Vorn is a 65-year-old rice farmer from Kampong Cham province in Cambodia. He has two sons, two daughters, and nine grandchildren. He lives with his wife and his youngest son, who are also farmers. About five years ago, Vorn developed a pterygium in his left eye, causing him constant tearing and irritation. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is damaged due to excessive sun exposure, causing the abnormal growth of cells over the pupil. Vorn is worried that this condition has permanently affected his eye and that he will go blind. Vorn sought treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. With their help, he is now scheduled to have a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the surface of the cornea and replace it with a conjunctival graft, which should prevent a recurrence. The procedure, which will cost $225, is scheduled for April 25th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Vorn needs help to raise the money to cover the costs of the procedure, medications, supplies, and two days of inpatient care. Vorn shared: "I hope after surgery my eye will no longer be irritated and tearing, and I won’t worry about my eye anymore. I need to work to feed my family."

Kanha is a 21-year-old woman from Cambodia who lives with her family. She has three brothers and two sisters who also still live at home with their parents. Because of an unknown birth condition, she does not speak, so she has never attended school. She occasionally helps out her family by harvesting fruit from local orchards to earn extra income. On March 4th, Kanha fell from a mango tree while collecting fruit and injured her back. She experiences severe pain in her neck and back and is unable to walk. Her family took her to a local provincial hospital, but they could not pay for her care. Instead, the doctors recommended that the family drive four hours to the capital city of Phnom Penh for treatment. She has been diagnosed with a fractured spin and requires surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Kanha receive treatment. On March 10th, doctors at CSC will perform a spinal laminectomy with metal implants to stabilize her spinal column. A laminectomy enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Now, Kanha and her family need help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. The cost includes hospitalization, surgery, implants, physical therapy, and medications. After recovery, Kanha's pain should improve significantly, and she should have full mobility after four to eight weeks. Kanha's mother shared, "we hope after surgery, my daughter will no longer be in pain and will be able to walk."

Priscillah, who is 61 years old, is a mother of six and a grandmother of three living in the arid region of Baringo County, Kenya. Despite being a retired ECD teacher, Priscillah does not have a pension because she was employed on contract. She and her husband work as millet and mango farmers in order to earn an income. A month ago, Priscillah visited the doctor, complaining about a neck mass that she first noticed 20 years ago. Recently, Priscillah began to experience troubling symptoms, such as fatigue, weight loss, and breathlessness. Her neighbor convinced her to be evaluated and after lab tests and an ultrasound were done, Priscillah was diagnosed with a multinodular goiter. As it was toxic, she was immediately placed on medications to prepare her for surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Priscillah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 4th at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland, which should ensure that she will be able to live a healthy and more comfortable life. Priscillah and her family need your help to raise $936 to cover the cost of this procedure. Priscillah happily said: "I never knew I would ever undergo surgery; I was ready to live with the condition until my death. Thank you for giving me this chance."