Mao is a 52-year-old grandmother from Kompong Chhnang province in Cambodia. She is married and has two sons, four daughters, and nine grandchildren. She earns a living by selling packaged food in her local market and her husband is a police officer. In her free time, she likes to watch the news and check her Facebook. Three years ago, Mao developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her itchiness and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Mao learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. on February 9th, Mao will undergo treatment to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence. Mao needs help raising the $225 to fund her medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. Mao said, "I hope after surgery I can feel better and take care of my grandchildren."

Vireach is a three-year-old toddler who lives with his parents and his older brother in Kampong Cham province. His mother sells groceries from the front of their home and his father is a rice farmer. At home, he and his brother like to play with toy cars. His favorite meal is fresh fried fish from the Mekong River, which flows through Kampong Cham province. Vireach has strabismus in both eyes. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye caused by injury or dysfunction in the associated nerves and muscles. The condition is called exotropia, where he uses only one eye to look at an object while the other eye turns outward. His eyes do not aim at the same place accurately or simultaneously. If left untreated, Vireach may have difficulty reading and suffer from permanent poor vision as he grows older. Vireach and his parents traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to align his eyes. Now, Vireach's family needs help to raise $331 to fund his eye procedure. Vireach's mother said: "I hope after the surgery his eye looks straight like other children so he doesn’t feel shy."

Tola is a bright eleven-year-old student in grade five. He lives in Kampong Chhnang province with his family. He has a younger sister in grade one and a younger brother who is not yet in school. His parents are rice farmers. At home, he enjoys playing with his siblings and likes to eat any food his mother makes that has chicken! In school, Khmer is his favorite subject, and he would like to be a policeman when he grows up. When Tola was one year old, he had an infection and was given several intra-muscular injections in his right thigh. He subsequently developed muscle contractures that inhibit his ability to flex or straighten his right leg. If not properly managed, this can progress over time and further compromise his walking ability. When Tola and his family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On January 20th, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty procedure on his right thigh. This will release the quadriceps muscle and improve the range of knee flexion. After he recovers, Tola will be able to walk and run alongside his friends. Tola and his family need help raising $482 to fund his procedure and care. His mother said: "After surgery, we hope that Tola can bend and straighten his knee like other children, and won't feel ashamed that he looks different."