Sokcheat is a 50-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has one daughter and two sons. Her sons both work in construction and her daughter works in a clothing store. Sokcheat lives with her husband, who is also a farmer. During her free time, she likes to watch the news and movies on TV. Three years ago, Sokcheat developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her to experience redness, irritation and tearing in her eye. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. Because of her condition, she now has reduced vision and experiences difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Sokcheat learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. Sokcheat needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $225, which covers supplies, treatment, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for August 11th. Sokcheat says, "I hope after surgery my eye stops burning and I will feel better. I am afraid that if I do nothing, I will not be able to see to plant rice to feed my family."

Khin is a sweet and loving grandmother from Burma who helps her family manage their household. She lives with her daughter, her two sons, her two daughters-in-law, and her beautiful granddaughter. One of her daughters-in-law will give birth in the coming days, and her other daughter helps manage the household along with Khin. Both of her sons work as day laborers. Some of Khin's favorite ways to spend her time are praying and playing with her sweet six-month-old granddaughter. This past February, Khin's small toe on her left foot was amputated at our medical partner's care center, Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital (MCLH), due to a severe ulcer. In July, she developed another ulcer near where her small toe was amputated. Because of her condition, Khin is experiencing pain and swelling in her left foot. She also has little appetite and difficulty sleeping. She currently cannot put any weight on that foot, meaning she has not been able to walk. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Khin receive treatment. On July 15th, surgeons will perform a debridement, a surgery that will remove the damaged tissue from her foot, to help her walk and live free of pain. Now, Khin needs help funding this $694 procedure. Khin shares, "I want to be healthy because I am old, and I don’t want to make any problems for my family. Thank you so much to all the donors who are supporting my free treatment. I hope that my condition will heal fully after surgery. I just want to live happily with my family for the rest of my life."

Sok Ny is a 52-year-old vegetable farmer. He and his wife have three sons and two precious grandchildren. He lives with his wife and two of his sons who are still students in public school. When Sok Ny isn't working, he enjoys watching boxing and the news on TV. One year ago, Sok Ny developed a pterygium in his left eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Sok Ny has found it increasingly difficult to drive his motorcycle due to declining vision; this interferes with his ability to raise and sell his crops. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Sok Ny learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. Sok Ny needs surgery to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for October 10th. Sok Ny says, "I hope after surgery I will see better, support my family, and can drive my motorcycle again."