Lea is a 46-year-old small-scale businesswoman from Malawi. She has two children aged 15 and 10. Lea sells tomatoes, while her husband is a primary school teacher. Seven years ago, Lea began to experience troubling symptoms, including breathlessness during sleep, walking, and climbing stairs, and was unable to carry items on her head. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. This January, things worsened when Lea started experiencing frequent choking after eating. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lea receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 8th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. Lea said, "Kindly help me get out of this mess; I am in trouble, and I am not ready to choke to death one day and leave my children alone."

Ky is 78 years old and is a retired tailor from Cambodia. He lives with his wife and his third daughter, who sells food at the local market. He has two sons, three daughters, and ten grandchildren. In his daily life, he enjoys listening to the radio, hearing monks pray, and participating in religious ceremonies. Two years ago, Ky developed a cataract in his left 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 Ky learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On September 14th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. He can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund his procedure and care. Ky shared, "I hope that after surgery my eyesight will improve so I can easily go outside, recognize my relatives, and feel happy without worrying about my vision anymore."

Bros is a 57-year-old man from Cambodia. He grows rice and other crops for a living. He is married and has two daughters. He lives with his wife, who is also a farmer, and his two children, who are students. In his free time, Bros enjoys going for walks around his fields to check on his rice and crops. About six months ago, Bros 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 Bros learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On July 2nd, 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. Bros said, "I hope that after my cataract surgery, my eyesight will improve so that I can return to growing rice, vegetables, and other crops around my house. I also look forward to traveling to places farther away without having to worry about my eyesight anymore."