Sino is a seven-year-old primary school student in the second grade. She is the middle child in the family, with one sister and one brother. Sino likes to play, read books, draw pictures, and watch TV. She also hopes to be a nurse when she grows up. Sino developed an infection in her left ear about one year ago causing her discharge, hearing loss, a ringing or buzzing in her ears, and a cholesteatoma (an abnormal skin growth behind the eardrum) to develop. As a result, it is difficult for her to communicate with kids at school. Her mother heard about Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from a non-profit organization in Cambodia. Sino traveled for four hours with her mother to reach CSC for treatment. Sino will undergo a mastoidectomy that will remove the cholesteatoma. This will stop her ear discharge and improve her hearing. $842 will cover the cost of Sino's surgery and the associated treatment and care.

Lara is a two-year-old girl who lives with her parents and other siblings in a small house made of nipa and bamboo, with no access to electricity and water supply. Lara's father works as a farmer with no stable income and therefore cannot provide better nutrition to his family. As a result, Lara is suffering from moderate malnutrition, weighing much less than healthy kids her age. Watsi's medical partner International Care Ministries' (ICM) Home-Based Feeding program will provide Lara with nutrient enriched food packs to ensure she gets additional food to regain normal weight, and achieve optimum physical and mental development. Staff and community volunteers will make weekly visits to monitor Lara's progress. To help sustain her health, ICM's professional staff will educate her parents about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and organic vegetable gardening. $184 will cover the costs of the care Lara needs. Let's help raise the funds! Lara's parents shared, "We hope that Lara can recover from malnutrition so that she can become strong and healthy."

Nine-year-old Oun is a student in fourth grade from Cambodia. She has two brothers. "Oun enjoys staying at home, reading books and watching Thai movies on TV," says our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). "Oun was born with congenital bilateral clubfoot," explains CSC. "She has had casting done at a provincial hospital and her left foot has improved some. Her right foot is still deformed and needs surgical intervention." In search of care, Oun traveled three hours with her mom to reach CSC for treatment. For $304, we can fund surgery to correct her right foot. "Surgeons at CSC will perform a clubfoot operation on the right foot to straighten her foot and allow her to walk easily," CSC says.

Lydia is a 45-year-old widow and mother of three children. She has not been able to work since July 2013. Her eldest child is attending university where her fees are paid by her uncle. The middle child is in high school and works odd jobs on the weekends to meet some of the household needs. The youngest child is in primary school. Their house rent is paid by friends and church contributions. Lydia is suffering from a chronic ulcer. It started as a small swelling on her left leg, which later developed into a chronic wound. She has been to several hospitals for treatment where several drugs have been prescribed. However, with no improvement on her leg, she was referred to another hospital where she was diagnosed with a chronic leg ulcer. Surgery was recommended but was too costly for Lydia. For $940, Lydia will undergo the debridement and skin graft surgery she needs to treat her leg ulcer. Let's help her raise the funds she needs! Lydia says, “I want to be treated so that I am able to fend for my children. It is tiring to be dependent on people every time."

Liza, a 12-year-old girl from Cambodia, lives with her parents and older brother. "She really likes studying science," shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). CSC explains, “Liza has strangely developed a cataract in her left eye.” A medical examination by CSC confirmed that Liza has a traumatic cataract—a rarer form of cataract. A cataract is a cloudy film that grows over the eye lens, limiting sight. Although the common form of cataracts develop naturally and much later in life, traumatic cataracts can occur at any age after an eye injury. According to CSC, “Liza has a very bad cataract and it makes her partially blind.” Her condition prevents her from attending school, and Liza’s mother is very concerned about long-term vision loss. With $150, Liza will receive surgery to replace the cloudy lens in her left eye with a new, artificial one. In addition to surgery, Liza will receive two days of hospitalization, as well as both preoperative and postoperative care. Following the procedure, Liza’s vision will be clear. Liza is an ambitious girl, and this surgery will allow her to go back to school. Liza shares, “I can’t wait to return to school, see my friends and see normally again. I hope to study well enough to become a teacher one day."