Sai is a six-year-old kindergarten student. He lives with his parents and siblings (a 12-year-old brother who is in grade four and a 11-month-old sister) at Mae Sot District, Tak Province in Thailand. His father is a daily worker and works as a blacksmith. Sai’s mother is a homemaker who looks after the children at home. Sai was born with a healthy delivery however just after his sixth birthday, his mother noticed that Sai’s left eye was red. He told her that it was not painful, so they did not worry about it. In June 2022 though, his mother saw that there was a white dot in the pupil of Sai’s eye. When his mother covered Sai’s right eye and asked if he could see, he answered that he did not see clearly. Sai had his eyes checked at Mae Tao Clinic and the medic suspected that he had a cataract. He was sent to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. He was referred to the ophthalmology department which later the doctor diagnosed him with mature left eye cataract. Currently, Sai’s vision in his left eye is blurry and he has trouble seeing the board when he is in the classroom. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Sai. On December 9th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Sai's natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Sai’s mother said, “We cannot afford to take a loan (for the surgery) because we would have to pay the interest. There is less work during the pandemic and so it makes things very hard to have such a large loan. My words cannot express the thanks that I feel. It is so lucky for us to have the assistance from BCMF and donors.”

Oun is a 57-year-old soft drink seller. He is married and has one daughter and two sons. Oun enjoys playing chess and growing vegetables. Five years ago, Oun had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or ear drum, in his right ear to perforate. For this reason, Oun experiences pain, ear discharge, and hearing loss. He cannot communicate clearly with others and has spent a lot of money on medicines that did not help. Oun traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 8th, he will undergo a surgical procedure to repair the perforation in his right ear which will help him hear well again. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this life-changing procedure. This cost covers his medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Oun says, "I really hope I can improve my hearing."

Seang is a loving 73-year-old grandmother from the Battambang province of Cambodia. She has one son, four daughters, and ten grandchildren. She lives with her husband and her son, who works as a motorbike taxi driver. At home, Seang enjoys joining ceremonies at her local pagoda and cooking for her grandchildren. About three months ago, Seang developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience blurry vision, tearing, and a cloudy lens. As a result, she has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she cannot go out on her own. When Seang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for eight and a half hours seeking treatment. On January 5th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund this procedure. Seang shared, "I hope my vision improves and I can get around easily by myself. I want to be able to help care for my grandchildren and walk to the pagoda by myself."