Un is a 61-year-old grandmother who dotes on her seven active grandchildren. She and her husband are rice farmers and have three sons and four daughters. One daughter lives with them and helps with housework and cooking. About one year ago, Un developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision and photophobia. She is afraid to use her stove because she cannot see numbers or dials, and is afraid she might injure herself or her daughter. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on her own. When Un learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours to seek treatment. On March 9th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery to implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Un said, "My eye feels cloudy and I can't go outside to help with the rice crops. I hope after surgery I can see more easily and go outside by myself."

Elias is a 10-month-old baby boy from Kenya, and the first child born in his family. Elias and his parents live in their ancestral home and rely on his grandparents for support, as his mother is a homemaker and his father is still in college. Elias has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Elias has been living with an increasing head circumference since the age of four months. Without treatment, he may experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $720 to cover the cost of surgery to treat Elias' hydrocephalus. The procedure, which will drain excess fluid from Elias' brain and reduce the intracranial pressure, is scheduled to take place on February 22nd at BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. With proper treatment, Elias should be able to develop into a strong and healthy young boy. Elias’ mother says: “I am really feeling bad because I have no way of helping him.”

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."