Mao is a 70-year-old rice farmer from Preah Vihear province in Cambodia. In her free time, she enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. Mao is married and has two sons and four grandchildren. Her husband and youngest son are in the military, and her oldest son is a rice farmer. About one year ago, Mao 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 is unable to go places on her own. When Mao learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), she traveled for 8 hours seeking treatment. On April 6th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Mao can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund her procedure and care. Mao said, "I hope, after surgery, my eye can see clearly, I can come back to growing rice and doing housework well, and I won't worry about my eye anymore."

Sakrorny is a 10-year-old third grader from Cambodia. He lives with his grandmother, a 60-year-old rice farmer, while his parents do labor work abroad to support the family. He has two younger siblings who live with his parents. He enjoys writing and reading, and in his free time, he likes playing football with his friends and eating fried chicken. In the future, he hopes to work in a big factory. In January, Sakrorny fell off a bike after hitting a stone on the road and injured his left leg. The following day, he developed swelling and pain and became unable to walk. X-rays revealed a bone fragment in his left leg, and he underwent surgery to remove it along with antibiotic cement spacer treatment. After surgery, he regained the ability to walk, although he still experiences some mild pain. He is now scheduled for a follow-up procedure to remove the spacer and undergo bone grafting to support further healing. Fortunately, on April 23rd, our medical partner, the Children's Surgical Centre, will assist Sakrorny in undergoing this procedure. This surgery will cost $600, and Sakrorny needs your support to fund the surgery. Sakrorny's aunt said, “After the first surgery, I was relieved that he could walk again, but it still worries me that he has some pain. I hope with time and proper care, he will fully recover, walk without pain, and live a normal, active life like other children.”

Franklin is a 13-year-old student from Haiti. He lives in a rural agricultural area with his parents, who are both farmers, and six older siblings. He enjoys going to school and playing soccer. Franklin has a heart condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves in his heart was severely damaged by an infection he suffered earlier in childhood, and now cannot adequately pump blood through his body. Franklin will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On March 23rd, he will undergo surgery, during which surgeons will attempt to repair his damaged valve; if they are unable to do so, they will remove it instead and implant an artificial replacement. While another charity, Mitral Foundation, is funding Franklin's surgery, his family will also need help with the costs associated with his surgical preparations. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It will also support securing travel documents for the family and paying travel costs for the social workers who will accompany Franklin's family overseas. Franklin's mother shared, "We are so thankful to everyone who is making this surgery possible for our son!"