Som Oeun is a 56-year-old man from Cambodia. He sells coffee in front of a factory in Phnom Penh. He is married and has three sons and one grandchild. He lives with his wife, who sells groceries, and with his youngest son, who is a student. He likes to listen to the news on his small radio. About three years ago, Som Oeun 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. Som Oeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought treatment. On August 25th, 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. Now, he needs help to fund this $263 procedure. Som Oeun shared, "I hope that after surgery, my eye can see better so I can go back to selling and I can drive the motorbike to go far places well and I don’t worry about my eyes anymore."

Anderson is 62 years old and a farmer from Malawi. He had hoped to spend his days tending his fields and enjoying the company of his wife and grandchild. Living in a village in Dedza District, Malawi, he and his wife have watched their six children grow up, marry, and build lives of their own. However, nine months ago, Anderson started experiencing troubling symptoms that affected his ability to farm and do his daily tasks. He was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia. He started using a catheter and was given medications, but these only brought temporary relief. Physicians at our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, determined that Anderson should undergo a prostatectomy, surgery to remove part or all of the prostate. For Anderson, the possibility of treatment has brought renewed hope. Yet the cost of surgery remains beyond what he and his family can afford. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. Anderson is scheduled to undergo surgery on June 11th, and needs help raising $530 to fund this procedure. Once completed, it will hopefully improve Anderson's quality of life. More than anything, Anderson wants to regain his health, return to his farm, and once again provide for his household without the burden of constant illness. He says, “This condition has kept me away from my fields and changed my life. I hope that after treatment, I can get back on my feet and live freely again.”

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.”