Zin is a twelve-year-old girl with chronic osteomyelitis in her hip joint. She lives with her parents, four brothers, and two sisters. Zin is currently in seventh grade at school. Zin’s parents own and work a rice field and garlic farms. Her two older siblings also work as day laborers on other farms. Still, the family has to borrow money to pay for fertilizer and to rent tractors and other farm equipment. In February of 2014, Zin began to experience discomfort in her hip. She visited a general hospital and underwent an X-ray. The doctor diagnosed her with tuberculosis and attributed her hip pain to untreated tuberculosis. She was prescribed anti-tuberculosis medication. On a recent visit to the hospital, Zin learned that she needed surgery to treat her hip pain. She had osteomyelitis, an infection in her bone. She could not walk properly, sit for long periods of time, or sleep on her side. On December 15, she underwent a hip replacement surgery. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. “I want to finish school and become an educated person," says Zin. "I want to be a medical doctor or a nurse, because I know how it feels to be a patient.”

Yaneli is an eight-year-old girl from Guatemala. She often feels too tired to play or go to school. She also experiences frequent headaches. Yaneli 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, she began malnutrition treatment on December 23, 2016. Yaneli lives with her mother and two brothers in rural Guatemala. She is a sweet girl who loves to play with her little brother. She just finished second grade at her local elementary school. Yaneli's mother is a single parent who works hard to provide for her children. Unfortunately, she cannot afford healthcare. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is requesting $512 to fund Yaneli's treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Yaneli 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 Yaneli a chance to grow healthy and strong. "I looked for your help because I don't have the resources that my daughter needs in order to be treated," says Yaneli's mother. "My wish is that she can get better and grow so that she can become a professional."

Men is a seven-year-old kindergarten student from Cambodia. She has one brother and is the oldest child in the family. She loves to play with toys and paint. Since she was born, Men has had esotropia in both eyes. This causes her eyes to slant inward, giving her blurred vision and a "cross-eyed" appearance. For $264, Men will undergo a squint correction surgery to realign her eyes and improve her vision. Men's mother says, "I hope my daughter's eye is straight so that she is not shy around others when she goes to school."

Adelina is a sweet 15-year-old from Tanzania. She lives with her mother and grandparents, loves to play football (soccer), and dreams of growing up to become a soldier in the Tanzanian defense force. She also lives with unicystic ameloblastoma, which causes benign cysts to swell on her face. This swelling is both painful and extremely uncomfortable, and Adelina has become self-conscious when people make comments about her appearance. Adelina says she loses sleep over her condition, and simply wishes to look normal again. Unfortunately, her mother is unable to pay for medical treatment and her father is indifferent to what Adelina is going through. Together for $1375, the Watsi community can step in and help Adelina receive surgery to permanently remove the swelling from her face. Let's help her go back to school, walk around without covering her face, and play with her friends comfortably again!