The things they carried

What do you bring when you need care?

An estimated 400 million people around the world have no access to healthcare. And when they need it most, patients and their families will travel hours and sometimes days for treatment.

With photographer Daniel Fitzgerald, we set out to capture a sense of these patient journeys to Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) in Cambodia, a clinic that provides healthcare to Cambodians who can't afford it.

When patients travel hundreds of miles for medical care, what do they carry with them?

Chhroy & San

“My son, San, brought his phone so he wouldn’t get bored waiting for me. And I brought the radio. I had to leave school to help my mother so I never learned to read. The radio became my favorite thing. And when my vision was bad, I felt alone, but the radio has always been with me.”

Mary

"It’s just me, my mother, my sister, and my baby. We have been homeless for a long time so we carry everything with us but it’s not much. We collect bottles on the street and sell them, so aside from a few clothes, this is everything. Our home is what we can carry."

Srey & Ouen

“We didn’t know until we got here that the care would be free — we had just heard rumors. She has been blind for the last year so I am always with her. So she brought me.”

Tho

“I have a cellphone so my children, grandchildren, and the doctor can call me. And when my eyes don’t hurt, I have my books so I can always read.”

Veasna & Nam

“We thought Veasna would die young. So when we came here, we didn’t know what to expect. We brought just a little bit of clothes. And we brought a lot of hope."

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The Watsi Team

The Watsi Team

Everyone deserves healthcare.