Mey Ching is six years old and a first-grader from Cambodia. She is the youngest of three children and lives with her parents and siblings in Koh Kong. Her father is a fisherman, while her mother sells groceries. She enjoys reading and writing Khmer and playing hide-and-seek with her friends in the village. Her favorite foods are sour fish soup and fried vegetables. For the past three years, Mey Ching has been experiencing a persistent daily cough, episodes of fever and throat pain, frequent snoring at night, and difficulty swallowing. Her ongoing throat problems make swallowing uncomfortable and disturb her sleep because of frequent snoring. The recurring symptoms can also make it harder for her to feel comfortable and fully enjoy school and activities with her friends. Mey Ching was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Mey Ching, which is scheduled to take place on September 8th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Mey Ching of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Mey Ching's mother said, “I hope the surgery will help my daughter breathe, swallow, and sleep better. I want her to feel healthy and free from these ongoing throat problems.”

Say is a 68-year-old woman from Kampong Thom, Cambodia. She used to work as a farmer, but she has now stopped due to her age. She is a widow; her husband passed away from malaria about 30 years ago. Say has three sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. She currently lives with her youngest daughter, who is a farmer and grows rice. In her free time, Say enjoys listening to the radio and hearing monks' prayers. About two years ago, Say 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 Say learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On June 25th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification 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. Say said, "I hope that after my surgery, my eyesight will improve so that I can recognize my relatives more easily, participate in ceremonies, and carry out my household chores more effectively."

Van is a 75-year-old retired security guard from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is married and has two daughters, two sons, and seven grandchildren. He lives with his wife, his oldest daughter, and his oldest son. In his free time, his favorite hobby is listening to spiritual education from monks on his phone. Van has been experiencing cataracts for the past seven months. He developed a cataract in his left 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 he is not able to go places on his own. Van learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), to seek treatment. On September 7th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. He can contribute $25, but needs help raising $263 more to fund his procedure and care. Van said, "I hope that after the cataract surgery, my vision will improve so that I can see more clearly, recognize my relatives easily, travel to faraway places, and cross the road safely by myself."