Song is a loving, 76-year-old grandmother. She has three children and thirteen grandchildren and lives with her husband in a rural province of Cambodia. A devout Buddhist, Song's favorite activity is going to the pagoda in her village and listening to the monks on the radio. A year ago, Song developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience blurry vision and itchiness. She also has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she cannot go places on her own. When Song learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On January 5th, 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 this procedure. Song shared: "I hope I can see more clearly, so I can recognize faces and join ceremonies at our pagoda."

Yean is a mother of five sons, and eleven grandchildren. She lives in Kandal province in Cambodia with her retired husband and their youngest son, a farmer. She enjoys going to the pagoda with villagers on holy days. Six months ago, Yean developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision. She shared that it is difficult to cook for the family because her vision is so bad. When Yean learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled there hoping for treatment. On December 8th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Yean said: "I hope after surgery I can see more clearly, so I can recognize faces and join ceremonies at our pagoda."

Sea is a 72-year-old grandfather from Cambodia. He is married and has one son, two daughters, and 14 grandchildren. He lives with his wife and his youngest daughter, who sells coffee and soft drinks from their house. He used to work as a fisherman, but stopped due to poor eyesight. When he is at home, he likes listening to the monks pray on the radio and watching boxing on television. Three years ago, Sea developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision. 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 Sea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for an hour and a half seeking treatment. On November 14th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help raising $253 to fund his procedure and care. Sea shared, "I hope after surgery I can see better, go outside and recognize the faces of my family."

Channa is a 29-year-old husband and father from Cambodia. He and his wife have an eight-year-old daughter in first grade. His wife manages a small grocery store in front of their home, where she sells snacks and drinks. In his free time, Channa enjoys reading the news, watching television, listening to music, and taking care of his daughter. When he was 12 years old, Channa's left leg was burned. Since then, he has experienced problems with the skin behind his kneecap. He has difficulty walking because he has a chronically swollen, open wound that often leaks from his skin contractures. On a recommendation from a local taxi driver, Channa and his family traveled three hours seeking treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Doctors at CSC diagnosed Channa with a chronic ulcerating wound behind his left knee, and a wound debridement and free flap procedure was recommended. This is a reconstructive surgery technique that involves the transfer of skin from one area of the body to another, while maintaining blood supply. After surgery, Channa's wound should heal, and he will no longer experience pain or difficulty walking. Now, Channa needs help raising $991 to fund his procedure and care. Channa shared, "I hope after the operation, I can go back to work to support my family, and I can walk again without pain."

Hla is a 43-year-old woman, living with her husband, son and daughter in a village in Thailand. Seven months ago, Hla and her family were forced to flee Karen State, Burma, because of the fighting that was taking place there. Both Hla and her husband worked as agricultural day laborers, but due to Hla's health, only her husband is working now. Two years ago, Hla felt a small mass in her left breast. The mass wasn't painful, so she decided not to seek treatment. A few months ago, the mass started to increase in size, and it became painful. In addition, puss has developed at the site of the mass. Doctors want Hla to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles, are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. It is hoped that this scan will help doctors diagnose her condition, and enable them to formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Hla's CT scan and care, scheduled for September 5th, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Hla said: "I feel so sad that I cannot work since my condition worsened. I have to depend on my husband's income, which is hardly enough for this month. Thank you to all the donors who are willing to help pay for my expensive scan."

Vanh is a 72-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. He has two sons, three daughters, and six grandchildren. His wife unfortunately passed away, so he now lives with his youngest daughter, who is a farmer. Some of his favorite ways to spend his time are listening to the news and listening to monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Vanh developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him to experience itchiness, light sensitivity, eye tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking. Because of this, he is not able to go places on his own. When Vanh learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for five and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 18th, doctors will perform small incision 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 $253 procedure. Vanh shares, "I hope after surgery my eye can see well again. I want to join ceremonies at the pagoda."

