Ly Ching is a 21-year-old university student from Cambodia. She lives in Phnom Penh with her elderly parents and two older brothers. She is the youngest child in the family. Her older brother is a lawyer, and her second brother works as a court clerk. She is studying law at university. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and watching movies. Ly Ching was born with polydactyly of both hands. This means that she was born with an extra thumb on both hands. The extra thumbs make it difficult for her to grasp objects, write, and perform some daily activities. She also feels self-conscious about the appearance of her hands. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On July 20th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra fingers so she can use her hands more comfortably and perform daily activities more easily. Her family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $279 to fund her procedure and care. Ly Ching said, “I have lived with this condition my whole life. I hope this surgery will make it easier to use my hand and give me more confidence in my daily life.”

No is a 62-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He is married and has four daughters, one son, and six grandchildren. His wife stays home to care for their household while No is farming. When he has free time, he enjoys watching the news on his phone. About two years ago, No developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him to experience 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. No has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he cannot go places on his own. When No learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 22nd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, No will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $263 to fund his procedure. No shared: "I hope, after surgery, my eye can see better so I can go back to growing rice and plant some vegetables around my home."

Aminata, who is 10 months old and lives in Mali, is the fourth child born in her family. For the past five months, Aminata has been experiencing a swelling in her umbilical region, and experiencing intermittent pain. Aminata's parents brought her to our medical partner's care center, Centre de Santé de Référence (CSREF) Commune 6. Upon a thorough examination, Aminata was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, which is a tissue bulge in the belly button area, that occurs due to a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Aminata needs to undergo a hernia repair surgery to treat her condition, and prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, Muso, is requesting $377 to fund Aminata's hernia repair surgery, which will take place on August 11th, at Centre de Santé de Référence (CSREF) Commune 6. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow Aminata to live a healthier life. Aminata's mother says: "I look forward to having my daughter recover from her illness, and to regain her health."