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.”

Sry is 72 years old and a retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She lives with her husband, a retired teacher, and her grandson, who is in Grade 10. She has seven children, all of whom are married and live in nearby provinces. Although she is no longer working as a rice farmer, she enjoys planting vegetables around her home. In 2017, Sry was struck by a cow and suffered a hip fracture. She underwent a left hip hemiarthroplasty. However, she has continued to experience pain in her left hip. Over the past year, the pain has become much worse, particularly when she moves her leg or at night. Walking has become difficult, and she now relies on a walking frame for support. This has affected her independence and made it harder for her to carry out daily activities and care for her vegetable garden. After learning about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) through a relative, Sry decided to seek further treatment. On November 3rd, she is scheduled to undergo a left revision total hip replacement to address the acetabular erosion and improve her mobility. Her family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $1,400 to fund her procedure and care. Sry said, “I have been living with hip pain for many years, and it has become much worse over the past year. Walking and moving around are now very difficult for me. I hope this surgery will relieve my pain so I can walk more comfortably, take care of my daily activities, and return to farming.”

Tai is a 69-year-old man from Cambodia. He previously worked as a fisherman, but is not currently working. Tai is married with one son, four daughters, and four grandchildren. He lives with his wife, and his sister and children also support him. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV, especially the news and boxing shows. About two years ago, Tai developed a cataract in his right 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 is not able to go places on his own. On October 6th, Tai is scheduled for a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Tai is contributing towards his treatment, but needs help to raise an additional $213 for the procedure. He says: "I hope that after the surgery my vision will improve, so that I can see more clearly, recognize my relatives better, go outside and travel to distant places more easily."