Romeo is a physically active father from the Philippines. Romeo currently lives with his wife since all their children already have their own families. They rely on Romeo's monthly pension which is just enough for their daily needs. Their children chip in for their expenses too but as a father, Romeo wants them to use the money for their own families instead of giving it to him and his wife. Romeo loves to play chess, jog, and play tennis. However, his symptoms now physically limit him. Last November, Romeo won a consolation prize of a sack of rice at a community raffle. When he lifted it, he felt pain but ignored it thinking about how happy his wife will be upon bringing home the prize. Since then, Romeo has dealt with inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him to feel weak and because of his condition, he cannot do physical activities like he used to. Fortunately, on February 16th, Romeo will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Our Lady of Peace Hospital. A portion of the cost of Romeo's treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. Our medical partner is raising the remaining $1,103 to cover the cost of his surgery and care. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Romeo shared: "My pension will never be enough to pay for a surgery to treat me. So thank you very much for helping me even though I am already old."

Srey Buoy lives in Kampong Cham province with her family. Both her parents work as farmers, growing rice and corn. Her grandmother stays at home and takes care of her 6-year-old daughter, who is in kindergarten. Her husband works at a clothing factory several hours away in Phnom Penh and travels home on the weekends. At home, Srey Buoy helps her parents harvest vegetables around the house and enjoys playing games with her daughter. On April 14th, 2023, Srey Buoy was in a motorbike accident, where she sustained multiple injuries across her body. She was transported to a hospital in Vietnam for urgent medical care. Throughout the year, her fractures healed, however, her right eye developed ectropion, a condition where the eyelid turns outward, leading to limitations in the lateral movement of her eye. She cannot close her eye completely, which may cause complications as her eyelid cannot completely protect her eye from infections and scrapes. When Srey Buoy learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), her family traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On May 6th, our surgeons at CSC will perform a contracture release procedure to alleviate tightness, a lateral canthopexy to stabilize the eyelid, and a full-thickness skin graft to repair tissue damage on her right eye. This will allow her to close her eye completely. Srey Buoy and her family are able to contribute $100 but needs to raise $387 more to fund the procedure. After the surgery, Srey Buoy hopes to return home and be able to care for her family without worrying about this anymore.

Mao is a 46-year-old mother from Cambodia. She lives in Kandal province with her husband and 13-year-old daughter. Her husband works as a security guard at a clothing factory, and her daughter is in the 6th grade. Mao looks after the household and does small jobs around the village to supplement the family income. In her free time, she likes going to the local market with her daughter and preparing new recipes. Mao was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture on her left forearm. She is unable to use her arm for every day tasks, and is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 20th, Mao will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will help her forearm move easily again. Now, Mao needs help to fund this $483 procedure. Mao says, "I hope I can care for my family again. I want to be able to take care of my family's home, and not be in pain anymore."