Hser is a 43-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her two daughters and her husband in a refugee camp in Umphang District, Tak Province, Thailand. Her family is originally from Karen State, Burma, but fled to the camp due to the fighting in their homeland. In the camp, her older daughter is a teacher while her younger daughter is a student. Her husband sometimes works as agriculture day laborer outside of the camp, while she is a homemaker. In October 2025, Hser started to notice a mass on her left breast. The mass was very small, so she thought it might go away by itself. But a few weeks later, the mass was still there, prompting her to go to the clinic in the camp. She was referred to a bigger hospital, where doctors informed her she may have cancer and would need surgery to prevent the cancer from spreading. However, she did not have the financial resources to undergo surgery. In August 2026, the mass started to grow bigger and cause her pain. She visited our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital, where doctors informed her she needs to undergo a mastectomy, surgery to remove her breast. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can help. On September 1st, Hser will undergo surgery, and she needs help raising $1,500 to help cover the cost of her procedure and care. Hser said, "When I learned that I have cancer, I started to worry - and even though I receive surgery, will I recover from it? When it started to be painful, I thought I would need surgery so that it wouldn't be painful anymore. When I heard from my daughter that there is an organization that could support me with surgery costs, I feel a bit better. If not for the support from donors, I would give up on surgery and choose to suffer, as I know my family could not afford it."

Mao is a 73-year-old retired rice farmer from Kampong Thom, Cambodia. She is a widow, as her husband died six years ago due to a heart attack. Now, she has two sons, seven daughters, and 26 grandchildren. She lives with her youngest daughter and enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. About two years ago, Mao 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, similar to 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 Mao 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. Mao said, "I hope after surgery, I can see better, easily go out to join ceremonies, and recognize my relatives well."

Hoem is a 66-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has four daughters, two sons, and 13 grandchildren. She lives with her husband who is a rice farmer, and a daughter who is a construction worker. Hoem likes to join ceremonies at the pagoda. About two years ago, Hoem developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract clouds the eye's lens, 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 Hoem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 22nd, 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. Her family can contribute $20, but needs help raising $243 more to help fund her procedure and care. Hoem shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better so I can go out and join the ceremonies. I want to be able to care for my grandchildren better."