Sathya is six years old and a first-grade student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents, who are rice farmers, and his older brother, who is in Grade 4. He enjoys reading and writing Khmer at school and playing with toy cars in his free time. His favorite foods are sour fish soup and oranges. For the past year, Sathya has been experiencing a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and occasional snoring at night. These symptoms may affect his comfort during daily activities and make it harder for him to enjoy school and play. Sathya was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his 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 Sathya, which is scheduled to take place on October 20th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sathya of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Sathya's father said, “I hope my son will have fewer throat problems after surgery so he can swallow and sleep more comfortably. I want him to enjoy school, play with his toy cars, and keep following his dream of becoming a teacher.”

Sry is 72 years old and a retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She lives with her husband, a retired teacher, and her grandson, who is in Grade 10. She has seven children, all of whom are married and live in nearby provinces. Although she is no longer working as a rice farmer, she enjoys planting vegetables around her home. In 2017, Sry was struck by a cow and suffered a hip fracture. She underwent a left hip hemiarthroplasty. However, she has continued to experience pain in her left hip. Over the past year, the pain has become much worse, particularly when she moves her leg or at night. Walking has become difficult, and she now relies on a walking frame for support. This has affected her independence and made it harder for her to carry out daily activities and care for her vegetable garden. After learning about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) through a relative, Sry decided to seek further treatment. On November 3rd, she is scheduled to undergo a left revision total hip replacement to address the acetabular erosion and improve her mobility. Her family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $1,400 to fund her procedure and care. Sry said, “I have been living with hip pain for many years, and it has become much worse over the past year. Walking and moving around are now very difficult for me. I hope this surgery will relieve my pain so I can walk more comfortably, take care of my daily activities, and return to farming.”

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."