San is a 63-year-old widow and a retired rice farmer. She lives with her younger daughter in Kandal province in Cambodia. San has one other daughter, one son, and three grandchildren. She stays at home most days caring for her grandchildren, or listening to the radio. During the banana season, she fries tropical bananas to sell on the roadside, to earn some money for her daughter, who works in a local clothing factory. One year ago, San developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, itchiness, and the inability to see well in bright or low sunlight. As a result of her impaired vision, San is reluctant to go out on her own. When San learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours to seek treatment. On March 8th, doctors will perform cataract surgery, and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, San will be able to see clearly again. Now, she needs your help to fund this $253 procedure. San said, "I hope after my operation that I will be able to see well so I can cook Khmer cakes and fried bananas to sell. I want to help support my daughter's family."

Samuel is a 10-month-old baby boy from Haiti. He is the first born child of his parents. Samuel has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Samuel has been experiencing increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Samuel will experience severe physical and developmental delays. On February 1st, Samuel will undergo surgery at Hospital Bernard Mevs to treat his hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available. Surgeons will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Samuel's brain, reducing intracranial pressure and greatly improving his quality of life. With proper treatment, Samuel will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of this surgery. His parents are looking forward to their child being healthy after surgery, hopeful that he can live a good life ahead.

Kyu is a 43-year-old teacher from Burma. She lives with her mother, husband, and two sons in Yangon Division, Burma. Kyu’s mother is retired, and her two sons are students. Kyu’s husband works as a motorcycle taxi driver. Kyu is a high school teacher who conducts classes from her home. Their combined monthly income is sufficient to cover their basic living expenses but they are not able to save money. When they have health issues, they rely on a nearby clinic for medical attention. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and she'd like to be able to continue teaching her students at home once she feels better. Kyu 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. Kyu is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on February 4th to correct the atrial septal defect and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to support the cost of Kyu's procedure and care. Kyu said “Since my heart condition worsened, I couldn’t teach my students due to my fatigue. Now I felt very happy when I learned that the BCMF organisation would support my surgery. Without the help of these donors, I couldn’t afford the treatment. I would like to be thankful to all donors and BCMF for supporting my surgery.”