Mao is a retired rice farmer and widow from Kampong Thom province, where she lives with one of her daughters. Her other four children and grandchildren live nearby. After retiring from decades of work in the rice paddies, Mao started to help more around the house and with childcare for her grandkids. She enjoys spending time with family, and visiting the local pagoda to pray. About six months ago, Mao developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. When Mao learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On February 1st, 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 $253 procedure. She shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better so I can do the housework easily and take good care of my grandchildren."

Chisuka is a widow who lost her husband in February 2023. Chisuka has never had a child of her own but has been keeping three orphans aged 15, 10, and 6 years old for her late sister who passed on 5 years ago. Her husband had lost his first wife 30 years ago who left a 6-year-old son who has been brought up by Chisuka until now. He is a soldier who is married with one child. Chisuka and her late husband loved these orphans and brought them up like their own before death separated them. Chisuka shared that a month after losing her husband, she was chased out of her main house and most of her belongings were taken by her in-laws. Chisuka is now in the boys’ quarter together with her children while the main house is rented but the money is not shared with her. Her stepson withdrew his support after the death of his father. Chisuka started selling groundnut flour for a living. She likes praying and encouraging her children to work hard at school since life has changed for the worse. Chisuka was well until three years ago when she started experiencing cramping abdominal pains and felt a hard mass on the left side of her abdomen. Chisuka has been to different hospitals without much improvement. Of late Chisuka has had overwhelming abdominal pains, bleeding tendencies, loss of appetite leading to loss of weight, a lot of discomforts leading to more stress, weakness, and general body pain. On 24th January, Chisuka was booked and seen by the gynecologist at our medical partner's care center PIH who confirmed the diagnosis of multiple uterine fibroids through an ultrasound scan. She was notified about the need for a surgical intervention called total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) which is the removal of the uterus, including the cervix. Chisuka was then referred to the Watsi program due to her financial status. She is contributing what she can and needs help raising $1,363 to fund her surgery. Fibroids are abnormal growths that develop in a woman's uterus. Fibroids might become quite large leading to severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. If left untreated, fibroids continue to grow, both in size and number worsening the symptoms; the heavy bleeding may become worse causing anemia which may be fatal. After the surgery, it is expected that Chisuka will stop having unbearable abdominal pains and heavy bleeding and will continue taking care of her late sister’s children and living a more comfortable life. Chisuka, with tears in her eyes, said, “Please help me, I have faced more than I could, and now I need a breather and a comfortable life to let me render support to my children.”

Chanthou is a 24-year-old delivery man for a local camping accessory store. He has four siblings and lives with his older sister in Phnom Penh. Chanthou's parents and other siblings work as vegetable farmers in the province. At home, he likes to listen to music with his sister. In 2021, Chanthou fell off his motorbike and fractured the bone on his lower left leg. He went to a local clinic where surgeons fixated hardware on his tibia to assist in healing his fracture. Now, the fracture has healed but the hardware is uncomfortable and it is difficult for him to walk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 12th, Chanthou will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. The removal of hardware will complete the rehabilitation of his leg. Chanthou shared, "I want to make sure my leg is strong so I can work well and have no infection and no pain."