Vibol, who is 12 years old, is a student living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with his parents and three younger siblings. His father works in construction, while his mother stays at home to care for the children. Vibol particularly enjoys studying mathematics and would like to be an engineer when he grows up. Four years ago, Vibol had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind his ear drum. As a result, Vibol experiences ear fullness/pain, foul-smelling ear discharge, and increasingly poor hearing. He has not had any treatment because his family cannot afford the cost of medication. It is difficult for Vibol to communicate with others due to his poor hearing and he is often absent from class. Vibol and his family sought the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On May 4th, he will undergo a mastoidectomy on his left ear at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma so that Vibol will no longer experience his current symptoms. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This money will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Vibol said: "I hope that my ear will stop the discharge and pain. When my hearing is better, I will feel better and do well in school."

Sambath, who is 34 years old, lives with his wife and two children in Kampong Speu province. His wife stays at home to care for their young son and daughter, while Sambath works as a driver. In his free time, he meets up with friends in his village to play football, and he also enjoys cooking. For the past year, Sambath has lived with a persistent sinus infection. He experiences fevers, headaches, swelling, and congestion. It's hard for him to sleep because he has difficulty breathing, and he is constantly taking medication to try to unblock his nose. Doctors have advised Sambath that surgery will help to relieve the severe pressure in his sinus, and will allow his nose to be drained, enabling him to breathe normally again. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, is requesting $319 to fund the endoscopic sinus surgery that Sambath needs, which is scheduled for August 15th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Sambath told us that he wants to get better so he can have more energy to take care of his family and find a better job.

Rose is a 46-year-old farmer. She is a widow with four children who are all married and self-employed. She practices small-scale farming, however, her ability to work has been limited in the past year. For one year, Rose has been experiencing pain, abnormal bleeding, headaches, and backaches. Rose was diagnosed with multiple uterine myomas, a type of noncancerous growth in her uterus. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a type of surgery that will alleviate her symptoms by removing her uterus. Her family is unable to raise funds for her treatment and is appealing for assistance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Rose's surgery. On June 1st, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Rose will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Rose says, “I will thank God when am operated and I live well with good health and be able to resume farming.”