Rhonda is a 29-year-old mother. She and her husband, Amos, are subsistence farmers in a very poor area of southwestern Uganda. When their crops are good, they grow cassava, millet, rice, and beans. Unfortunately, the rains have been delayed this year. They are struggling to feed their family with store crops from last year. When they can, both work for others in the community to earn a small cash income. After working in the fields, Rhonda enjoys weaving mats with other women in the village. She is also an active member in her church, singing in the choir and helping with services. Rhonda is expecting her second child. Because of several factors, she is a high-risk mother. She is severely underweight because of malnourishment. She also has an enlarged spleen and is borderline anemic. Doctors want to monitor her closely. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting $241 to fund the medical attention Rhonda needs. Rhonda and Amos are also subsidizing the funding with what they can afford. After delivery, Rhonda hopes to be strong enough to go back to working in the fields. “I thank the donors for helping with my treatment, and I pray to God to bless them in all that they do,” says Rhonda.

Shakira is a four-month-old baby girl from Uganda. She lives with her parents, Sharon and Justus. She is the second child to her parents. To support their family, Shakira's parents grow beans, cassava, potatoes, groundnuts, and maize for consumption and work in the community for income. Shakira was recently diagnosed with pneumonia. Beginning on April 22, Shakira will be treated at Bwindi Community Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is asking for $106 to cover the cost of her medication and treatment. Her family has contributed $5 to her overall care. Shakira's parents are very grateful for all of the Watsi donors' support!

Tatiana is a nine-year-old girl from Kenya. Five years ago, she developed a swelling. With time, the swelling grew, and her family sought treatment. She was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia, a protrusion of the intestine through the abdominal wall. Tatiana experiences a lot of pain and discomfort. The family lives in a rental house in the Nairobi suburbs. Her father works in an automobile garage as a mechanic, while her mother works in a salon. They have contributed $41 to her treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting an additional $423. Tatiana will undergo a repair surgery on February 3. After having the hernia repaired, Tatiana hopes to resume school. She says, “I want to be a hairdresser when I grow up. I love plaiting my friend's hair.”

Saret is a 35-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has two sons and one daughter. In her free time, she likes to listen to hip hop and classical music, watch Thai and Khmer dramas on TV, and play games. About six years ago, Saret developed a pterygium in each eye, meaning that an abnormal growth has formed in the clear, thin tissue underlying both of her eyelids. The pterygiums cause constant tearing, burning, and pain. It has become difficult for her to see things clearly, perform her work, and travel by herself. She is also worried about going blind. Fortunately, Saret and her husband have been able to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), so that she can receive the necessary treatment. Eye surgeons at CSC will remove the pterygium from each of her eyes, allowing her vision to improve. Saret is currently scheduled to undergo the procedure on January 18. Now, CSC is requesting $148 to pay for the costs of the procedure. Saret says, "I hope to look better, and I want to be able to easily work on the farm and go anywhere by myself."

Milton is a 49-year-old technical school teacher and father of five. For the past six years, Milton has experienced discomfort caused by a hernia. Over the years, the pain has only grown worse, forcing him to go to the hospital. Fortunately, Milton will receive treatment from our medical partner's hospital, Bwindi Community Hospital, on January 19. The repair surgery will cost $229. Milton has contributed $4 of his own money. Being pain-free will make Milton's day-to-day activities, like teaching and playing with his children, much easier. He is also looking forward to being able to play football, one of his favorite pastimes. Milton is very grateful to the donors who are paying for his treatment. He says he had never imagined people with the heart to help strangers who they have never met.

Chhoeuy is a 59-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has five children and ten grandchildren. She likes to join in ceremonies at her pagoda and listen to the monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Chhoeuy’s work as a rice farmer became much more difficult due to the development of blurred vision, irritation, and tearing in both eyes. As her condition worsened, Chhoeuy began to worry about going blind. In December of 2016, she and her daughter traveled three hours to reach our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Chhoeuy was diagnosed with a pterygium, a growth of tissue, in each eye. This condition is relatively common for those who work outdoors. On December 15, eye surgeons at CSC will remove the pterygium from each eye, allowing Chhoeuy to see clearly again. They are requesting $148 to cover the cost of the operation. "I hope that my eye irritation stops and that I look better than I do now. I want to continue my work and go anywhere outside by myself,” Chhoeuy says.

