Blandina is a mother of five children. She and her husband farm together. Blandina likes singing and enjoys eating maize porridge with fish and rice with milk. Blandina noticed some swelling on her neck, causing her bouts of pain. During her visit at Partners in Hope Medical Center, she was diagnosed with Euthyroid Multinodular Goiter and was told she needed a thyroidectomy, a procedure where surgeons will remove part or all of her thyroid to help address pain and difficulty breathing. Blandina is scheduled for surgery on February 27th and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,015 for the procedure. Blandina said, "The surgical operation will help me go back home and rejoin my family and community and continue enjoying life."

Sovan is a 73-year-old widow. She has two sons, four daughters, and 13 grandchildren. She lives in Phnom Penh province with her oldest daughter and her family. When she was younger, she wove and sold Khmer-designed cloth, but now she has retired and spends her days inside, helping with cooking or visiting her local pagoda to pray. A year ago, Sovan developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her tearing, blurry vision, and difficulty recognizing the faces of her family. She is most afraid that she will fall when crossing the dirt road near the house or taking the steps up to the pagoda. 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, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Sovan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On March 12th, doctors will perform small incision 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 $253 procedure. Sovan shared, "I hope after surgery I can see and go outside to join ceremonies at the pagoda, do housework, and take care of myself."

Samuel is a smart, playful boy aged one year and eight months old. He loves martial arts and can recite the entire alphabet. He loves to pray with his mother. Before he was born, a prophet told his mother that she would give birth to a son named Samuel. She was very happy to have a son as her older children are all girls. Samuel's mother cleans the street for a living. She carries her son on her back and cleans the street early in the morning. Sometime back, Samuel contracted pneumonia due to the cold mornings, and she stopped working for a while. She has recently resumed to help support her family. Her husband works as a day laborer, but he does not have consistent work. The family lives in a rented single-room mud house. Their income is minimal, and they struggle to meet their daily expenses. They receive government donated food on public holidays. An international organization supports one of her school-going daughters, paying for her education and donating some food every month. Samuel was born with a congenital condition called epispadias, where the urethra does not develop into a full tube, and the urine exits the body from an unusual site. As a result of this condition, Samuel experiences constant urinary leakage and is unable to urinate while standing like other boys. Samuel is scheduled for epispadias repair but his family is not able to meet the surgery costs. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Samuel receive treatment. On March 12th, surgeons at their care center BKMCM will perform an epispadias repair surgery so that Samuel can live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Samuel's family needs help to fund this $1,040 procedure. Samuel's mother says, "I love him so much that I pray every day that he will be fine after the surgery. I am worried that I might lose him during the surgery, but I want him to heal and become like other boys, so I consented to him having the surgery. I wish for him to become continent, and attend school someday."