Rin is a 25-year-old chef from Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia. She lives with her sister. Her parents passed away one year ago, and her six siblings are all married and living with their own families. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music. At the age of nine, Rin had a knee abscess in her right knee that was treated at a private clinic. Over time, the infection led to lasting joint damage, and she has since developed osteoarthritis of the right knee. She experiences persistent pain, swelling, and difficulty walking, making it hard to manage her work as a chef and daily activities such as using stairs. Fortunately, on May 7th, Rin will undergo knee fusion surgery with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. Rin can contribute $100, but needs help raising an additional $500 to fund her surgery and care. This procedure will help stabilize the joint, reduce her pain, and improve her mobility. Rin said, "After the surgery, I hope that my pain and swelling will be relieved, and that I will be able to move my right knee more comfortably. I also hope to regain better mobility and improve my ability to carry out daily activities without difficulty."

Sitha is an 89-year-old woman from Cambodia. She is a retired rice farmer. She is a widow, as her husband passed away from hypertension five years ago. She has three daughters, four sons, and 13 grandchildren. She currently lives with her youngest daughter, who is also a farmer. Her favorite hobbies are listening to the radio and praying with monks. Sitha has had age-related cataracts for about two years. Sitha developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Sitha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 1st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. She can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund her procedure and care. Sitha shared, "I hope that after cataract surgery, my vision will improve so that I can go outside more easily, take care of my relatives and grandchildren, and do my housework well. She also hopes that she will no longer have to worry about her eyesight."

Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”