Ork is a 60-year-old retired construction worker. He is widowed with five children and one grandchild. Ork's four daughters are married and have moved out to surrounding villages. He currently lives with his son, daughter-in-law, and newborn grandchild. His son, a construction worker, shoulders the responsibility of providing for his family. Ork's daughter-in-law works in a nearby garment factory but is taking several months of leave to care for their newborn. Ork enjoys watching TV, listening to monks pray on the radio, and looking after his grandchild. Around ten years ago, Ork developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him to tear often and have blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Ork learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On March 11th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Ork said, “I hope after surgery I will be able to go to the pagoda by myself. I want to be able to do things on my own and help to take care of my family."

Zanila is a four-year-old girl from Dedza District in Malawi. She is an only child in her family, and is currently enrolled in primary school. Zanila’s parents are small-scale farmers, growing maize for consumption and groundnuts for commercial purposes. Recently, Zanila had climbed a guava tree to collect some fruits when she fell, sustaining an elbow fracture. She was rushed to a nearby health center where a supracondylar fracture diagnosis was confirmed, and her family was referred to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital for treatment. Zanila is presently in pain and unable to attend school or play with her friends. Her family is however not able to afford the surgery cost. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Zanila receive treatment. On April 9th, surgeons at Nkhoma Hospital will perform an open reduction and internal fixation surgical procedure to repair the fracture and restore functionality. Now, Zanila's family needs help to fund this $525 procedure. Zanila’s mother says, “I am looking forward to my daughter’s treatment and recovery.”

Chit is a 12-year-old girl from Burma. Her family moved to Thailand when her village was burned down. She lives with her mother, her twin sister, and her brother. Chit's mother works at home and looks after the children. Her brother runs a barber shop and her father is a monk who lives in the monastery in the village. Chit's brother's income supports their family. When Chit turned two years old, her mother noticed that whenever she tried to look at something, like pictures, she stared at them very closely. Last year, Chit had a check-up at a clinic and was told that her both eyes have cataracts so even when wearing eyeglasses, she is unable to see clearly. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Chit. On April 4th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Chit's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Chit said, “I am sad when I don’t see clearly because I can’t go to school without help from my family, I cannot study and play with my friends.” Chit's brother added, “I worry for her how she will live with her current condition when I don’t stay near her, but now when I know that she has donors to support her treatment at Chiang Mai, I am relieved.”