“I want to get well and be there for my children," shares Miriam, a 40-year-old mother of two children. Miriam and her children, a boy in grade three and a girl in grade two, live in urban Kenya. She works at a small grocery shop while her partner operates a taxi cab. Together, Miriam and her partner split the rent for a two-roomed house and Miriam is able to meet her son's school fees. In January 2016, Miriam felt a lump on her left breast and began to complain of pain on her left hand. At the original hospital she visited, the x-ray images did not present a clear diagnosis. In May, Miriam visited Watsi's medical partner. After several examinations, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told that she needed a mastectomy, a surgery to remove all breast tissue from a breast as a way to treat or prevent breast cancer. Without treatment, Miriam's cancer might spread to other parts of her body which would further complicate her health life and result in premature death. Despite her sister and parents being out of work, Miriam's family and friends were able to subsidize $208 of the cost of her surgery. The remaining $740 will be funded by the generous support of Watsi donors. Surgery will allow Miriam to regain her health, return to work, and continue providing for her children.

Kanjiwa is a 68-year-old farmer from a village in Malawi's central region. He lives with his wife, and together they have seven children and 30 grandchildren. Kanjiwa supports his family through farming and when he is not busy working, he enjoys chatting with his grandchildren. For the past seven months, Kanjiwa has been experiencing symptoms of an enlarged prostate. He has pain when urinating and discomfort that has impeded his ability to work and spend time with his grandchildren. Kanjiwa has been unable to receive treatment until now because of its cost. With $742, Kanjiwa will have a prostate resection to surgically remove the gland. This operation will eliminate the pain he feels when urinating and discomfort he has in daily life. This procedure will also prevent future health complications. He and his family are looking forward to the surgery. Kanjiwa says, "I am very happy. I am looking forward to doing activities on my farm."

Gregory is a two-year-old boy from Kenya and the firstborn in a family of two children. He lives with his parents and sibling in a single-roomed rental house. Gregory’s parents are casual workers and take up any tasks so long as they provide a meal for their family. They want the best for their son. Gregory’s parents got to know that Gregory has hypospadias at birth but were advised to wait until he attained the age of one year. Hyposadias is a condition where the opening of the penis is on the underside of the organ instead of at the tip. After one year, they went to a hospital recommended by a friend but the wait for treatment became unbearable. Gregory's parents would like to have their son treated before he can be self aware and have the condition affect his self-esteem, in addition to avoiding effects such as urinary tract infections and possibility of infertility. They decided to come to Bethany Kids (part of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation) with high hopes that their son will finally be treated. However, the treatment is at a cost they cannot afford. $655 funds a treatment to repair Gregory's condition. Let's help ensure Gregory grows up to have a healthy childhood.

Angel has a beautiful smile, when she decides to show it! She just celebrated her first birthday, as she was born on August 11th, 2015. Angel is able to sit on her own and likes playing with soft toys and being around other children. She is the second-born child in her family, and they live together in Tanzania. Angel was born without any problems and was developing normally. However, she contracted a severe fever when she turned five months old. She was admitted at a local hospital and subsequently treated. After her daughter's recovery, Angel's mother continued to care for her baby as usual. She began to notice that the size of Angel's head was slowly increasing. One day, she became extremely nervous when she realized that Angel's big sister's hat would not fit on Angel's head! She took her daughter back to the hospital. After a thorough examination, Angel was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and exerts pressure. Angel received surgery to install a shunt-- a device that will drain fluid from the brain to another part of the body. This procedure will prevent further intracranial pressure, which could otherwise have affected her eyesight. Angel's mother is a self-employed tailor and her father is a small-scale farmer who primarily grows tomatoes. They have built their own two-bedroom mud house and are trying their best to care for their children. The $775 cost of Angel's surgery is just too high for them to afford. Let's help fund Angel's procedure, which includes a five day hospital stay and a two week stay at the Plaster House, a facility that houses and rehabilitates children who have undergone correctional surgeries. "I hope my baby will get well and continue to grow up like other children," says Angel's mother. "I'll be happy to see her walking."

Pablo's vision has been slowly deteriorating for several years. He was told by a doctor that he likely had cataracts, which are complicating his vision and could make him blind if he does not receive surgery. He lives in an incredibly rural Guatemalan community - 12 hours away from the only hospital in the country capable of giving him the specialized care he needs. 54-year-old Pablo is a friendly and hardworking father - he drives a pickup truck transporting wood from the fields into the city to support his four children. He lives with his family in a one-room house with a tin roof in the northern jungle of Guatemala. He makes only a couple dollars per day and, until his evaluation with the eye specialist, had never been out of his home community. His favorite thing to do when he is not working is to go out and visit his neighbors. Recently, because his vision has gotten so bad, Pablo has been having a hard time at work is worried that he will have an accident if he does not get surgery soon. This surgery, which costs $1500 and will be done with doctors from Watsi's medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, will give Pablo clear lenses so he will be capable of seeing, giving him the ability to work safely without fear of accidents. This surgery will prevent him from becoming blind, and allow him to live a full and happy life in which he is able to provide for his family. "I have been looking for support for one year and so I am so appreciative for the help that I will now get," shares Pablo.

