Hok is a 67-year-old man from Cambodia. He is married and lives with his wife and youngest child, who works at a bank. He has four children, all of whom are married and visit him with their families. He enjoys caring for his grandchildren and spending time with them. In 2014, Hok was involved in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture of his left femur. Despite several surgeries over the years, the fracture has remained unhealed. The unhealed fracture and protruding, painful nail in his left femur make walking difficult. He currently relies on crutches to move around. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 3rd, Hok will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will remove the old nail, repair the fracture with plates and screws, and use a bone graft from his iliac crest to support healing of the femur and reduce the pain and discomfort caused by the damaged hardware. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $500 more to fund his procedure and care. Hok said, “I hope this surgery will help my leg heal properly and reduce the pain caused by the protruding nail. I look forward to walking more comfortably and returning to my normal daily activities.”

Mengleang is a four-year-old kindergarten student from Cambodia. She lives in Kandal Province with her parents. Her father is a farmer, and her mother works in a garment factory. She is the youngest of three children - her older brother works in a beverage factory, and her sister is in Grade 11. She enjoys learning Khmer reading and writing and loves playing dolls with her friends. She dreams of becoming a nurse in the future. For the past four months, Mengleang has been experiencing sore throat, loud snoring, difficulty breathing at night, and trouble swallowing food and drinking water. Mengleang 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 Mengleang, which is scheduled to take place on May 21st. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Mengleang of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Her mother said: “I am very worried to see my daughter struggling to breathe and sleep at night. I hope this treatment will help her breathe easily, sleep peacefully, and grow up healthy without pain or discomfort.”

Sarom is a 52-year-old widow from Cambodia, who works as a rice and vegetable farm laborer in Kandal province. Her husband passed away six years ago, and she now lives alone. She has two sons and one daughter with no grandchildren; her oldest son works as a company laborer, while her other two children are still students. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks chanting through her phone. Five years ago, Sarom developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, wind or dust and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Sarom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. Sarom needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $298. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for August 4th. Sarom says: "After a successful surgery, I look forward to my vision greatly improving, so I can easily return to work and no longer worry about my eyes."