Suwas lives with his mother and siblings in Nepal. He studies in grade two at a child education center. His father works in India to support the family back home while his mother is responsible for grazing the cattle and looking after the children. Suwas was walking down from his home to the field when he fell on a rock, fracturing his right hand and cutting the back of his head. His mother tried to treat his fracture at home using bamboo sticks. When she noticed how Suwas still had difficulty moving his hand, she finally decided to seek medical help. They walked for eight straight hours to get to the hospital from their home. Suwas has been in so much pain since the injury that he has been crying a lot and had to take medication to control the pain. He has difficulty moving the injured arm and there is some swelling too. He will have to do physiotherapy exercise to regain mobility after treatment. For $541, we can fund surgery to correct the fracture, as well as physical therapy to allow him to regain a full range of motion. "We have come from so far in hopes of getting a better treatment," Suwas' mother shares. "I wish my son’s treatment happens soon."

Po is a 15-year-old boy who lives in Cambodia. Po is in the seventh grade, and outside of school he enjoys reading and helping his mother with chores at home. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us, “Two years ago, Po developed a traumatic cataract in each eye after an accident involving electrical shock.” A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. While most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the eye, a traumatic cataract is a direct result of injury to the eye. Traumatic cataracts may appear immediately after the injury or months or years later. “This causes Po blurred vision and headaches, and he is afraid of the bright sunshine,” CSC continues. “He can't study very well, do work, or go anywhere outside.” For $225, Po will undergo surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from his eyes and replace them with artificial ones. Funding for his treatment also includes pre- and post-operative consultations, a two-day hospital stay, and eye drops and ointments. After surgery, “Po will be able to see clearly again,” says CSC. “I hope I can see everything clearly again so I can to continue my studies to [become] a policeman in the future," shares Po.