Sovan is a 73-year-old widow. She has two sons, four daughters, and 13 grandchildren. She lives in Phnom Penh province with her oldest daughter and her family. When she was younger, she wove and sold Khmer-designed cloth, but now she has retired and spends her days inside, helping with cooking or visiting her local pagoda to pray. A year ago, Sovan developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her tearing, blurry vision, and difficulty recognizing the faces of her family. She is most afraid that she will fall when crossing the dirt road near the house or taking the steps up to the pagoda. 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, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Sovan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On March 12th, 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. Sovan shared, "I hope after surgery I can see and go outside to join ceremonies at the pagoda, do housework, and take care of myself."

Heng is a 70-year-old grandmother from Cambodia with nine children and fifteen grandchildren. Heng's husband recently died, and she moved in with her youngest son. Together they care for an orphaned child from the village. Her son works in construction, while Heng's other children send small amounts of their income to Heng to help support her living expenses. In her free time, she likes to cook and go to the village pagoda to pray. Around three months ago, Heng developed a cataract in her left eye - a clouding of the lens of the eye that causes cloudy vision, as if looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Heng now has blurry vision, headaches, and watery eyes. She has difficulty seeing things, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. She is not able to safely go up and down the steps of her traditional village home. When Heng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On March 11th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, hopefully, she will be able to see clearly. Now, Heng needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She shared: "I hope I can improve my vision so I can go places without feeling afraid and recognize faces in the village."

Khemara is an 11th grader who lives in Kampong Thom province with his parents and older sister. His parents work as rice farmers, and he has three older brothers who live nearby and help support the family. Khemara likes playing volleyball and his favorite subject is history. He hopes to get a good job or join the army when he finishes high school. In December, Khemara was driving near his home when a dog ran into the road, causing him to swerve and crash. The accident caused a fracture in his right arm. He was unable to afford the private clinic near his house, so he sought treatment from a traditional healer in his village. Unfortunately, the fracture has not healed. He has limited function in his right hand and arm and is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 11th, Khemara will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This procedure will improve his arm function and help him to perform his everyday activities again. He shared, "I hope I can use my arm like before and be able to do my schoolwork and I'd like to play volleyball again."