Lin is a 35-year-old fish seller from Prey Veng province. He is married and has one son and one daughter. He lives together, his wife is also a fish seller, and his children are students. In his free time, he likes to listen to the news on his phone and play volleyball. About one year ago, Lin 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. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Lin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On June 10, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. He can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund his procedure and care. Lin said, "I hope after surgery, my eye can see better. I can go back to selling fish well again, and I can drive my motorcycle and bring my children to school easily, and can go far places well."

Mohamed is a five-year-old boy from Mali. He lives with his parents and two older siblings. Mohamed's problems started when he began to experience swelling and discomfort in the roof of his mouth. Over time, the swelling worsened, prompting his family to visit our medical partner's care center, Hôpital du Mali. Doctors discovered a mass on the roof of Mohamed's mouth, which was investigated and found to be a nasopalatine duct cyst. These cysts are non-cancerous, but carry several risks if not removed. If the cyst is allowed to continue to grow, it could displace Mohamed's teeth and put pressure on his nasal passage, causing difficulty eating and breathing normally. Nasopalatine duct cysts can also become infected, causing further pain. Fortunately, Mohamed is scheduled to undergo cyst removal surgery on September 8th. Our medical partner, Muso, is requesting $1,120 to cover the total cost of Mohamed's procedure and care. Mohamed's parents shared, "Once the cyst is removed, we hope that Mohamed will be able to resume his daily activities free of the uncomfortable symptoms. We hope the swelling will be gone."

Ay Rin is eight years old and a third-grader from Cambodia. She lives in Kampot Province with her parents and her older brother, who is in Grade 7. Her father works as a construction worker, and her mother is a rice farmer. She enjoys playing with her friends in the village, her favorite subject is mathematics, and she dreams of becoming a doctor one day. For the past four months, Ay Rin has been experiencing frequent sore throats, difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, loud snoring, and pauses in breathing while sleeping. Her frequent throat infections and breathing difficulties make it hard for her to eat, sleep, and concentrate at school. The repeated illness also causes her to miss classes and prevents her from fully enjoying time with her friends. Ay Rin was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Ay Rin, which is scheduled to take place on August 4th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Ay Rin of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Ay Rin's grandmother said, “I hope this surgery will stop her frequent throat infections so she can breathe, sleep, and eat comfortably again. I want her to return to school healthy and enjoy being a child without getting sick so often.”