Meet Chheang, a 74-year-old woman from Cambodia. Chheang “spends her time planting crops around her home and visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray," says our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). "Two years ago, Chheang developed a cataract in each eye," CSC shares. This condition causes a thin, filmy layer to form over the eye lens, leading to blurred vision. Due to partial blindness, teary eyes, and itchiness, Chheang finds it increasingly difficult to keep her independence. "It is hard to see everything clearly and I can't recognize faces,” she shares. For $225, Chheang will receive vision-restoring cataract surgery. In both eyes, the cloudy lenses will be removed and replaced with artificial substitutes. Chheang will be able to see clearly again after less than a day of recovery. "I hope after treatment my eyes can see everything clearer than now so I can easily do any work and go anywhere by myself," Chheang shares. "I hope I won't have to disturb someone to help me get places, and I don't want to worry about my eyes becoming blind in the future."

“Aadthya studies in the fourth grade and his favorite pastime is reading stories,” says our medical partner, Possible. Meet Aadthya, a 10-year old boy from Nepal with a dislocated right elbow. “Aadthya was walking down a steep hill when he slipped and injured his right arm. His elbow got dislocated and his arm swelled considerably,” explains Possible. “He has been missing school and needs help with his basic everyday tasks like eating.” For $224, we can fund surgery that will heal Aadthya's elbow. The cost of treatment includes surgical costs as well as a follow-up from a community health worker to ensure Aadthya is healing as planned. If all goes well, in a month's time Aadthya should be fully healed. He mentions that he is excited to go back to school and help his mother with household chores. Let's help Aadthya get back to normal and fund this surgery!

“We do not have other income so that we can pay for her treatment,” shares Bhawana’s uncle. “We have to take loans and then work for no salary if we are to treat her. What will we eat then?” Nine-year-old Bhawana attends third grade at her local public school in Nepal and has a fractured elbow. When she is not at school, Bhawana watches over cattle as they graze. “Bhawana had gone to look after the cattle when she fell down on a narrow trail on the hill slope,” report our medical partners at Possible. “She immediately developed pain and swelling in her left elbow region. She is unable to move her arm since then.” For $205, we can fund fracture repair surgery for Bhawana’s elbow. Following surgery, Bhawana should be able to use her arm again without pain, and resume helping her family with the household chores. Let’s help Bhawana return to school free from pain so that she can play with her friends again!

Meet Ler! This 72-year-old grandmother of fifteen lives in Cambodia and loves spending time with her family as well as gardening. Unfortunately, Ler has trouble seeing clearly. This makes it nearly impossible for her to go outside or do any work around their farm. Our medical partners at Children’s Surgical Center (CSC) have identified this as hypermature cataracts, a condition that has left Ler with “incredibly blurry vision”. For $150, Ler “will have clear vision in her right eye and is a candidate for surgery in her left eye next week,” explains her doctor at CSC. “She looks forward to taking care of her grandchildren, cooking and cleaning around the house, and planting bananas and mangoes in her garden.” Let’s help Ler get her sight back!

Meet Pov, a 59-year-old mother of six (and grandmother of five!) who lives with her family in Cambodia. Pov is a farmer, but is having trouble doing her work due to constant eye irritation. “Pov has pterygium in her left eye that gives her great discomfort and leaves her with a burning sensation,” explain our medical partners at Children’s Surgical Centre. Pterygium is a non-cancerous growth that covers the white part of the eye and can extend into the cornea, causing eye irritation and blurred vision. For $150, we can fund pterygium removal surgery and follow-up care for Pov. Let’s help Pov return to her family. She’s eager to return to work on the farm and to plant vegetables around her house with fully restored vision!

Meet 12-year-old Dieulephete from Haiti. He's in the fifth grade and has many friends in the neighborhood he lives in with his mother, grandmother, and two brothers. "His favorite activities are to watch soccer matches on TV, and draw sketches of cars and buildings," the Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) tells us. "Dieulephete was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole between the aorta and the pulmonary artery which normally closes naturally when a child is born, instead remains open," HCA writes. "Blood flows through this hole, preventing normal circulation through the body. As a result, Dieulephete is frequently short of breath and out of energy." Health City Cayman Islands has stepped up to help with Dieulephete's surgery, providing $5,000 to close the hole in his heart. But he still needs $1,500 for surgery prep and overseas transport. "Following closure of the hole, Dieulephete should be able to lead a normal life with no cardiac symptoms," HCA says. "We were told not long after Dieulephete was born that he had this problem, but we didn't know what we could do about it," says Dieulephete's mother. "We're very happy to have a chance to fix the hole in his heart!" All that's left to do is fund the remaining $1500 of Dieulephete's treatment so he can continue his life full of energy- which includes prep and overseas transport. Let's do this!