Wendy is a 14-month-old girl from Guatemala. Her family cannot afford to give her a nutritious diet filled with protein, calories, and nutrients. She has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. She has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. She is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, Wendy began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016. Wendy lives with her father, aunt, and cousins in an adobe home with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, and her aunt takes care of her. Even though they want the best for Wendy, they cannot afford this $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Wendy recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Wendy a chance to grow healthy and strong.

Thol is a 57-year-old crop farmer who is married with one son, three daughters, and seven grandchildren. She likes to watch the comedy program on TV and go to the pagoda to join ceremonies and listen to monks pray. Thol developed a cataract in each eye about one year ago, causing her blurred vision, cloudy lenses, and photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light). It is difficult for her to see things, do any work, and go anywhere outside. Thol heard about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from a neighbor in her village. She traveled for three hours with her grandchild to reach CSC for treatment. On October 19, 2016, CSC doctors performed a phacoemulsification surgery to remove the cataract and inserted an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, Thol should be able to see clearly again. Now, she needs help to pay for this $292 procedure. Thol's grandchild shares, "I hope my grandmother can see everything clearly again so that I don't have to worry about her vision loss anymore."

Birendra is a 16-year-old eighth grade student that lives with his parents and siblings in Nepal. While his father works in India to support the family back home, Birendra keeps the family going by grazing the cattle and working on the farm with his brother. They are able to live off the yield from the field for about 5 months of the year, and the rest of the year they buy food from the market. Three days ago, Birendra fractured his right hand while playing football. He is in immense pain and his hand is swollen. For $195, Birendra is able to receive treatment for his fractured arm. Birendra says, "I am so happy that my treatment happens soon."

In June of 2016, Korb, a 60-year-old woman from Cambodia, fractured the femoral neck of her left hip when she slipped and fell. She is in pain and is unable to walk or stand. Femoral neck fractures are commonly found in the elderly population, and occur when the ball (of the ball-and-socket joint) is fractured. Treatment almost always requires surgery. In Korb's case, surgeons at Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a hemiarthroplasty to replace the damaged bone. The surgery will replace half of the hip joint with a prosthetic. The surgery plus two days in the hospital to recover will cost $392. After surgery, Korb will be able to walk again and be free of pain. Since she is unable to work currently, she enjoys staying at home and looking after her grandchildren.

Maria, a 42-year-old woman from Guatemala, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She started to feel a mass in her breast a few months ago, right around when she started to lose a significant amount of weight. She has been feeling weak lately, making her both physically and emotionally fatigued. She says that he hardest part for her has been the pain in her chest and back, which has been making it hard for her to sleep at night. Maria and her husband live with their two kids, Edgar and Juan in a remote indigenous Mayan community in the mountains of Guatemala. Her husband works as a day laborer, harvesting crops only when they is work available--leaving her and her family without a consistent income, living on at most on only a couple dollars per day. Maria stays at home and takes care of her two elementary-school aged children, cooks, and cleans--but lately she has not been able to get out of bed, leaving her family worried and sad. Maria has been feeling depressed about the severity of her condition, but now that she has a treatment plan, she is thrilled and has regained her desire to live. She is excited to receive chemotherapy, interpretation, and transportation. She has been working with our staff to learn as much as she can about her condition, and is looking forward to improving and being able to continue to be there for her family.

Zin Nwe lives in Burma with her parents, her brother and sister, and her adopted 3-year-old daughter. She is 33 years old. This past February, Zin Nwe began to feel severe abdominal pain. It was so debilitating that she returned home in order to rest and took some painkillers to cope with the pain. Upon feeling slightly better, she returned to work. However, in March, she couldn’t walk and came back home once again. She was having difficulty breathing and it was painful to sleep on her stomach. She was tossing and turning all night worrying about her condition and feeling guilty about being unable to work. Treatment was never sought in Burma because of the expensive costs in which Zin Nwe could not afford to pay. One of her friends had been to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) before and suggested that she visit. Upon arrival, Zin Nwe received an ultrasound test and a blood test. A midwife confirmed that she has a uterine myoma, a noncancerous growth in the uterus, and would require surgery. As she does not have money for the surgery, Zin Nwe was referred to Watsi's medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), for assistance. Zin Nwe is a strong, hard working, and independent woman. $1,500 covers all of Zin Nwe's medical expenses, including pre-surgery visits, hospitalization, out-patient visits, and transportation to the hospital. After treatment, Zin Nwe is eager to return to work, continue to support her family, and relax by gardening and planting vegetables near her home. She wants to be able to continue to afford school fees so that her daughter can one day be a bright and educated woman.