Nom is a 64-year-old widow. She is a retired rice farmer from Kampong Thom province, living with a daughter since her husband passed away ten years ago. She has two daughters from her long marriage to her husband - one is a rice farmer, one works in construction, and they have given her five beautiful grandchildren. At home most of the day, she likes to listen to the monks chant on the radio, or visit the local Buddhist centre. Five years ago, Nom developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision and difficulty keeping her balance. 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 is not able to go places on her own. When Nom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On January 3rd, doctors will perform small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She shared: "I hope after surgery I can see better. I want to help my daughter take care of my grandchildren and do housework to help her."

Cristina lives with her mother, a food vendor; her father, a construction worker; and eight older brothers and sisters in a neighborhood of La Paz, Bolivia. As a small baby, she struggled to breathe normally, and so her mother took her to the children's hospital where she was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect, a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart. Cristina also has Down syndrome. During surgery, doctors will sew a patch over the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Christina needs your help to raise $1,500 to pay for her heart surgery. Her mother says, "Our family is so grateful to know that there is a way to fix our daughter's heart so that she can breathe normally."

Boaz is a 15-year-old student from a small village in northwest Kenya. He is a calm boy with few words. He lives with his grandparents and his mother, who cultivates land for a living. On February 4, Boaz went to visit his hospitalized brother. He was injured when two motorcycles had a head-on collision at an intersection near his home. Boaz sought immediate medical care. X-rays showed he had a left tibia fibula fracture through the growth plate. He also had multiple small lacerations on the anterior shin and foot. His wounds were washed and cared for, but Boaz is still in pain and unable to walk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 8th, Boaz will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The surgery will hopefully enable him walk again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $941 to fund this procedure. Boaz’s mother says “I'm really stressed my son has been hospitalized again, but God has a reason why. Please help my son get better so that he will be able to continue with his studies.”