Sor is a 67-year-old farmer. She is married and lives with her husband and their eldest daughter, who is a garment worker. Sor has two sons, three daughters, and nine grandchildren. She enjoys listening to monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Sor developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her photophobia, blurry vision, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Sor learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours and a half seeking treatment. On June 24th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery for her to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Sor is excited for her recovery, "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly so I can recognize people, go outside, do housework, cook, and plant some crops around my house."

Immaculate is 32-year-old homemaker and a mother of one child, who is three years old. Her husband graduated from the university recently with a degree in engineering, but is unfortunately struggling to find a job. One year ago, Immaculate began to experience troubling symptoms including neck swelling, breathing problems, darkening skin, and weight loss. She visited a national hospital in the capital city of Uganda where several tests were performed, along with a scan of her neck, and she was eventually diagnosed with multinodular goiter. Unfortunately, she had difficulty scheduling the surgery because the hospital was overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. She was prescribed medication, but requires surgery to treat her condition and to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Immaculate receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 10th at AMH's care center, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. Now, she and her family need help to fund this $333 procedure. Immaculate shared, “I pray for a successful surgery to reduce the condition's effects. I hope to return to school given my husband’s support but in my current condition, it may be difficult for me.”

Paw is a 24-year-old woman from Thailand. Originally from Burma, Paw, her husband, their three daughters and her parents fled in March 2021 after the Burmese military shot rockets into their village. In Thailand, as refugees, they cannot work, and have temporarily moved in with Paw's brother and his family. They receive rice from her brother's neighbors, while her brother's family provides them with vegetables and curries. In July 2021, Paw's parents and her two older daughters went back to their village when they felt it was safe to do so. Meanwhile, her husband and her three-month-old baby have stayed with her while she receives treatment in Chiang Mai. Two years ago, Paw noticed a mass on the right side of her neck. Her neighbor suggested she apply a natural remedy, but unfortunately, the mass remained and grew over time. In September 2019, she visited a local hospital in Thailand with her husband, but the surgery recommended was too expensive. She experiences pain near the site of the mass, and the mass is still growing. Paw sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). She is scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on August 16th, and now she needs to raise $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Paw shared, “I felt embarrassed and very upset when I first noticed that I had this problem. I will feel a lot better after my surgery because I have needed to receive it since I first went to see the doctor in 2019. In the future I want to look after my children and send them to school.”

Savoeun is a 50-year-old mother and grandmother. She has one son, one daughter, and two grandchildren. Her husband passed away more than ten years ago, and she currently lives with her daughter. Savoeun's children work in a garment factory while Savoeun takes care of her grandchildren. She likes to cook, watch news on the TV, and read stories to her grandchildren. Three years ago, Savoeun developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her photophobia, blurry vision, itchiness, and occasional tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Savoeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On June 25th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $229 to fund this procedure. Savoeun wants to be independent, "I hope after surgery I can see clearly, go outside by myself, cook easily, and take care of my grandchildren. I do not want to make my children take care of me too."

Khom is a 52-year-old farmer. She lives with her daughter and has five other children who live nearby, along with many grandchildren. Sadly, her husband passed away several years ago. She works seasonally and spends most of her time in the off-season taking care of her grandchildren. She also likes making Khmer cakes and listening to the radio. In December 2020, she was in car accident that caused multiple fractures to her left arm and leg. Her family took her to a government hospital where doctors affixed hardware to heal the fractures. However, she could not afford continued treatment and the hardware has caused complications. The hardware on her left leg has become exposed and infected. She cannot walk and she experiences chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On August 18th, Khom will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will help the fractures heal completely, and eventually help her walk easily again. Khom shared, "I am glad that these doctors can help me, and I hope that I can recover soon return to my family."

Francin is the mother of a young child and is expecting her second baby. She is a resilient woman from Burundi who came to Uganda in search of a job. Before leaving for work, Francin had only completed seventh grade in primary school. After arriving at Uganda, she found a job but her wages were denied to her for 15 months and her boss confiscated her passport and ID, making it impossible for Francin to return home. Francin has gotten married in Uganda, but separated from her husband. Now, she has started working on other people’s farms as a temporary laborer but is experiencing pregnancy complications. Francin attended our medical partner's care center, Nyakibale Hospital, for antenatal care, and is scheduled to receive a cesarean section on August 5th. After the surgery, she will be able to continue her temporary jobs, though she hopes to be able to return to her home country. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $252 for Francin to receive a c-section. Francin says, “I am really suffering in Uganda as I don’t know anyone and am living by the mercies of God and people. Through your support, I will be able to continue with casual labour for my survival.”

Srim is a 61-year-old farmer with one son and now three grandchildren. Her son is also a farmer. She lives with him they work in the fields together. Her husband passed away during the time of the Khmer Rouge. She loves being around her family, taking care of her grandchildren, and providing meals for the monks at the pagoda nearby her house. Three years ago, Srim developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, photophobia, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Srim learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On July 28th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Srim said, "I hope that I can see well after this surgery, so that I can work more often and start a vegetable garden to make extra money for my family. I also want to go back to my favorite pagoda again."