Pheap is a retired rice farmer from the Kompong Cham province in Cambodia. He is a 72-year-old grandfather with three sons, five daughters, and ten grandchildren. Both Pheap and his wife have retired, and his children still work on the rice farm. In his free time, he likes to visit the pagoda in his village and spend time with his family. About one year ago, Pheap developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Additionally, he has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he cannot go places by himself. When Pheap learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On May 2nd, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Pheap contributed $100 to his care. He shared: "After surgery, I hope I can help my wife find firewood and go to the pagoda by myself."

Rose is a 62-year-old widow with two fully grown children. She lost her husband four years ago. Rose owns a small business where she sells sand and also performs garden maintenance for a small fee. Rose gets support from both children, who are married with children themselves now. She lives with her second-born child in a three-bedroom house without water and electricity. Rose likes doing house chores and enjoys eating nsima, a culinary tradition of Malawi, made from maize flour with vegetables. In 2014, Rose started experiencing pain when she swallowed. She visited the hospital near her home, where she was treated. The treatment worked for awhile until December of last year when her daughter noticed that Rose's neck was swollen on the right side. In March, Rose noticed that the swelling was getting larger and also causing consistent pain. Rose decided it was time to visit Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi where a scan revealed her mass had grown substantially and was stemming from the right thyroid lobe. Her doctor diagnosed her with a goiter and determined that surgery would be needed. Due to her financial challenges, Rose could not afford the surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Rose met with a surgeon who confirmed her diagnosis and the need for surgical intervention called a thyroidectomy, which removes part or all of the thyroid gland. Rose believes the surgery will help her to get better and prevent her symptoms from impacting her day to day life, and allow her to focus on how good her life is. She was able to contribute $10 toward her care and is grateful to all to help her raise the $1,015 needed. Rose said, “Thank you donors for supporting me, I want to live my normal life.”

Phen is a 39-year-old rice farmer from Kandal province. She is married and her husband also works on their rice farm. In her free time, she likes watching the news and Cambodian comedy TV shows. About one year ago, Phen developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. 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 Phen learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for an hour and a half seeking treatment. On February 2nd, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She said, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go back to work."