Seab is a 70-year-old woman from Prey Veng province in Cambodia. She is married and has two daughters, three sons, and seven grandchildren. Seab and her husband used to work as farmers growing rice. They have retired and receive support from their children, with some of their children working as farmers and others working in garment factories. In her free time, Seab enjoys listening to spiritual teachings from monks on the radio. About one year ago, Seab developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her 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. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she cannot go places on her own. When Seab learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On August 10th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Seab contributed a $25 co-pay toward her treatment and needs help raising $238 more to fund her surgery. Seab shared her hopes that, after cataract surgery, her vision will improve so she can see more clearly, go outside easily, recognize her relatives, and carry out her housework independently.

Hnin is a 65-year-old woman who lives with her two daughters and two granddaughters in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. The family is originally from Bago Division in Burma. Hnin is retired, while one of her daughters works in a garment factory, and the other is a homemaker; her granddaughters are both students. The family income is not always enough to cover the cost of their daily expenses, so they sometimes need to borrow money from their neighbors, or the working daughter takes an advance on her paycheck from the factory where she works. The family lives with another couple that helps in paying rent, but they do not share any other resources. Due to Hnin’s health condition, they have had to borrow money for treatment and transportation costs. In 2010, Hnin was in a motorbike accident where she injured both knees. She went to a local clinic, but they did not perform an x-ray or examination, they only gave her medication for the pain. After the accident, Hnin’s knees would occasionally cause her pain, which she would treat with pain medication and traditional Burmese medicine. In January 2023, Hnin’s knee pain became worse, and her knees swelled, so she went to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot where she was given pain medication, and referred to physiotherapy. However, the physiotherapy and follow-up appointments at MTC did not help much. The pain in her knees was worsening, so she stopped going but continued treating the pain with medication and traditional medicine. In January 2026, Hnin began having shaky legs when standing, and her knees were increasingly stiff, so she went to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in Mae Sot on 2nd February 2026. There she underwent an x-ray and was told that she had osteoarthritis in her knees which has progressed to last stage, and only surgery would help. She was given medication, a cane, and a follow-up appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon. When she attended her appointment, she underwent another x-ray, and the doctor explained about her severe osteoarthritis and advised surgery. As she can only undergo surgery one knee at a time, the doctor advised her to have surgery on her right knee, since it was causing her the most pain. Presently, Hnin spends much of her time lying down or sitting and cannot help with most housework. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Hnin receive treatment. On March 12th, she will undergo surgery to relieve pain and improve her mobility. Now, Hnin's family needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. She says, "After treatment and recovery, I look forward to going to the monastery to meditate again, as I used to do this before my knees caused me so much trouble. Thank you for your support for my treatment”.

Rith is an 18-year-old high school student from Takeo Province, Cambodia. He lives with his parents and two younger siblings. His father works as a construction worker, and his mother works in a footwear factory. He is currently in 9th grade and hopes to become an army officer in the future. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball with his friends in the village. Three months ago, Rith was involved in a motor vehicle accident that caused paralysis of his right arm. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury — damage to the nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. As a result, he experiences shoulder droop, pain, numbness and is unable to lift his right arm, making it difficult to perform daily activities and basic self-care. Fortunately, on May 7th, Rith will undergo brachial plexus repair surgery with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. His family can contribute $75, but they need help raising an additional $662 to fund his procedure and care. The surgery will allow him to regain movement and independence in his daily life. Rith said, “I hope the surgery will reduce my pain and help me regain movement in my hand and shoulder so I can return to my normal daily activities.”