Phong is a lovely grandmother from Kampong Cham province, Cambodia. She is 77 years old and works as a street food vendor. She is a widow; her husband passed away six months ago due to liver disease. She has three sons, two daughters, and ten grandchildren. Currently, she lives with her third daughter, who works in a garment factory. In her free time, she enjoys visiting the pagoda. Five years ago, Phong developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her excessive tearing, irritation, and redness, which made her feel uncomfortable. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, wind, or dust, and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Phong learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. Phong needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. She is scheduled for surgery on May 4th. Phong can contribute $25, but needs help raising $273 more to fund her procedure and care. Phong said, "I hope that after surgery, my vision will improve so I can see clearly again, move around easily, and continue going out to sell food as before."

Bintou is a three-year-old girl from Mali. She is the youngest of five children. Bintou has been experiencing pain and swelling in the right knee and left arm. This causes difficulty walking and moving. She was reviewed at our medical partner's care center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kati, and was diagnosed with septic arthritis, a painful joint infection. If left untreated, the condition can cause irreversible joint damage. Fortunately, on June 2nd, Bintou will undergo repair surgery with the help of our medical partner, Muso. They are requesting $619 to fund Bintou's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will prevent serious long-term complications and allow her to live a more active, healthier life. Bintou's family shared, "We hope to see Bintou fully healed so that she can walk properly again."

Rathanak is a two-year-old toddler who lives in Cambodia with his parents and twin brother. His mother works long hours at a garment factory, and his father is a hairdresser who earns a small daily income. When his parents are at work, he and his twin are looked after by their grandmother. Rathanak enjoys eating fried egg and caramelized pork, and he loves playing with toys alongside his brother. Rathanak was born with polydactyly of his right hand, meaning that he has an extra thumb. This makes it difficult for him to grasp objects and interferes with his play. As he grows older, he has also started to feel shy and self-conscious because his hand looks different from those of other children. Fortunately, on February 25th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digit. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $379 to fund this procedure. After surgery, Rathanak is expected to have improved hand function and better coordination. The procedure will help him use his right hand more comfortably and confidently, allowing him to play, learn, and perform daily activities more easily. Rathanak's mother shares, “I hope that after the surgery my son can use his hand normally, and feel confident like other children. I don’t want him to feel shy or different anymore. I just want him to grow up happy and proud of himself.”