Chean is a 77-year-old retired rice farmer who has three sons, five daughters, and 25 grandchildren. He moved in with his eldest son, also a rice farmer, after his wife passed away ten years ago. At home, he likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio and join religious ceremonies at his local pagoda. One year ago, Chean developed a cataract in his right eye, causing cloudy vision and photophobia. He does not go out to the rice paddies with his son anymore as he worries about injuring himself. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on his own. When Chean learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for five hours to seek treatment. On March 9th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery to implant an intraocular lens in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Chean shared: "I hope after surgery I will see well and can join ceremonies at my village pagoda."

Valmy is a 10-month-old infant from Haiti. He lives with his mother, father, and older brother. Valmy has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Valmy has been experiencing Increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Valmy will have severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Valmy at Hospital Bernard Mevs that will treat his hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled to take place on February 2nd. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from Valmy's brain to reduce the intracranial pressure and will greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Valmy will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. The family is looking forward to their child being able to grow up to walk and talk.

Shallon is the mother of three children and a businesswoman from Southwestern Uganda. She has a diploma in education, but was unable to get a job in that field, so decided to start a small retail shop to make ends meet. She lives in a rental house with her children, as she separated from her husband. Two years ago, Shallon began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, difficulty breathing, and swallowing. She was diagnosed with cystic goitre. A visit to a traditional herbalist had not helped, so she went to the hospital. She had a scan, and surgery was recommended to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Shallon receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 24th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money to pay for it. Shallon says, “I hope the complications I have been passing through will be no more once I am given a chance to be operated on with your help.”