Phanny is a 58-year-old clothes seller from Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia. She is married and has two sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren. She lives with her husband, who works for an NGO. Five years ago, Phanny developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her to experience itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. 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 Phanny learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for seven hours to seek treatment. Phanny needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the surface of the cornea. This will be replaced with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence of the pterygium. Her surgery is scheduled to take place on July 14th. The cost of her procedure is $298, and Phanny needs your help to raise this amount, which will cover the expenses of medications, supplies, and a two-day hospital stay. Phanny said, "I hope after surgery my eye will stop burning and the irritation will go away, so that I don’t worry about my eye anymore, and I can go back to selling clothes without discomfort."

Hai is a 73-year-old man from Cambodia. He works in a rice mill. He is divorced and has two sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. He lives with his daughter, who works in a garment factory. During his free time, he likes to watch the news on TV and listen to monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Hai developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him 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. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Hai learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 19th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Hai said, "When I can see better again, I want to go to the pagoda, walk around my home, and take care of myself."

Heang is a 70-year-old woman from Cambodia. She used to sell vegetables at the market, but she has stopped working. She lives with her older sister and her nephew, who works as a trailer driver and supports their living expenses. For fun, she likes to go for walks and exercise. About three months ago, Heang developed a cataract in her right 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 Heang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On August 3rd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification 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. Heang shared, "I hope my eye surgery will restore my sight so I can recognize my relatives, travel to places further away, and no longer worry about my eyes."