Moa is a 53-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Thom Province with his wife, who is also a rice farmer. They have two adult children: their daughter is a rice farmer, and their son works in a factory. In his free time, he enjoys caring for his rice fields and removing weeds. In January 2025, Moa injured his left knee after being struck by the gear stick of a tractor and later slipping, causing a left tibial tubercle fracture. He underwent surgery with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where doctors performed open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) using screws and cerclage wire to stabilize the fracture. His fracture has healed well, and he has regained normal knee movement and walking. However, the metal hardware is no longer needed and should be removed to complete his treatment and help prevent future irritation or discomfort. On July 7th, Moa will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will safely remove the screws and cerclage wire, allowing him to continue his daily activities and farming without concerns related to the implants. He can contribute $100, but needs help raising $278 more to fund his procedure and care. Moa said, “I’m happy my knee has healed well. I hope this surgery will remove the metal safely so I can continue working and living without any worries.”

Thavoreak is a five-year-old Grade 1 student from Cambodia. His parents raise pigs to support the family. He enjoys reading and writing Khmer at school and playing with toy cars at home. His favorite food is sour fish soup. Thavoreak was born with polydactyly of his left hand. This means that he has an extra thumb on his left hand. The extra thumb cannot bend, straighten, or move sideways and has no function. Its appearance makes him feel shy around other children and may affect his confidence as he grows and interacts with others. Fortunately, on October 16th, surgeons will perform a polydactyly repair procedure to remove the extra digit. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $379 to fund this procedure. The surgery will improve mobility, and he will feel more comfortable and confident when playing, learning, and spending time with other children. Thavoreak's parents said, “We want our son to grow up feeling comfortable and confident about himself. He sometimes feels shy because of the extra thumb on his hand, and we hope the surgery will help him feel less self-conscious and use his hand more comfortably as he grows.”

Phanny is a 58-year-old clothes seller from Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia. She is married and has two sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren. She lives with her husband, who works for an NGO. Five years ago, Phanny developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her to experience itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, wind, or dust, and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Phanny learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for seven hours to seek treatment. Phanny needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the surface of the cornea. This will be replaced with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence of the pterygium. Her surgery is scheduled to take place on July 14th. The cost of her procedure is $298, and Phanny needs your help to raise this amount, which will cover the expenses of medications, supplies, and a two-day hospital stay. Phanny said, "I hope after surgery my eye will stop burning and the irritation will go away, so that I don’t worry about my eye anymore, and I can go back to selling clothes without discomfort."