Sophorn is a 68-year-old Tuk-Tuk driver from Phnom Penh. He is married and has one son, four daughters, and four grandchildren. He lives with his wife, who is a housewife, and with his oldest daughter, who works as a house cleaner. In his free time, Sophorn likes to watch the news on his phone. About two years ago, Sophorn developed a cataract in his right eye. This causes him to experience itching, tearing, and blurred vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Sophorn has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces. He is also worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Sophorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On March 16th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, our medical partner is requesting $263 to fund Sophorn's procedure. Sophorn said, "I hope after surgery I can see better, so I can go back to driving Tuk Tuk. I'm also excited to recognize people."

Vantha is a 64-year-old woman from Cambodia. She enjoys doing household chores, feeding her pets, and growing vegetables around her home. Vantha lives with her husband, who is blind, and her children, who work in garment factories. She has four children, but sadly, two of them died in a traffic accident. On January 3rd, Vantha slipped and fell on a wet floor, causing her to fracture her right wrist. She experiences severe pain, especially when using her hand. This makes it difficult for her to perform daily activities, such as cooking, carrying objects, and doing other household tasks. After the injury, Vantha's family took her to a traditional Khmer practitioner for treatment. However, despite taking pain medication, she continues to experience severe pain. Since her condition did not improve, Vantha decided to go to Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) for further evaluation and management. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 18th, Vantha will undergo a fracture repair procedure. CSC is requesting $600 to cover the cost of her treatment. The surgery will significantly relieve Vantha's pain, restore movement in her wrist, and allow her to use her hand normally. This will help her perform daily activities more comfortably and independently. Vantha said, “I want to be free from pain and able to move my wrist easily again. I hope after the surgery, I can live more comfortably and not worry about the pain every time I use my hand.”

Kosal is a 41-year-old grocery seller from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Chhnang Province with her husband and three school-aged children. Her husband works as a construction worker, while she runs a small grocery business to support the family. She enjoys cooking for her family and taking care of her children’s education in her free time. Kosal had an ear infection when she 15 years old. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Kosal experiences chronic left ear discharge (otorrhea), recurrent ear infections, intermittent ear pain, and hearing loss. The long-term ear condition causes ongoing discomfort and repeated discharge, affecting her daily comfort and confidence. It has also been a persistent health problem for many years, interfering with her quality of life and causing worry due to continuous symptoms despite previous treatments. Kosal traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 21st, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Kosal and her family are able to contribute towards the cost of her treatment, but need help raising $377 more to fund the procedure. She says: “I have lived with ear pain and discharge for many years and never knew surgery could help me. I am very hopeful that this treatment will finally stop the pain, heal my ear, and allow me to live more comfortably without worry.”