha supports her mother who's diabetic and her last born daughter who is just out of high school." Tabitha needs a mastectomy to remove her breast, and ensure the cancer does not spread. Treatment will cost $740, but Tabitha has no way of affording the total cost. Fortunately, we can help make it happen. "We expect after a mastectomy, the risk of cancer spreading to other organs will be halted. Tabitha will be able to resume work and support her family," AMHF adds.

Simone is a 72-year-old woman who lives with her family in Haiti. She is divorced and has three children and several grandchildren. Prior to her retirement, Simone was a local businesswoman. According to our medical partner, Project Medishare, Simone recently went to visit a doctor after feeling a mass in her right breast. “She got checked out and a tumor was found in her right breast after the lab exams,” Project Medishare explains. “The biopsy showed breast cancer and now she needs surgery to remove the tumor. Her family is not able to pay for the operation." $1,500 will fund Simone’s mastectomy and the following chemotherapy. Following treatment, her doctor anticipates she will be cancer-free. “She’d like to have the operation, get rid of the cancer, and live the rest of her life peacefully,” Project Medishare explains.