Kosal is a 41-year-old grocery seller from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Chhnang Province with her husband and three school-aged children. Her husband works as a construction worker, while she runs a small grocery business to support the family. She enjoys cooking for her family and taking care of her children’s education in her free time. Kosal had an ear infection when she 15 years old. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Kosal experiences chronic left ear discharge (otorrhea), recurrent ear infections, intermittent ear pain, and hearing loss. The long-term ear condition causes ongoing discomfort and repeated discharge, affecting her daily comfort and confidence. It has also been a persistent health problem for many years, interfering with her quality of life and causing worry due to continuous symptoms despite previous treatments. Kosal traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 21st, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Kosal and her family are able to contribute towards the cost of her treatment, but need help raising $377 more to fund the procedure. She says: “I have lived with ear pain and discharge for many years and never knew surgery could help me. I am very hopeful that this treatment will finally stop the pain, heal my ear, and allow me to live more comfortably without worry.”

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."

David is an eight-year-old boy from Uganda. His parents are small-scale farmers who work together to grow crops for home consumption and sell the surplus to meet other basic household needs. David is the firstborn child in a family of three children. His younger siblings are still very young, and have not started attending school. Although David is in school, his condition has sometimes caused him to miss classes because of the pain he experiences. For the past three years, David has had an umbilical hernia, which is a tissue bulge in the belly button area, that occurs due to a weak spot in the abdominal wall. In recent days, the swelling has become increasingly painful, making it difficult for him to walk long distances. He can no longer play or comfortably interact with other children and often spends his time crying because of the discomfort. His parents have been purchasing painkillers to relieve his symptoms, but these have not provided lasting relief. David’s mother attended a medical outreach organized by Rwibaale Hospital, where David was assessed by a doctor. Fortunately, on September 15th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund David's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. David's mother says, "I am hopeful that my son will be well soon and resume classes."