Sim is a 24-year-old vegetable seller from Kandal Province, Cambodia. He is single and the third of five siblings, with two sisters and two brothers. He lives with his parents, who are also vegetable sellers. In his free time, he enjoys playing football. About two months ago, Sim developed a chalazion in his right eye — a small inflamed cyst in the eyelid — causing itchiness, irritation, and swelling that has made it difficult for him to see clearly and work. Sim traveled three hours to seek treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On April 20th, surgeons will remove the cyst through a chalazion excision procedure. After recovery, Sim's symptoms should improve. Sim can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund his procedure and care. Sim said, "I hope after surgery my eye lid stop swelling and I don’t worry about it anymore. I feel happy and would like to go back to selling vegetables well."

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.”

Reaksa is an 11-year-old student from Cambodia. He is the oldest of two children and lives with his parents and younger brother in Kampong Chhnang Province. His parents work as rice farmers to support the family. He is currently in Grade 6 and enjoys studying mathematics. In his free time, he likes watching football and sometimes plays as a goalkeeper with his friends. His favorite meal is fish and vegetable sour soup. Reaksa has had a condition affecting his right leg since he started walking. It is due to a congenital tightness, which has gradually affected the movement and alignment of his lower limb. The condition has caused pain in his right knee and hip, an abnormal gait, and difficulty squatting or sitting cross-legged. It affects his ability to walk comfortably and participate in normal daily and school activities. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Reaksa receive treatment. On June 4th, surgeons will perform a contracture release surgery to improve his leg movement, reduce pain, and help him walk more normally. Now, he needs help to fund this $572 procedure. Reaksa's mother said, “It has been very worrying to see my son in pain, especially as he has difficulty walking and doing simple daily activities. I just hope he can get the right treatment and recover soon.”