Ai is a 58-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has two daughters, one son, five grandchildren, and enjoys watching television in his free time. Five years ago, Ai developed a pterygium in both eyes, causing him tearing, irritation, redness, and blurry vision. 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. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Ai learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. Ai 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 his procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for January 13th. He said, "I hope that I will be able to see clearly and I can go back to planting rice and helping around the house."

Touch is a 48-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one son and two grandchildren, and enjoys watching both Khmer and Thai dramas on television in her spare time. One year ago, Touch developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Touch learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled by taxi seeking treatment. On March 5th, 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 $229 procedure. Touch shared, "I hope that my surgery will go well and I will be able to look after my grandchildren again and help with the housework."

Joseph is a two-month-old baby boy from Tanzania. He is the last born of his mother who has eight children. His father is polygamous with two wives, Joseph's mother being the first wife. The second wife has five children making a family of fourteen children. Four children in the family have been able to join school but the rest have not had a chance to attend yet. Joseph's older siblings who do not go to school help their parents to look after their cattle of five cows and five goats. Both parents depend on small-scale farming of maize, beans, and vegetable for their food and they are able to sell a goat once in a while to be able to get money to buy other commodities. Joseph was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Joseph is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,015 to cover the cost of Joseph's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 10th and will hopefully spare Joseph from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Joseph’s mother shared, “The money needed to pay our son’s surgery cost is too high for us to afford, kindly help us.”