"When I recover from surgery I want to find a better job so I can provide my boys with everything they need to pursue and education and build good lives for themselves," said Nam Myint, a 45-year-old mother from Lan Ga village in Burma. Burma Border Projects (BBP), our medical partner in the area, shares more about Nam Myint’s dedication to supporting her family, “Her highest education was 4th grade of elementary school and was unable to continue her education due to the need to help her family farming. She was married at 32 years old, and gave birth to her twin sons in a hospital in Hpa-An by caesarean section. Nam Myint was divorced about 7 years ago and has been working in Bangkok as a caregiver. Because she’s away from home for work, she asked her older sister to take care of her two sons. Nam Myint works very hard and sends all of her money home to her boys and sister.” Unfortunately, Nam Myint left her job recently because of abnormal abdominal bleeding—a symptom of a uterine mass, or myoma, that requires surgical removal. Nam Myint first experienced this bleeding a year ago, but the symptom has returned this February with a longer duration. BBP explains the effects of Nam Myint’s condition on her quality of life, “She had her second episode of abnormal vaginal bleeding which lasted for 10 days. She was very worried that it could be a bad sign of her getting worse regarding the mass in her uterus, so she decided to quit her job, and came back to the village seeking for help. Her biggest concern now is her disease. Although she could still work and do daily activities, she couldn't help thinking about what would happen to her with the continuously growing mass if she doesn't have surgery.” For $1,500, we can fund a surgery to remove Nam Myint’s myoma. BBP anticipates a positive medical outcome and significant impact on Nam Myint’s family and quality of life. BBP expects, “This surgery will allow Nam Myint to return to work and provide for her twin boys financially. She will also no longer have bleeding that's embarrassing and prevents her from working. She will no longer live in fear of the myoma and the damage it may be causing.” Let’s help Nam get well!

“We've recently started a new nutritional program in this community, and we are identifying a lot of new children, like Carlos, whose families are food insecure and lack the resources to provide medical treatment to their children,” explains Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), our medical partner in Guatemala. As a nine-month-old, Carlos is “the youngest addition to this large family. The family lives and works on a rubber plantation in the southwestern part of Guatemala. Carlos has had several severe intestinal infections and, as a result, has lost a lot of weight. He is lethargic, and he doesn't eat well. He is very developmentally delayed; for example, he is too weak and uncoordinated to sit alone. He needs intensive nutritional intervention so that he can begin to grow again,” says WK. For $540, we can fund a treatment approach that offers both treatment and prevention. WK explains, “We'll provide food and vitamin supplements, as well as laboratory and medical evaluation to rule out severe anemia, thyroid disease, and other treatable problems. We'll provide close accompaniment to his mom so that Carlos' diet can improve. We expect him to start to gain weight, to start eating better, and to start developing normally again. This will help to guarantee that he reaches his cognitive potential later in life.” Let’s help Carlos get back to growing!

"Josefa heard about our arthritis clinic from some others who were successfully treated there (and funded by Watsi)," Wuqu' Kawoq (WK) tells us about this 38-year-old woman, loving mother, and only parent to her children from Guatemala. "She hopes that we can help her as well, so that she can 'live in stability in my home and help my children become who they are supposed to be.' " Josefa has had rheumatoid arthritis for the last seven years, with severe joint pain in her hands and feet. "She has never sought help from a doctor for this because she has very limited funds," WK says. "She has trouble walking and most mornings, when she [is] particularly stiff, she can't prepare breakfast or help her children get ready for school." The WK team is on the case and optimistic. "With aggressive medical treatment, we expect that Josefa's pain and joint stiffness/swelling will resolve, and that she will be able to work, walk and care for her children better than she has been able to in the last seven years," they write. Josefa's hope is in the right place. WK can help -- so let's fund the $425 it will cost to do so.

Meet Ferchi, a one-year-old girl from Guatemala who is suffering from malnutrition. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, reports, “Ferchi was born very premature. Since then, she’s struggled to grow. She is frequently ill with common things, like diarrhea, which further have restricted her growth.” The lack of nutrition also limits her cognitive development. Ferchi’s parents understand that they need quality nutrition to help Ferchi. The family’s financial situation prevents them from meeting this goal. For $535, we can tackle Ferchi’s acute malnutrition. Ferchi will experience an improved diet, heightened cognition, and a resumption of physical growth. Ferchi’s mother desires that Ferchi, “gets better, so that she can go to school and be successful.”

"Molly is a wife and mother of two children, a hardworking dressmaker, married to a roofing contractor and a farmer who grows maize, beans and sugar cane to supplement his family's needs," Lwala tells us about this 21-year-old woman from Kenya. "She likes eating Osuga (a green leafy vegetable) because they are very nutritious." Osuga is an especially good thing to be eating right now -- Molly is expecting! She's pretty tired as can be expected but is doing the best she can to carry on with daily activities. "Molly feels lower abdominal pain and backache which do not allow her to continue with her dress making," Lwala notes in particular. $290 would ensure that Lwala would be able to provide Molly the essential care she needs to welcome her newborn successfully. Money is tight for the family and things like prenatal care, a safe delivery, and postnatal care are not really high on their list of priorities. "I hope to continue with my tailoring after a safe and successful delivery, to get enough money to educate my children and to sustain our family," Molly says. She also hopes her baby-to-be becomes a pilot one day. Let's give Molly a much-needed hand right now and make sure Lwala is able to take good care of her right now.

