Min is a two-month-old baby from Thailand. He lives with his parents. Since birth, Min has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain. Fortunately, on January 22, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Min's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 22 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Min's mother says, "I am unable to put him down because he is crying so much."

Elvis is a child from Tanzania. He loves school and enjoys playing with his friends. Elvis’s parents are subsistence farmers. Elvis has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Elvis traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 19. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Elvis's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk well and attend school regularly. Elvis’s mother says, “Please help my son get better. He is in pain when walking to school or playing. I am worried he will eventually lose his ability to walk.”

Sok Nheang is a sixth grader from Cambodia. He likes art and reading. Four years ago, Sok Nheang 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, Sok Nheang experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear discharge. It's difficult for him to hear in school. He says, "I am thinking about my ear problem all the time." Sok Nheang traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 12, 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.

Alonso is a 55-year-old man who lives with his wife and daughter in rural Guatemala. Years ago, Alonso's leg had to be clinically amputated after he experienced complications related to diabetes. Alonso's life changed drastically after he lost his leg, for he has difficulty walking and working. He now is in need of a prosthetic leg. Before his leg was amputated, Alonso worked in construction. Now, in order to keep supporting his family, Alonso works in agriculture in the local countryside. Alonso provides his family's only source of income, but he does not earn enough to cover the cost of a prosthetic leg. Fortunately, with the help of our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, Alonso is scheduled to receive his $1,166 prosthetic leg on August 8. Receiving a prosthetic leg will change Alonso's life. He hopes that receiving a prosthetic will allow him to find a different job so that he can support his wife and take care of their family better.

Nan is a 42-year-old farmer from Burma. Nan supports herself and her husband by planting and harvesting corn. In May of last year, Nan felt a mass in her lower abdomen. Since then, the mass has been growing in size. Due to the back and abdominal pain Nan experiences, she recently had to stop working. Doctors at a hospital affiliated with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, have now diagnosed Nan with an uterine myoma. Nan requires a total abdominal hysterectomy, which is scheduled for September 20. As the sole breadwinner of her family, Nan needs our help to pay for her $1,500 medical bill. "I just want to get better," says Nan.

16-month-old Aria was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak. She will undergo open-heart surgery, in which a patch will be sewn over this hole. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, has requested $1,500 for treatment, which has already been partially subsidized by Gift of Life International. Aria is an orphan and lives in a children's home in Haiti on the same campus as the hospital where she will be having her surgery. She is very engaged with the world around her. Aria's surgery is scheduled for May 1. Fixing her heart defect will prevent complications later in life. "Everyone here loves Aria very much," the orphanage director expresses, "and is so happy to know that she can have this surgery!"

Daniel is a three-year-old boy who lives in the Philippines with his parents. Daniel was recently diagnosed with malnutrition, a condition that results from consuming too few calories, proteins, and nutrients. Beginning on June 28, Daniel will receive at-home malnutrition treatment through our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). ICM will provide Daniel with nutrient enriched food packs to help him gain weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. The program will also teach his family about proper nutrition, sanitation, and organic gardening to better care for their son. ICM is requesting $173 to cover the cost of Daniel's ongoing care. "I hope Daniel will recover from his malnourished state and grow into a healthy young boy," Daniel's parents say.

Meet Winniestecy, a confident and strong 13-year-old girl from Kenya. She is a bright student in the seventh grade who works very hard in school. Winniestecy was diagnosed with gluteal pressure sores, which make sitting or moving for extended periods of time very painful. She has spina bifida, a congenital disease that prevents a baby's spinal cord from fully developing. Winniestecy has been in and out of hospitals for most of her life seeking medication, thus missing school and falling behind academically. If the sores go untreated, Winniestecy will be at risk for further infection, and the pain will continue. When the sores developed more than a year ago, Winniestecy visited many hospitals without receiving treatment. Finally, Winniestecy visited Kijabe, a care center of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. The doctors recommended a skin graft to heal the sores. Winniestecy's mother spends most of her time caring for her daughter. Our medical partner needs $1,129 for the procedure, and Winniestecy's mother is unable to afford this surgery. The surgery, scheduled for May 16, will allow Winnistecy to resume a healthy and active life. “I want to excel in my life and help my mother," says Winniestecy.

Robert is a 78-year-old man from a village in Malawi. He lives with his wife, and they have seven children and twenty grandchildren. He has retired from major farming activities, so he likes to sit and chat with his friends and family and listen to the radio. Since the end of last year, Robert has been having difficulty urinating. This has been the cause of a lot of pain and discomfort. Doctors at our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, discovered that Robert has a large prostate and needs surgery to restore normal urinary function. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund this surgery, which is scheduled for March 28. Robert is expected to make a full recovery.

Robert is a 69-year-old man from a rural village in Malawi. He has nine children and lives on a farm. He spends his days collecting firewood, playing with his twelve grandchildren, and going to his church. Two years ago, Robert began to experience difficult and painful urinary symptoms. Over time, the condition has grown worse, eventually hindering his ability to work and play with his family. "I am in much pain and I need this surgery," Robert says. "Thanks to Watsi, I will get my procedure!" Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to cover the cost of a prostate resection surgery. The operation is scheduled for February 15 at our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital. Robert is expected to make a full recovery.

Maria Eluvia is a 56-year-old mother of three who lives in rural Guatemala. In October 2016, Maria Eluvia went to the clinic of our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK), after experiencing abnormal bleeding. The physicians discovered a small growth known as a polyp. These polyps often go away on their own, but after several months, the polyp was still present. Physicians have recommended a biopsy to remove the polyp and test for cervical cancer. If left untreated, there is a chance that the polyp could be cancerous and spread. WK is requesting $383 to perform the biopsy and to run the necessary tests to determine if the polyp is cancerous. Maria Eluvia is scheduled for a biopsy on March 11. Although cervical cancer is a slow-progressing and treatable disease, it is important that these tests are conducted to prevent any spreading or future complications.

Buddi is a 50-year-old woman from Nepal. She lives with her husband and children. She and her family members support themselves through farming. For some time, Buddi has been living with a hernia, a condition in which an organ pushes through the abdominal wall. In the past week, Buddi began experiencing immense pain and has been unable to walk. Seeking treatment, Buddi and her husband traveled to our medical partner's care center, Bayalpata Hospital. On February 7, Buddi will undergo hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, Possible, is asking for $451 to cover the costs of labs, medication, and hospital stay fees. "I hope my wife's treatment is successful," says Buddi's husband.