Ru is a 69-year-old husband, father, and grandfather who lives in Cambodia. He enjoys watching sports and news on TV and looking after his six grandchildren. One year ago, Ru developed a cataract in each eye. A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Cataracts typically occur in both eyes, and they are the leading cause of blindness in Cambodia. Ru experiences blurred vision, tearing, and light sensitivity due to his cataracts. As a result, he has difficulty seeing clearly or getting around easily on his own. Ru traveled one hour with his daughter-in-law to reach Children's Surgical Centre for treatment. For $292, he will undergo small incision cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from his eyes and replace them with intraocular lens implants. Funding for Ru's treatment also includes two days of hospital care, eye drops and ointments, medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection, and one post-operative consultation. After surgery, Ru will be able to see clearly again.

Sophal is a 54-year-old housewife living in Cambodia with her husband, son, and daughter. She enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray and join in the ceremonies. One year ago, Sophal developed a cataract in both eyes, causing her blurred vision, tearing, irritation, and sensitivity to light. She and her son traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for further evaluation. Her doctors at CSC recommended she have a phacoemulsification and an intraocular lens implant in each eye, which will replace her internal lenses and restore her vision to full clarity. In total, the procedure, supplies, drugs, and three days of inpatient care will cost $292. Following her surgery, Sophal will have restored vision and her discomfort will be resolved. She will be more easily able to visit the pagoda, and her quality of life will significantly increase.

Since she was five years old, Sas has been dealing with the painful aftermath of a serious ear infection. Sas is a married 30-year-old woman from Cambodia who has two sons and farms to make ends meet. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), explains that her childhood ear infection "caused hearing loss, a perforated tympanic membrane, discharge, and pain. The infection developed into a cholesteatoma and she still experiences these symptoms." A cholesteatoma is an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear which causes unpleasant symptoms like the ones Sas is experiencing. Removing it requires surgery, which Sas cannot afford. "I am unhappy that I have daily ear pain and it is difficult to communicate with other people. Sometimes I can't do anything because of the pain," Sas says. In hopes of receiving care, Sas traveled for five hours with her mother to reach CSC for surgery. With our help and $809, Sas will receive surgery to remove the growth and treat the underlying ear infection. As a result of this surgery, CSC says, "her pain and discharge will stop and over time her hearing can improve."

Meet Moses, a 35 year old father of four children. He lives in Kenya with his family, in a two roomed rental house. Moses was in a road accident in February 2014. He used to be a truck driver. He did not get insurance coverage. Since the accident, Moses has not been able to walk. He thus stays at home unable to provide for his family. To raise his family, he relies on donations from friends and a local church. Two of his children are sponsored by a local church because Moses has not been able to get any meaningful source of income. His wife works as a cleaner to supplement the family. Moses has had several surgeries, which has left him in financial crisis due to high bills. Previous bills accumulated to 936,000 Ksh ($9,750) and Moses and his family were not able to raise half the bill. He has not been able to raise the treatment cost for the current treatment and thus is in need of financial support. If not treated, Moses may suffer severe infection that may result in amputation. Moses says, “I want to get well to educate my children; I don’t want to be a burden to people any more."

15-month-old Miloury was born with a cardiac defect called an aortopulmonary fistula, in which a hole exists between the two major blood vessels that connect to the heart. Blood leaks through this hole, depriving Miloury's body of the oxygen she needs and leaving her sickly and weak. Miloury lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with her mother, father, grandmother, and several other relatives. Her parents are both currently seeking work. She is a happy baby who likes to wear dresses and have her hair braided. For $1,500 (and with an additional $5,000 subsidy from Have a Heart Cayman Islands), Miloury will receive the heart surgery she needs. "I am excited to know that Miloury will be a normal child after she can have her surgery," her mother shared.

Marvin is just under one year old, and the youngest of three children. He lives with his siblings in a one-room cinderblock house with a tin roof in Guatemala. He loves to play with his ball, his toy cars, and his small toy motorcycle. His father works as a bricklayer and his mother works at home taking care of him and his siblings--most days they live on only a couple dollars, unable to buy even one fruit, vegetable, or egg per day for Marvin. Marvin has not been growing taller or gaining weight because he is malnourished. His body has not been receiving the nutrients and energy it needs to grow, not only leaving him very small for his age, but also weakening his immune system. In the past two weeks alone, he has suffered from diarrhea, a fever, and a bad cough--leaving him without an appetite and without the energy to play. In the long term, he could face a low IQ and chronic diseases if he does not receive treatment. Although Marvin is very sick, treatment is simple. His parents will receive in-home nutrition classes to teach them about what diet Marvin needs to be healthy. He will be a part of our growth monitoring program, ensuring he is responding well to treatment, and will receive food supplements and micronutrients to improve his diet and give him the energy he needs to play and grow. This treatment will give Marvin the chance to be a healthy baby, helping him grow, strengthening his immune system, and putting him on track to live a healthy and full life and escape the cycle of poverty and malnutrition he is currently caught in.

13-month-old Mchandael was born with a cardiac condition called valvar pulmonic stenosis, in which one of the four valves of his heart is too narrow to allow enough blood to pass through it. As a result, blood backs up into his heart, leaving him sickly and weak and causing heart failure. Mchandael lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with his mother and father; he is their first child. His mother works at a clothing store and his father sells cell phones in the street. Mchandael is a happy and curious baby who likes playing with toys and clapping to music. For $1500 in Watsi funding, in addition to a $5000 subsidy from Have a Heart Cayman Islands, Mchandael can receive the heart surgery he needs to get healthy. "We want to say thank you to everyone who is helping our son go to the hospital for his surgery," his mother shared.