Theary is a fifth-grade student from Cambodia. She enjoys learning to read and write Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, at school. Theary lives with her parents and two sisters. Her father works as a jeweler, and her mother is a meat vendor at a local market. At home, Theary loves to play with her siblings. Theary was born with hereditary multiple exostoses, a condition that causes multiple bony growths. Over the past year, the masses in her right forearm and near the back of her distal femur have gradually increased in size. In particular, the large mass near the back of her distal femur periodically compresses the sciatic nerve. As a result, Theary experiences intermittent discomfort and stiffness, which may affect her physical movement. Theary traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 15th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) will remove the mass. Now, Theary needs help to raise $344 to fund this procedure. Theary's father stated, “I have the same condition, so I understand how worrying these growing masses can be. I hope the surgery will help my daughter by removing the large mass and reducing the pressure on the nerve in her leg. I want her to recover well and move around more comfortably without these problems interfering with her daily life.”

Yet is a retired rice farmer from Kandal province, Cambodia. She is an 87-year-old widow; her husband, two sons, and one daughter died in the Khmer Rouge’s region. Now, she lives with her niece and her sister. Yet likes to listen to the monk pray on the radio. About one year ago, Yet 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. She 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 Yet learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On June 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Yet said, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better, so I can easily recognize relatives and go around, and I want to help my sister sell bananas."

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."