Sakim has been married for 11 years and has one son and one daughter. His wife sells soft drinks and coffee in the primary school. In his free time, he likes playing football, playing volleyball, listening to music, and watching TV. Unfortunately, Sakim fractured his left elbow about two months ago during a football match. After the accident, his family took him to several hospitals for consultation as well as seeking Khmer traditional medicine. His arm has not been repaired, and he is in pain most of the time. His arm is swollen, his elbow is stiff, and he cannot use his hand. Doctors diagnosed a complex fracture of his elbow, which can be repaired with an open reduction surgery. Sakim hopes that after surgery the fracture will be fixed, and he will be able to use his elbow without pain so he can go back to work.

Toem is a 55-year-old taxi driver from Cambodia. He has five children and enjoys watching boxing and soccer on television. One year ago, Toem had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Toem experiences hearing loss, pain, tinnitus, ear discharge, headaches, and vertigo. He has a difficult time communicating and understanding others. Toem traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 8, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $842 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. He says, "I hope that after my surgery my hearing and will improve and all my other symptoms will go away."

Sok Hin is a 29-year-old soldier from Cambodia. He has one daughter and one son, and enjoys playing with his kids in his free time. When he was ten years old, Sok Hin had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in his left ear to perforate. For this reason, Sok Hin experiences tinnitus, discharge, and itchiness. He finds it difficult to communicate well with others and cannot focus at work. Sok Hin traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 4, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his left ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. He says, "I hope that after my operation, my hearing will improve and I will no longer have an infection."

Lydia is a 45-year-old mother from Uganda. She is married and has six children. Lydia and her husband (Justus) struggle to pay for the education of their children that are still in school. Both Lydia and Justus are subsistence farmers who cultivate on their small portion of land to produce food for their family. Lydia has a femoral hernia which has brought discomfort and pain to her. If the hernia is not fixed she may get intestinal obstruction. She has lived with this hernia for the last fifteen years but the last four months she has had a lot of pain which has stopped her from performing her household duties. Lydia is a leader of a local women's group and she enjoys spending her time with other women after work. She learns new skills like weaving that help her support her family. In their women's group they weave mats with local materials and use natural dyes to beautify the colors. Lydia hopes that after the surgery, she will be able to recover well and regain her energy and continue looking after her family. She also plans to start trading in food crops and vegetables so as to get income to pay for the education of the children.

Rosa is a one-month-old girl from Guatemala. Since her birth, her mother has had difficulty producing breastmilk. As a result, Rosa is not growing and is losing weight. This limited diet is insufficient and has dangerous implications for Rosa’s health. Lactation failure can lead to starvation and dehydration. It can also compromise brain development, putting Rosa at risk of long-term damage. Fortunately, Rosa began treatment for lactation failure on December 20. Rosa lives with her parents and siblings in rural Guatemala. She has one older brother and two twin sisters. Her parents hope that she will study hard in school and become a nurse. Rosa’s father works in agriculture, and her mother manages the household. The family's income is small and inconsistent. They cannot afford this treatment, so our medical partner is requesting $1,107 in funding. Rosa's treatment will be simple and effective. She will receive formula, which will give her the protein, calories, and nutrients she needs to grow and develop. Her mother will receive in-home nutrition education, so she will learn low-cost ways to prevent future cases of malnutrition. Rosa's immune system will strengthen, and she will grow up to be a healthy, energetic baby. "I've been worried since my daughter's birth because I don't have breast milk to give my daughter, and she is losing weight," says Rosa's mother. "I want to see my daughter grow well so she does not get sick."

Shadrack is a five-month-old boy from Kenya. He was born with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. Shadrack is the youngest in a family of two children. When he was two months old, his mother noticed that his head was rapidly increasing in size. She notified a medic during a pediatric checkup, and a scan revealed the excess fluid in his head. They were referred to our medical partner's hospital, Bethany Kids Kijabe Hospital, for specialized treatment. On December 8, Shadrack underwent a shunt insertion, during which doctors inserted a device to drain the fluid from his brain. Shadrack lives with his older brother and parents in a one-room rental house. His mother is a housewife, while his father is a fisherman. They cannot afford to pay for healthcare. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to fund this procedure. Shadrack's mother is relieved that her son is receiving care. "We love him so much, and it hurts so much to see him cry in anguish," she says.

Sophat is a 37-year-old farmer with one daughter and one son. She likes to go to her farm, do housework, and take care of her children. When she was a child, Sophat developed an infection in her right ear. Since then, she has experienced ear discharge and hearing loss. Sophat's condition makes her unhappy and uncomfortable. Sophat was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), by an NGO that specializes in hearing disabilities. She traveled for six hours to seek treatment. She was diagnosed with a perforated tympanic membrane and tympanic membrane retraction that has caused the formation of a cholesteatoma. A cholesteatoma is a skin growth in the middle ear. On December 14, ENT surgeons performed a tympano-mastoidectomy surgery to repair her perforated eardrum and treat the cholesteatoma. After recovery, Sophat's hearing will improve. Now, CSC is requesting $842 in funding.

Smart is a 55-year-old farmer from a village in Malawi. He and his wife have seven children and five grandchildren. Smart also works as a security guard. In his free time, he enjoys reading and chatting with his village friends. In early December, Smart started to experience urinary dysfunction. He was in pain and had difficulty working. Fortunately, on December 20, Smart will undergo prostate surgery. His family cannot afford this treatment, so our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $726 in funding. Once Smart receives his surgery, his prognosis is excellent. "I have no fear of the surgery," he says, "I give thanks to Watsi!"

U Doe is a 80-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his daughter’s family and looks after his grandson. One month ago, U Doe’s big toe became black and painful. He visited our medical partner’s hospital, where the doctor explained that his foot had lost blood supply. He believed that U Doe’s chronic smoking was the cause. For ten days, U Doe took medication and underwent physiotherapy, but his symptoms did not improve. The doctor decided to amputate his toe. Although the surgery was successful, the wound did not heal correctly––again due to low blood supply. Soon, U Doe’s foot grew painful again. On December 1, U Doe’s leg was amputated below the knee. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. "I want to free from this pain and walk again,” sys U Doe. “After completing the treatment and getting the prosthesis, I will go back to my house. I will just stay at home to take care of my grandson so that my daughter and my son-in-law can go to work again."

Naing Soe is a husband and father of two sons from a village in Burma. His older son just began kindergarten. In November, Naing Soe was riding his motorbike home from work when an oncoming truck forced him to swerve off the road. He hit a tree and lost consciousness. An ambulance brought Naing Soe to a nearby hospital, where staff sutured cuts on his jaw and head. Two days later, Naing Soe underwent x-rays on his head and left arm, which was broken. His doctor explained that he would probably experience a long-lasting headache and advised him to rest. Naing Soe left the hospital, knowing that the mounting medical bill was more than he could pay. When Naing Soe returned home, he used traditional medicine to treat his pain. Unfortunately, his symptoms persisted. Finally, he visited our medical partner’s hospital, where he underwent an internal fixation procedure to heal his arm on December 8. Naing Soe works as an agricultural day laborer, and he is the sole income earner in his family. After paying for his emergency treatments, the family is in debt. Naing Soe needs help to pay his $1,500 medical bill. “I hope that my condition will be cured soon,” he says, “so that I can go back to work.”