Meet Soek, a 67-year-old field worker from Cambodia. Soek is the mother of one and the grandmother of four. She loves coming out of the field and sitting next to a radio, listening to the news an old Khmer songs. About a month ago, Soek fell down some stairs and fractured her left hip. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, shares that Soek's injury "makes it extremely difficult for her to walk and sit down. Now Soek must lie down to rest and cannot hear the radio from her bed." Because Soek cannot afford a proper hip replacement, "she and her sister made an arduous three hour journey from their province seeking care." For $430 we can fund Soek’s hip replacement surgery. The procedure will allow Soek to walk and sit without pain. Let's help Soek get out of bed and back to listening to the radio she loves!

Daw Yaung developed a uterine mass 10 years ago. She has not received any traditional medical attention and our medical partners tell us, “she now experiences chest pain and abdomen pain, especially after eating.” Daw Yaung’s symptoms also include fatigue and heart palpitations. Due to her condition, Daw Yaung is unable to do her daily chores or enjoy many of the activities she once loved. Daw Yaung is a 49-year-old woman who lives with her husband, one of her daughters, and her three grandsons in Burma. She loves taking care of her grandsons and being involved with village ceremonies and religious activities. Daw Yaung and her family are farmers, and they depend on a limited and unsteady income produced by the farm. For $1,500, Watsi can help fund surgery to treat Daw Yaung’s uterine mass. With this surgery, Daw Yaung will no longer experience chest or abdomen pain. Treatment will allow her to return to a normal, healthy life doing her favorite activities. “In particular she wants to celebrate her [grandsons'] ordinations when they become novice monks,” share our medical partners at Burma Border Projects. Let’s come together for Daw Yaung!

"Lucia is in her last month of pregnancy," our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq in Guatemala, writes. "She has an unusual condition which occasionally complicates pregnancy. It causes severe itching and alterations in liver function. It also predisposes her to premature labor and, in some cases, severe respiratory distress in the newborn baby. For these reasons, Lucia needs extremely close monitoring through this month, frequent laboratory tests, ultrasound tests of the baby, and a closely monitored hospital birth to make sure everything turns out ok." Lucia's doctor, Peter Rohloff, adds, "This is Lucia's second baby. She's been very concerned because her first pregnancy was quite normal. However, she is really grateful for the support she's receiving, and she is thankful to Watsi donors (in advance) for helping her take care of herself and her new baby. She can't manage these medical costs on her own." To support Lucia, we're raising $525 to pay for Wuqu Kawoq's close monitoring of Lucia and her new baby. Regular tests and a safe birthing environment will help safeguard against any complications, ensure the normal functioning of Lucia's liver, and enable both Lucia and her family to live healthily and happily.

Say hello to Mashvin, a special 14-month-old baby boy who lives with his young mother and great aunt in Kenya. Mashvin was born with hydrocephalus, causing enlarged head size, increased intra cranial pressure, and sun-setting eyes. Mashvin’s family is unable to raise funds for Mashvin’s surgery. If surgery is not performed, Mashvin is likely to develop brain damage and blindness. “The growth of my baby’s head has really troubled me. I hope that Mashvin can get treated soon,” says Mashvin’s mother. Let’s raise $980 so Mashvin can receive a shunt incision. “We expect that the surgery will reduce the intra cranial pressure in Mashvin’s head and he will not suffer brain damage nor become blind,” our medical partners write. Let’s join together to help Mashvin and his family!

This is Mwanaisha, a nine-year-old girl from Kenya! She is the fourth-born out of a family of seven children. Her parents are farmers who lease land during planting season in order to support their large family. When Mwanaisha was born, she received a colostomy to enable her to pass stool. After a while, her colostomy became exposed. If this continues, Mwanaisha will be more susceptible to infections. Mwanaisha needs surgery if she wishes to pass stool again in the future. Mwanaisha's mother says, "For the last nine years, my daughter has never been well, but now I have hope that things will change." For $1,500, we can fund Mwanaisha's surgery so she can be able to pass stool normally again in the future!

Meet 19-year-old Muang Htun. Muang Htun lives with his parents and nephew in Burma. Muang Htun is studying hard at Mawlamyine University to pursue his dream of becoming an engineer. Sometimes he is too tired to attend class because he has a congenital heart disease which causes extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. Diagnosed at three-years-old, Muang Htun’s condition requires surgery in order for him to be resilient to future sickness and live a healthier, longer life. For $1,500 doctors will replace his aortic valve and pulmonary valve while repairing the ventricular septal defect in his heart. His parents have been working at a rubber plantation to support him at university, but they need our help in order to fund Muang Htun’s surgery. Let’s help get Muang Htun the care he needs!

Archana is a six-year-old girl who lives with her mother, sister, and brother in Nepal. Her father works in India and sends money back home. Recently, Archana fell from the stairs and fractured her right elbow. Any movement of her arm is very painful and the joint is quite swollen. Archana's family cannot afford her surgery. They own small piece of land that only yields enough food for six months out of the year. For $805, Archana will receive surgery to give her full movement in her arm again. Let's help out Archana and her family!