Samnang is a 41-year-old taxi driver. He is married with one son and two daughters. His wife is a homemaker and his children are students in a local public school. When he is home, he likes to play volleyball and watch boxing on TV. Two years ago, Samnang developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him deteriorating vision and photophobia. In his profession, he is required to read a small screen on his phone for directions, and he no longer sees the screen well. This has jeopardized his ability to make a living. On October 18th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Samnang says, "I hope after surgery I can see better. I hope to recognize things well so I can drive my taxi to earn money to support my family's living."

Heng is a 72-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. He and his wife have three sons, three daughters, and seven grandchildren. Nowadays, they stay home, and he enjoys listening to the news and the monks praying on the radio when he has free time. Five years ago, Heng developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, 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. As a result of this condition, Heng has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going outside. When Heng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On October 24th, Heng will undergo surgery to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. CSC is requesting $225 for the total cost of this procedure, which includes his medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. Heng shared, "After surgery, I hope my eye feels better, and I can feel happy to travel and no longer experience irritation."

Deb is a 78-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She and her husband have one daughter and five beautiful grandchildren. Deb enjoys listening to monks pray on the radio and walking with her husband to the local pagoda for worship and weekly ceremonies. Two years ago, Deb developed a cataract in her right eye that has greatly limited her vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she cannot go out independently. Deb is also unable to see in bright or low lights, and she can no longer watch her favorite Khmer movies on TV. When Deb learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On October 24th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund her procedure. Deb shared, "After surgery, I hope I will be more independent and see better. I want to recognize the faces of my grandchildren and cook for them again."

Grace is a 31-year-old mother of two. She completed high school, but her parents could not afford to send her to college. Despite big dreams, Grace shared that she was forced to stay at home and later got married. Grace and her husband practice small-scale farming, but sometimes he is able to find additional work to supplement theirincome. The couple is blessed with two children who are attending primary school. Grace and her family live in a twin room semi-permanent house near a trading center. During her free time, she enjoys reading. She is currently expecting her third child. She has visited an antenatal clinic two times and been receiving good care. Grace believes that this pregnancy will have a good outcome and is excited to welcome her new baby. When she visited Nyakibale Hospital, she was recommended to deliver via a c-section so that her doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Grace undergo a C-Section on November 10th. This procedure will cost $252, and Grace needs your support. Grace says, “I cannot afford the costs of the surgery and would request for your support. I look forward to continuing farming after the surgery to earn a living for my family.”

Kaung is a 16-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his parents, two aunts and his brother on the border of Thailand and Burma. His parents are retired, while his brother and his aunts work in a factory. Kaung is in grade 10. In his free time he likes to play cane ball and football. On November 25th, Kaung was playing cane ball during gym class. While jumping to kick the ball in the air, he slipped and fell on his left arm, breaking both bones in his forearm. Currently, he cannot hold anything with his left hand and is in a lot of pain. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Kaung will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 25th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help his arm heal properly and allow him to use his left arm again. "I feel very sad and I am also worried that I will never be able to use my left arm," said Kaung. "I also feel bad for not listening to my mother because she doesn't allow me to play football as she is always worried that I will hurt myself. And now I have. Thank you to the donors for supporting my treatment. Without their help I could never receive treatment."

Phorn is a 63-year-old retired rice farmer. She has one son, two daughters, and six grandchildren. She lives alone near her son. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. Two years ago, Phorn developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her discomfort (photophobia), itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, impacting her independence and ability to go places and do things alone. When Phorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for over three hours seeking treatment. On September 5th, 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. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Phorn says, "I hope that after surgery I will see better. I want to recognize people’s faces and go to the pagoda by myself."

Emmanuel is a teacher and father of seven children. Emmanuel teaches at a local school alongside his wife. Some of their children are out of school, but not yet employed while the others are still in school. At this time, Emmanuel is focused on farming so that he can provide for his children. Emmanuel had swelling in a sensitive area for nearly three years. Emmanuel feels discomfort especially while walking and cannot sleep on his right side due to pain. Emmanuel first came to hospital in 2020 where he received oral medications that brought temporary relief. After further examination at our medical partner's clinic, Emmanuel received a scan that showed a right inguinal scrotal hernia. Doctors recommended Emmanuel receive a herniorrhaphy repair for complete recovery and prevention of further complications. Emmanuel is unable to afford the cost of his surgery on his own so our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is raising $230 so that he can receive this life altering surgery on September 6th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow Emmanuel to live more comfortably and confidently. Emmanuel shared, “I hope to have good health after am operated on and resume my duties of teaching and providing for my family without issues."

Moses is a builder. He's a tall gentleman with a lot of stories and has kept his sense of humor through pain. He is a father to two daughters and two sons who are all in school. While he did not complete school, he joined a contracting company when he was young and became an experienced, skilled builder. Moses lives in a 3-roomed house with his wife and his four children. For some time now, Moses has had a right inguinal hernia. The pain is worst when he stands for long periods and he can barely lift anything heavy. His job as a builder involves a lot of heavy lifting, and his hernia has hindered his work performance. Fortunately, on September 27th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Moses's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Moses told us, “I am the only provider to my family, my wife is not working. I am afraid when I lose my health, I will not be able to provide for them again but with your support, I have hopes and expect the best.”

Leon is a young boy from Kenya. When he was born in 2019, he was diagnosed with bilateral cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. His parents did not know what to do and didn't know where to turn for help. In 2020, his mother told some friends about Leon’s condition. They advised her to take him to a nearby hospital where he was examined, and a scan was recommended. They did not have money for the scan and had not sought any medical intervention since then. Recently, his mother told another friend who, upon learning about Leon’s condition, referred them to our medical partner's care center BethanyKids. On arrival, Leon was examined and scheduled for surgery. Leon is the first born in a family of two children. He lives with his mother who does jobs like pruning coffee, doing laundry for people, and plowing farms to provide for their family. Leon's brother is a newborn, and his mother is taking time off work to take care of him. She is now relying on Leon’s grandfather to temporarily support the family. If left untreated, Leon has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Fortunately, Leon will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). He is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 28th. AMHF is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Leon’s grandfather says, “I really want to help my grandchild so that he can have a good future like the other children.”