Chantha is a retired merchant from Preah Vihear province in northern Cambodia. She is 64 years old with three children and five grandchildren. Her husband passed away recently so she moved in with her daughter, who sells clothes in the local market. At home, she likes to cook food for her grandchildren and listen to Buddhist radio. About one year ago, Chantha 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, so it is 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 is not able to go places on her own. When Chantha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for seven hours seeking treatment. On April 18th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Chantha is able to contribute $75 but needs an additional $178 to fund this procedure. She shared, "After surgery, I hope I can see clearly and help more around the house and take care of my grandchildren."

Say is a 31-year-old woman who has lived with her family in a refugee camp for more than 10 years after fleeing the conflict in Burma. She is a homemaker who lives with her husband, elderly father, and three young children who are all attending school. The income for Say’s family comes from cash cards provided by an organisation in the refugee camp. Say’s husband works as a delivery driver outside the camp but he has been unable to work since December 2023 because Say’s father and eldest son have health issues that require support. Their monthly income is not enough to cover their living expenses and they sometimes need to borrow food before their cash card is refilled. Basic health care is provided by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the refugee camp free of charge, but not advanced care like Say needs. In 2022, Say began having pain, discomfort, and pressure in her abdomen. She was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy which will remove her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Say's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. Say is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on February 22nd. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. “I will look for a job as a nursery teacher in the camp, I used to do this before I had to stop. Thank you so much to the donors who are helping us pay for my surgery and thank you to BCMF. May you all be healthy, and God bless you,” shared Say.

Yeun is a 79-year-old retired rice farmer from Kompong Cham province in Cambodia. After her husband died twenty-three years ago, she moved in with her youngest daughter and her family. Her other two children and grandchildren live in a nearby village and visit often. She has thirteen grandchildren in total, and enjoys cooking for them when they come over. Throughout the day, Yeun listens to Buddhist radio, visits the local pagoda, and looks after the house. About a year ago, Yeun developed a cataract in her left eye, which is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. The condition has brought on symptoms like photophobia, tearing, and a blurred vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Yeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On May 1st, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Yeun is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of her treatment and needs help raising $153 more to fund the procedure. Yeun says, "I hope that after surgery I can recognize my relatives more easily, and will feel more comfortable going out to pray on my own."