Sajina is a sweet, smiley 5-year-old. She is the third born in her family of four children. Sajina looks forward to attending school and shared, “I have told Father to take me to school like my siblings, but he says I am still small.” Both Sajina’s parents are small-scale farmers who depend on their crop yield for food and work other’s farms, as well, for additional income. Sajina was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, as her legs bow inward so that her knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she frequently complains of pain and tires quickly when walking short distances. For this reason, Sajina’s condition also makes it hard for her to attend school at this time. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Sajina receive treatment. On June 7th, she will undergo corrective surgery to help restore Sajina’s mobility, allowing her to participate in various activities and significantly decreasing her risk of future complications. AMH is requesting $880 to fund this procedure. Sajina’s father says, “My daughter’s legs were really bad, now they look better, but she still needs another surgery.”

Agrey is a five-month-old baby boy, and the first child born to his parents. Agrey was born with spina bifida and bilateral clubfoot. Agrey's father, who is a truck driver at a local sand quarry, was able to find enough money to take Agrey to a referral hospital for assessment of his spina bifida. But their family could not afford to pay for the surgery necessary to correct this condition, which put Agrey at risk of losing the ability to use his lower limbs, and endangering his life in the event of a serious infection. They were referred to the Plaster House for help, and through Watsi funding, Agrey had his spina bifida corrected. Agrey's bilateral clubfoot also means that both of his feet are twisted out of shape, which would make it difficult for Agrey to walk when he gets older. Fortunately, Agrey's family brought him to Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, our care partner's health center. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on May 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund this procedure and his care. After treatment, Agrey's feet will be straightened and he will be able to wear shoes and to walk easily as he grows up. Agrey’s mother says: “My son has had his first surgery of his back and it was successful. He now needs to start treatment for his feet. Thank you for your help.”

Nancy is a small-scale farmer from Kenya. Together with her elderly husband, they grow food crops for home use on their half-acre piece of land. She is a mother of eight children who are all adults. All her children don’t have a stable source of income at the moment. She needs care but does not have medical coverage and hasn't been able to raise the required amount for treatment. In early July this year, Nancy was tripped by her dog and fell on a stone, hurting the left side of her hip. She sustained a left sub-trochanteric fracture that is making her immobile. This is a fracture of the proximal femur located a few centimeters from the hip. She was taken to a nearby health facility and had an x-ray done after review. She was then referred to our medical partner's care center Kijabe Hospital for surgery. She is unable to walk and is currently using a wheelchair and although jovial and smiling, she is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On September 30th, Nancy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will relieve her of her pain and help her walk easily again. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Nancy says, “I am unable to walk. I am desperate, and also struggling to pay for my treatment. I need this treatment to be able to get out of this wheelchair.”

Loucken is a 16-year-old student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and three siblings in a neighborhood outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Loucken enjoys making art, listening to music, and going to school and church. Loucken has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect, which means a hole exists between the two upper chambers of his heart. As a result, blood leaks through this hole, leaving him feeling weak and unable to be active. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), can help Loucken receive treatment. Treatment is not available in Haiti, but on May 11th, he will fly to the Dominican Republic to undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in his heart with a patch. HCA is covering the cost of Loucken's surgery, so Loucken's family is requesting assistance to help fund the $1,500 surgery preparation and travel costs. This cost includes all labs, medication, appointments, passports, and the help of a social worker from HCA who will accompany Loucken's family as they travel internationally. Loucken shared, "After the surgery, I hope that I will be able to start playing soccer with my friends."

Thaung is a 31-year-old man who is married with one daughter. His wife and him work together as agricultural day laborers. Thaung's monthly income is just enough to meet their daily needs. He shared that he had to borrow money for food from his neighbor when he was out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the military coup in Burma, and he is working to pay them back. In October 2021, Thaung noticed a small ulcer and went to see a retired army doctor who lives in his village. He received some medication, and his ulcer healed. However, a few months later, the growth returned. Thuang and his family were able to fundraise through their church to visit a local hospital. Upon review, he was diagnosed with cancer and the doctor informed him that he would need to undergo surgery. Currently, Thaung is in pain and has difficulty working and sleeping. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), can help Thaung receive treatment. On April 11th, he is scheduled to undergo surgery. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Thaung shared, “When I recover from surgery, I will work hard to pay back my debt to the neighbors we borrowed money from. I want to live with my family for a long time, and I want to support my family as much as I can.”