Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”

Oul is a 65-year-old rice farmer from Prey Veng province in Cambodia. He is married, and his wife is also a rice farmer. They have two daughters, one son, and seven grandchildren. Their children work in construction and garment factories. Oul's favorite hobbies are watching boxing on television and participating in ceremonies. About one year ago, Oul developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him to experience 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 cannot go places on his own. When Oul learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On August 10th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Oul contributed a $25 co-pay toward his care and needs assistance raising $238 more to fund his surgery. Oul shared his hopes that, after surgery, his vision will improve so he can easily return to growing rice, travel to distant places, and no longer worry about his eyes.

Bora is a 20-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. He is married and lives in Kampong Cham Province with his wife, who works as an online seller, and their three-month-old son. His father is a furniture seller, and his mother stays at home to manage household tasks. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton. On the 11th of December 2025, Bora was involved in a road traffic accident after crashing his car, which caused a closed fracture of his upper arm bone, near the elbow. After the accident, he was treated at a provincial hospital, where doctors performed an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery and implanted a metal plate and screws in his right distal humerus to stabilize the fracture and support bone healing. Although his fracture healed after surgery, he later developed an infection around the implanted hardware. He now has a persistent draining wound (sinus) near the surgical site with discharge, as well as stiffness and limited movement of his right elbow. This affects his ability to use his arm comfortably for daily activities and work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On August 5th, Bora will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will involve removing the metal implants, washing out the infected area, and performing a culture to help control the infection, promote wound healing, and improve the function and movement of his right arm. He can contribute $37.50, but needs help raising $341 more to fund his procedure and care. Bora said, “I hope this surgery will remove the infection, allow my arm to heal properly, and help me regain better movement so I can return to my normal activities.”