Sambath is a cheerful six-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives with his three siblings and parents, who earn income by collecting plastic bottles for recycling. Two years ago, Sambath had an ear infection that caused the ear drums in his right and left ears to perforate. As a result, Sambath experiences ear discharge, hearing loss, and a history of snoring at night which has been exacerbated by an inflammation of the nose. His communication with others has been hampered, and he no longer attends school. Sambath and his mother traveled to our medical partner's care center to seek help for his condition. On March 20th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure to repair the eardrums on both of his ears, at Kien Khlang National Rehabilitation Centre. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $914 to cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care for the procedure. Sambath's mother says, "After surgery, I hope that Sambath will be able to speak more clearly, and that his hearing will improve. I would like for him to do well in school, and feel hopeful about the future."

Aye is a 25-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her parents, grandfather, aunt, brother, sister and daughter. She and her sister are homemakers, while her father is a day labourer. Her brother works in a garment factory, and her mother and aunt are unemployed. Since Aye was 12 years old, she has experienced difficulty passing urine on and off. In October, this worsened and she now has blood in her urine and severe pain in her lower back. Doctors want Aye to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Aye's CT scan and care, scheduled for December 20th. Aye said, "I have been experiencing these symptoms for so many years but because of financial problems, I have never receive proper treatment."

Nob is a 53-year-old rice farmer from Prey Veng province in Cambodia. She and her husband work in the rice paddies near their home. Together they have one daughter in 8th grade. When not working, Nob is busy looking after her daughter and helping elderly relatives nearby. In her free time, she enjoys watching the news or Cambodian dramas on TV. About two years ago, Nob developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Nob learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On February 6th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She shared, "I hope after surgery I can see more clearly and return to work because I haven't been able to work and support my daughter's school fees."