Ren is a 59-year-old loving grandmother from Kandal province in Cambodia. She is a retired rice farmer with two daughters, five sons, and 12 grandchildren. She and her husband live with their youngest daughter, a garment factory worker in the province. At home, she likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio and watch movies on TV. Six years ago, Ren developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her redness, itchiness, and tearing. She says that she feels like there is a foreign object in her eye that is constantly burning and is embarrassed about how her eye looks. 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, wind, or dust and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 2nd, doctors will perform a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. Ren and her family are able to contribute $50 but need help to raise $175 more to fund the procedure. Ren shared, "I hope after surgery my eye will be better and I won’t worry about it anymore. I want to see well and take care of my grandchildren."

Lu is a 38-year-old woman from Burma. Her husband is a farmer and they live with their three children in Karen State. Lu is a village health worker. While she receives food support from the villagers, she has no salary. Sometimes, when time allows, her husband delivers packages on his motorbike for additional income. During her free time, she loves to play with her children and enjoys going out to forage vegetables in the forest. She also loves to weave traditional Karen clothes in her free time. Around two weeks ago, Lu began to experience troubling symptoms, including lower abdominal pain and a fever. She was diagnosed with appendicitis and now needs surgery to prevent her condition from worsening. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Lu receive treatment. On May 3rd, she will undergo an appendectomy, a surgery to remove the appendix when it becomes infected. This procedure will cost $1500 and Lu and her family need your support. Lu's niece, who accompanied her to the hospital said, "I would like to thank the donors who are willing to help my aunt with surgery costs. Without the support from donors, she cannot receive treatment."

Junoir is a student from Kenya, currently he is in fifth grade. He resides in the interiors of Igembe North County and is the eldest child of three. He has twin younger sisters. Junoir and his family live on Junior's grandfather’s land, where his mother grows maize and beans. They have a single room house built of poles and an open kitchen roofed with a polythene paper. Junior's mother uses the money she gets from her daily jobs to pay for her children's school supplies and household necessities. For ten months, Junoir has been experiencing pain in his left groin from a symptomatic hernia. He was taken to the nearby health center where he was treated for an infection. He improved, but the pain recurred. He was referred to a regional clinic, but they did not have transportation. Later Maua Methodist Hospital announced a medical camp near them, and it was a great relief to Junior and also his mother. He was seen by the doctors in the medical camp and referred to the hospital where they found left testicular swelling from the hernia. If not treated, it can progress to intestinal complications. Fortunately, on February 15th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $733 to fund Junoir's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Junior's mother says, "Please help my son so that he can continue with schooling with ease. I believe he has a bright future ahead”.