Sok Khuon is a 32-year-old construction worker from Kampong Speu province in Cambodia. He is married and has one son and one daughter, both of whom are in school. His wife works in a local garment factory. When he isn't working, Sok Khuon likes to listen to music and play volleyball. Five years ago, Sok Khuon developed a pterygium in his right eye, resulting in declining vision, irritation, redness, and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is damaged by excessive sun exposure, causing cells to grow abnormally over the pupil. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is seeking $225 to fund treatment for Sok Khuon. On April 25th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, Sok Khuon will undergo a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the surface of the cornea, replacing it with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence. The $225 will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. Sok Khuon shared: "I hope after this surgery my eye stops being irritated and tearing. I want to go to work outside with a comfortable eye."

Meet Tevy, a 13-year-old student from Cambodia. She is in eighth grade, and her favorite subject is math. She has a younger brother in fourth grade, and her family lives four hours outside of the capital city in a sparsely populated town. Her parents work in the local government. In the future, Tevy hopes to become a teacher. Until then, her favorite activities in her free time are watching TV and eating her mom's amazing chicken recipes! Tevy was born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three. She has had some physiotherapy but is currently finding it more difficult to walk due to her knee flexion, thus impacting her mobility. She also experiences social anxiety in school and around her peers. She visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where the surgeons determined that an osteotomy and patella advance in both legs will help her walk without needing support. This will include lengthening the muscles behind the knees (the hamstrings and calf muscles) through an injection of Botox into the spastic muscle, causing it to partially relax as she heals. CSC is requesting $485 for this procedure, which covers the surgery, hospitalization, and post-op physiotherapy costs. Tevy's family has gathered $100 to contribute to her care. Tevy's father shared: "We are worried my daughter will stop going to school even though she is good in school. I hope she can walk better than before and continue her studies."

Omega is a five-year-old boy. He lives with his parents and two siblings, and enjoys playing with them. As the last born, he is spoiled and loved so much by his mother. They live in Hai, a small town in the Kilimanjaro Region. The parents are cattle breeders, who breed cattle for meat and milk. The cattle breeding business has been hard in the past few months because of drought. The green pastures and rivers they used to depend on to feed their cattle are now dry. Cattle are not producing enough milk, and the meat they produce is not preferred by most of the consumers around their area. In 2019, while Omega was playing with his brother, he got into an accident and fell into a pot of boiling tea. After the open wound healed, his right arm could not extend fully, making it hard for him to fully use his arm. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Omega receive treatment. On February 28th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him use his arm freely. Now, his family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Omega’s mother says, “I hope this treatment will give him a room of new possibilities in the future because his hand will limit him so much in his life.”