Meet Hadija, a one-month-old from Tanzania! Hadija is the youngest in a family of three children. Her mother is a small shopkeeper, buying and selling tomatoes at the local market. Hadija was born with a lesion in her lower back that leaks spinal fluid, a condition called an open myelomeningocele. Doctors say that she needs an immediate closure via surgery, or she will not survive. For $1,025, Hadija will receive a procedure to close the open lesion on her back. Hadija's mother says, "My prayer is to see my baby grow, be educated and live a better life." Once the operation is performed, Hadija will grow normally and be able to go to school like other children. Let's help Hadija get this treatment so she can grow up healthy!

Say hello to Souy! Souy is an 18-year-old student in Cambodia. She is in her last year of high school and loves to sing. Recently, Souy was in a motorbike accident where she badly injured her foot. Her foot bone became exposed and her foot became infected. Souy had a small procedure to remove some of the dead tissue around the wound. But now, she needs another surgery to remove more dead tissue and skin graft the affected area so she can fully heal. Souy is already having difficulty walking and if she doesn't undergo surgery, she is at risk for further infection. Souy needs $300 to fund her surgery. With this surgery, Souy can fight off her infection and she will be able to finish high school on her own two feet, singing along the way!

Edwin is an 11-year-old boy from Guatemala with a great sense of humor. He has developed an increasingly severe seizure disorder, and needs a neurology consultation in order to be put on an appropriate medical regimen. With proper medication, Edwin should be able to get his condition under control. $500 will cover the intensive start up costs of monitoring drug levels in his blood to get the correct dosage and the initial evaluation at our medical partner in Guatemala. Edwin is the oldest child of a very dedicated mother. He is looking forward to going to school without worrying about seizures!

Moe Moe is a 15-year old girl who is deeply dedicated to her family. She has a large mass on her neck that her doctors say could become "very dangerous" if she doesn't have immediate surgery to remove it. Moe Moe left school when she was in the second grade to help support her family. Her parents work as day laborers, earning less than 3 dollars a day. While she helps her family around the house, Moe Moe is now unable to work because of concerns regarding her medical condition. Burma Border Projects is requesting $2,000 to fund an operation to remove the mass on Moe Moe's neck. With proper treatment, Moe Moe will be able to help support her family and live the healthy life every teenage girl deserves!

Sin is a hardworking man from a small village in Cambodia. His life revolves around his family, which includes his wife and three small children. He works in construction to support them, and plays volleyball with his kids in his free time. In November of last year, Sin got into a motorbike accident when he was on his way to work and broke his knee. Motorbikes are one of the most inexpensive and common forms of transportation in Cambodia, and unfortunately accidents are common. Because the majority of the rural population cannot afford emergency medical care, these accidents often result in life-altering disabilities. Sin couldn’t afford emergency medical care after the accident, so a traditional healer treated him in his village. Four months later, his knee remains fractured. He is unable to work or help his wife around the house. It will only cost $300 for Sin to have surgery at CSC, our Medical Partner in Cambodia. With treatment, his doctors expect he’ll be able to return to work. Let’s help Sin recover from his accident and get back to living his life!

Janet is heavily pregnant and due to give birth in April to her second child. Janet comes from a family of Kenyan farmers and they work tirelessly growing sugar cane which they sell to provide a small income on which the entire family lives. In the last few months Janet has been enrolled in a maternal health program where she learned to prepare a birth plan for her second child. While this education is helpful it is not enough to ensure that Janet and her baby remain safe and healthy for the remainder of the pregnancy and through delivery. With $215 Lwala Community Alliance can provide Janet with pre-natal care, a safe delivery at their hospital and a post-natal checkup for her and her baby. This care will give Janet’s baby the best possible start in life.