Hav is a 77-year-old man from Cambodia. He lives with his wife, who stays at home and helps care for their grandchildren. They have two sons, both of whom work as concrete mixer truck drivers. In his free time, he enjoys visiting the pagoda and playing with his grandchildren. About two months ago, Hav was cut by a piece of zinc while working at home. His wife cleaned the wound, but he did not seek further medical treatment. The area has since developed into an ulcerated tumor with an irregular border. The tumor causes pain and discomfort. It sometimes bleeds, making the affected area difficult to ignore during his daily activities. When Hav learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On October 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform excision of the left shoulder tumor, followed by histology examination of the removed tissue to determine its nature and address the affected area. A local flap will then be used to close the wound and support healing, to ease his discomfort and help him return to his usual activities. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $616 more to fund his procedure and care. Hav's wife said, “It is difficult to see my husband dealing with this painful tumor on his shoulder. I hope the doctors can remove it safely and find out what caused it. I want him to recover well, feel less pain, and be able to live more comfortably again.”

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.”

Kang is a 67-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has seven children. She lives with her youngest daughter, who is a garment worker. Kang likes to care for her grandchildren and listen to monks pray on the radio. About two years ago, Kang developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract clouds the eye's lens, 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 Kang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On October 22nd, doctors will perform a small-incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Kang shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see more easily and I can go back to help my daughter to take care my grandchildren and go outside and do my housework well."