Vatanak is a three-year-old toddler from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and his nine-month-old brother in rural Ratanakiri province. His parents earn a small living working as cashew tree farmers in the village. Vatanak enjoys eating Cambodian sour soup made by his mom and loves keeping his little brother entertained with toys. Vatanak was born with syndactyly of the right foot. This means that his big and second toes are abnormally large due to overgrowth of the underlying bone and soft tissue. The condition makes it difficult for him to walk or move his toes, and he experiences mild pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Vatanak receive treatment. On April 22nd, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform a syndactyly repair surgery to separate and release the fused digits. This will improve Vatanak's mobility, and provide more comfort while wearing shoes. Vatanak and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $344 more to fund the procedure. Vatanak's mother says, "I hope my son's foot can be fixed so it is easy for him to run and wear shoes when he starts school."

Ken is a retired rice farmer from Kampong Cham province. She is a strong 70-year-old widow who lost her husband to tuberculosis eight years ago. She has one daughter, three sons, and five grandchildren whom she loves dearly. After her husband passed away, she moved in with her youngest daughter, who now runs their rice farm. She enjoys listening to monks pray on the radio and finds comfort in visiting the pagoda regularly. About one year ago, Ken developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She often stays indoors for days at a time because she cannot tolerate the bright sun or see in low light. 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 Ken learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On May 2nd, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Ken is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of her treatment, and needs help raising $153 more to fund the procedure. Ken says: "I hope that following the surgery, I will have good enough vision to grow some vegetables around my daughter's home. I look forward to being able to care for myself, and to help my daughter around the home."

Veasna is a happy 4-year-old who loves soccer, cars, and watching cartoons on his mom's phone! His parents work in clothing factories supplying major global retailers, and while they are at work, Veasna's grandparents and family neighbors help care for him. About two years ago, Veasna burned his left hand in an accident. Since then, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the fingers. When Veasna's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On February 6th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the functioning of Veasna's hand by releasing the scar tissue on three of his fingers. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this procedure and Veasna's family contributed $100 to his care. Veasna shared, "I hope I can use my hand more easily and play with my toys."