Van is a 72-year-old Tuk-Tuk tricycle driver from Cambodia. He is married and has a son, five daughters, and seven grandchildren. He lives with his wife and his first daughter, who works in a grocery store. Van likes to listen to the latest news on his phone. About one year ago, Van developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him 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. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Van learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 19th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification 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 $263 procedure. Van said, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go back to driving. I want to go to far places without worrying about my eyes. I feel happy when I can support my family."

Four-year-old Sinan is a KG 1 student living in Ethiopia. He is the only child of his loving parents. His mother sells vegetables, while his father is a wood craftsman at a local furniture workshop. One year ago, Sinan started to experience a loss of appetite, painful swallowing, severe snoring and nightly sleep disruptions. His throat hurts all the time, swallowing is painful, and his sleep is interrupted every night. He eats so little that doctors had to prescribe medicine to help him regain his appetite. Initially, Sinan's parents didn't realize how serious the situation was, so they treated him with simple painkillers from the local clinic. Four months ago, however, his symptoms grew much worse, and they took him to a specialist hospital. Doctors found severe tonsillitis, and said that he needed surgery as soon as possible. For his parents, the hardest part is watching their only child in pain, day after day, and needing medicine simply to eat. They work hard, yet they still cannot pay for the operation that would make him well. This weighs heavily on them. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Sinan, which is scheduled to take place on October 17th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Sinan of his symptoms, and helping him to live more comfortably. "We have waited so long and we feel helpless. We cannot wait for this surgery to finally be done," said Sinan's parents.

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."