Sokchum is a 38-year-old coffee cart merchant from Siem Reap Province in Cambodia. He lives by himself and has three siblings who live with their single mother in another rural province a few hours away. To support himself and his family, Sokchum rents a small cart space to sell coffee. In his free time, Sokchum enjoys watching boxing and soccer on TV with his friends. About eleven years ago, Sokchum had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Sokchum has been experiencing some concerning symptoms including difficulty in hearing, pain, and ear discharge. It has become increasingly difficult for him to communicate with his customers, family, and friends. Sokchum traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 6th, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Sokchum is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $826 more to fund the procedure. This will cover the cost of medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Sokchum says: "I hope that after surgery I will be able to hear more clearly so I can improve communication with my customers."

Bi is a 62-year-old retired rice farmer from Kampong Cham province. She is married with one son, four daughters, and ten grandchildren. She lives with her husband and their third daughter, both of whom also work as rice farmers. At home, Bi enjoys cooking for her grandchildren and listening to the Buddhist radio station. About six months ago, Bi developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her 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. Bi has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Bi learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On August 12th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, Bi will be able to see clearly. Bi and her family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of her treatment and need help raising $153 more to fund the procedure. Bi says, "I hope to see more clearly so that I can take my grandchildren to school and walk to the pagoda on my own."

Soty is a 25-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. He lives with his wife and two young children in Svay Rieng province. His wife works in a nearby clothing factory. Soty and his wife rely on grandparents to look after their children during the day. When Soty is home in the evening, he spends his free time tending to his cows and pigs in his backyard. Raising farm animals provides additional financial security during unemployment from construction. Six years ago, Soty was in a motorcycle accident and fractured his left wrist. He went to a local clinic in Phnom Penh where he underwent an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) procedure with a plate and screws to keep the healing fracture in alignment. His fracture has healed, but he continues to have a nagging ache in his wrist. As a result, his ability to lift heavy objects in his construction work is limited. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 7th, Soty will undergo a hardware removal procedure that will improve the strength of his wrist to manage heavy objects at work. Soty is able to contribute $100 but needs your help to raise $204 more to fund this procedure. Soty said, "After surgery, I hope to lift heavy objects again and work hard to support my wife and our sons."