Chantha is a 15-year-old girl from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Chhnang Province with her parents, who work as rice farmers and factory workers. She is the eldest of two children and is in the ninth grade. She enjoys playing football with her friends, loves studying Khmer literature, and hopes to become a police officer in the future. When she was 6 years old, Chantha had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Chantha experiences right ear pain, repeated ear discharge, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and hearing loss. Her symptoms became much worse after water entered her ear during the Khmer New Year 2026. The chronic ear infection and hearing loss make it difficult for her to hear clearly in daily life and at school. The repeated pain and discharge also affect her comfort and confidence. Chantha traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 14th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $363 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Chantha said, “I’m happy to finally have the opportunity for surgery. I hope my ear will heal well, my hearing will improve, and I can leave this problem behind and move forward with confidence.”

Birhanu is 75 years old and a retired soldier from Ethiopia. His wife makes handicrafts to bring in extra money. Together, they work hard to support their four children—three sons and one daughter. For more than two years, however, a growing cloud in his left eye—known as a cataract—has turned his life upside down. Birhanu's vision has become blurry and weak, making it dangerous for him to walk outside, especially after dark. Simple chores around the house have also become exhausting challenges, taking away the independence and quiet daily routines he has relied on for decades. Fortunately, Birhanu is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery with the help of our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital. Surgeons will remove and replace the blurred lens. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to raise $150 to fund this procedure. Birhanu shared, "I hope to walk safely at night, go back to doing odd jobs to help my family, handle chores on my own, and get my confidence and active life back in the community."

Neary is a resilient widow and devoted mother of two from Cambodia. She is a 52-year-old grocery seller from Pursat Province who lives with her daughter. Her husband passed away six years ago due to an illness. She has two children—her son is a police officer, and her daughter is a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and planting vegetables around her home. In 2022, Neary was involved in a motorcycle accident that caused a fracture of her left femur. After the accident, she received treatment at a clinic in Pursat Province, where doctors performed internal fixation surgery and implanted hardware to stabilize the fracture. In 2023, after a proximal screw broke, she underwent another procedure to remove the broken screw and replace it with a new one. She is now experiencing lower back pain, pain in her left leg, difficulty walking, and occasional stiffness. The non-union of her left femur has affected her mobility and causes discomfort that makes daily activities and running her grocery-selling work difficult. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 26th, Neary will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will remove the problematic top screw and use bone grafting to promote proper healing of the fracture. It will help reduce pain, improve stability, and allow her to walk more comfortably and independently again. Neary can contribute $100, but needs help raising $278 more to fund her procedure and care. Neary said, “After the surgery, I hope that my pain will be relieved and that I will be able to walk comfortably again. I hope to recover well and return to my normal daily activities without difficulty. I am very thankful to the doctors and everyone who is helping make my treatment possible.”