Long Vy is a 53-year-old father of two and a dedicated volunteer assistant in his commune. He lives with his wife and his two sons who are both in school. Long Vy enjoys planting his vegetable garden to grow food for the family and to sell to their neighbors. In his free time, he likes to listen to news on the radio. Five years ago, Long Vy developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision, poor night vision, and sensitivity to light. When Long Vy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he and his wife traveled there together. On March 3rd, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Long Vy shared, "I hope after surgery my eyesight will improve so I can go to work and take good care of my sons."

Kibarankore is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. Kibarankore is a mother of three children, but shared that sadly, two of her children passed away due to illnesses. She currently stays with her parents and her child is 12 years old and in primary school. For the past year, Kibarankore has been experiencing heavy bleeding and lower abdominal pains. She was diagnosed with uterine fibroids and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $228 to fund Kibarankore's surgery. On April 10, she will undergo gynecological surgery at AMH's care center. Once recovered, Kibarankore will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain and her quality of life will improve. “My family cannot currently afford the surgery charges. I plan to get back to farming as soon as possible after I heal,” she shared.

Tukahumura is a 60-year-old small scale farmer and a mother of seven children. Her firstborn is 40 years old, while her last born child is 23 years old and in secondary school class six. All her children are married except her last born, all have their own family responsibilities. Her husband passed away in 2009, leaving her with a semi-permanent house and a few cows which helped her in paying school fees for her children. In her free time, Tukahumura likes exercising by walking around her farm. Eight years ago, Tukahumura began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling. She also complains of being unable to carry heavy loads on her head due to severe neck pains. Tukahumura was diagnosed with multinodular goitre. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Tukahumura receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 6th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $293, and Tukahumura and her family need your support. Tukahumura shared, "I pray that I may be considered for treatment. After treatment, I hope to comfortably resume my farming."

Hout is a 60-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. Hout has two sons, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. He likes to spend most of his time farming and fishing. Otherwise he is helping his wife with chores around the house. He also enjoys listening to news radio and visiting the pagodas to attend ceremonies. Five months ago, Hout developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision and a loss of independence. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Hout learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three-and-a-half hours seeking treatment. On May 12th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. His wife said, "I hope that my husband can continue working soon and help me around the house more often. I want him to be able to go wherever he likes."

Tibandeba is a farmer from Uganda. She is a married mother of 12 children. Four are married but not employed while others are still studying. Her and her husband are small-scale farmers. Tibandeba presented with a long standing scapular solid swelling for two years now. This disfigurement brings her discomfort and at time painful. Tibandeba traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On December 03, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Tibandeba needs help to raise $187 to fund this procedure. Tibandeba says, “I will be glad to have my condition treated, continue with farming and so as to support my family after surgery.”

Kaheru is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. He is married with six children. Kaheru has had a painful swelling on his left shoulder for about ten years. He traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 28, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Kaheru needs help to raise $187 to fund this procedure. Kaheru says, “I will say thanks to the Lord after being relieved of this condition and I continue to cultivate.”

Kamagunda is a farmer from Uganda. She has eleven children. For two years, Kamagunda has had a right inguinal hernia. As a result, he experiences pain and discomfort. Fortunately, on May 21, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Kamagunda's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Kamugunda says, “I hope to get a better life style after surgery and I continue with farming.”

Thim is a 68-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has seven grandchildren and enjoys listening to the radio and the monks praying in her free time. Five months ago, Thim developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurry vision, photophobia, and irritation. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Thim learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 18, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. She says, "I hope that I will be able to continue as a farmer and go outside independently, as well as take care of my grandchildren."

Kembabazi is a primary school teacher from Uganda. She is 49 years old and married with five children. Kembabazi has had a swelling on her neck for six months. The swelling has made speaking difficult. She was diagnosed with a goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Kembabazi receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 18 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Kembabazi says, “I hope to get better life style after surgery and I continue with my profession of teaching.”

Reaksmey is a 17-year-old security guard. He has three brothers and a sister. In his free time, Reaksmey likes to play football, chat with friends, and hang out. When he was ten years old, Reaksmey developed an ear infection in his right ear that perforated his eardrum, or tympanic membrane. He sought treatment at a hospital, but his symptoms did not improve. Reaksmey experiences ear discharge, hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ear). On February 15, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a myringoplasty surgery on his right ear to fix the perforated eardrum, stopping the discharge and pain he experiences. Over time, Reaksmey's hearing can improve. CSC is requesting $423 to fund the cost of surgery and hospital stay.

Cho The is a 35-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband, her eight-year-old son, and her father. She and her husband were both born and raised in the village where they live. While Cho The used to work alongside her husband on a rubber farm, she has been unable to work for the past three years due to the symptoms she experiences from her condition. Cho The has uterine fibroids, or benign tumors that develop in the uterus and cervix. As a result, her husband has been the only member supporting the family for three years. Her husband can usually only find between two to three days of work per week. The family does not make enough money to pay for their basic needs, including food. They have been forced to take out multiple loans and to borrow money from friends. Cho The's condition has affected the whole family, because not only does she have to worry about taking care of her son, but her father is also partially paralyzed and the family must care for him. Since her symptoms have arisen, she has experienced leg pains, difficulty walking, and an inability to lie down comfortably, which has been affecting her sleep. It has always been Cho The's dream to have many children. Cho The traveled six hours with a friend to Watsi's medical partner, Burma Border Projects, where she will have surgery to remove her fibroids. The $1,500 procedure, along with a seven day hospital stay, will enable her to recover and live free of the pain and other symptoms that hold her back from work. In her free time, Cho The enjoys studying the English language and reading her holy book. She really wants to start working again in order to be able to support her family better. "I hope that I will be able to have more children after surgery and to support my son through his education," said Cho The.

Meet Seng, a 68-year-old man from Cambodia. Seng is married with three daughters. He enjoys reading Buddhist religious texts and visiting the pagoda to join in ceremonies. He traveled seven hours with his friend to reach CSC for treatment. Seng developed a cataract in each eye four years ago. This causes him blurred vision, burning, and makes it difficult for him to get around easily on his own. Cataracts typically occur in the elderly from age-related changes in the lens causing them to become cloudy. The cloudy lenses make it difficult to see, and can lead to blindness if gone untreated. $225 covers the cost of a commonly practiced procedure to treat cataracts. Seng will receive surgery to remove his cloudy eye lenses and replace them with clear lens implants.