Sok Chea is a 50-year-old construction worker from Prey Veng province. He is married and has two daughters and one son. His wife is also a construction worker, and his children are students. After a day of working, Sok Chea likes to tend to his vegetables around his house. About five months ago, Sok Chea developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Sok Chea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On June 9th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. He can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund his procedure and care. Sok Chea said, "I hope after surgery, my eye can see well again. I can go back to work well, and I can support my children's studies."

Michelsa is a young student from Haiti. She is in the first grade and likes art and music. Michelsa lives with her mother, grandmother, and two siblings in a city on the west coast of Haiti. Her mother sews school uniforms for a living. Michelsa has a cardiac condition called pulmonary stenosis. One of the four valves in Michelsa's heart is too narrow, making it difficult for blood to flow through it and leading to heart failure. Michelsa will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 11th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use a balloon on the end of a catheter to stretch the valve open to a more normal size. Another organization, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $4,000 to pay for surgery. Michelsa's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Michelsa's family overseas. Michelsa's mother shares, "Our family is very hopeful that after this surgery, we can let my daughter run and play without worrying about her health."

Serey is a three-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and three older siblings. His father works as a construction worker, and his mother works in a mango jam factory. His siblings are all students. In his free time, he enjoys playing with toy cars and eating all kinds of soup, especially lemongrass sour soup. Serey was born with syndactyly of both hands, meaning his 3rd and 4th fingers on both hands are fused. This makes it difficult for him to use his hands comfortably and affects his confidence around others. Fortunately, on April 23rd, our medical partner, the Children's Surgical Centre, will assist Serey in undergoing syndactyly repair surgery to separate and release the fused fingers. This procedure will cost $462, and Serey needs your support to fund the surgery. Serey's father said, “After the surgery, I hope that my son will be able to use his hands more freely and comfortably in his daily life. I also hope he will gain confidence, no longer feel shy about his appearance, and be able to interact and play happily with others like any other child.”