Meet Linn, a two-year-old girl from Thailand. “Linn is a happy baby with a quiet disposition," shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). "She is an only child and really enjoys the company of other children." Linn has a unilateral congenital glaucoma in her right eye. “Her right eye is slightly larger than her left with an enlarged black pupil," says BBP. "The condition has left her blind in her right eye. Her head is extremely sensitive and she cries when touched too frequently or with too much pressure." Linn needs surgery to remove her right eye and replace it with a prosthetic, which will prevent the glaucoma from spreading to her left eye. “The surgery will improve her appearance and give her the best chance of living a normal life," says BBP. Linn’s mother is a single parent and currently does not earn an income. She cannot afford the $1500 necessary to cover the cost of treatment. “I want Linn to be treated well and to get a job that provides a good income and life," says Linn's mother. "I want her to receive an education someday. I’ll support her the best way I can in whatever she would like to do with her life."

Meet Sumaya! Sumaya is an eight-year-old girl from Burundi. She is the youngest of four children and has stopped attending her grade two classes because of her illness. Sumaya has a brain tumor that causes her severe headaches, paralysis of the right side of her body, and instability when walking. Watsi’s medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), reports, “Young Sumaya has been having severe headaches for three months, and in spite of medication at local hospitals in her country of Burundi, her severe headaches persisted… Through a friend, her parents learned about us and had to travel over 1,300 kilometers across international border to come to Kijabe for specialized treatment.” Sumaya’s mother is a housewife and her father is small-scale farmer, but their income is not enough to cover the cost of surgery in addition to attending to their household needs. “It has taken me an extra effort to come to Kenya for treatment,” shares Sumaya’s mother. “I look forward for successful surgery.” For $1,260, Sumaya will receive surgery to remove the tumor that is causing her to have severe headaches and instability. Let’s give young Sumaya a hand!

Meet Mustafe, a four-year-old boy from Somaliland. Mustafe was born with club feet, which makes it difficult for him to walk. Because of his feet, Mustafe falls over and hurts himself often. He struggles to keep up with his peers, and is unable to play games with other children. For $1,184, we can fund bilateral club foot repair surgery and follow-up care for Mustafe. After the surgery, our medical partners at Edna Adan Hospital anticipate Mustafe’s mobility will greatly improve. Let’s help Mustafe realize his hopes of joining in games with other children as he grows into a young man!

This is Rachael, a 39-year-old woman from Kenya who lives with her three children and elderly mother. From a humble background, Rachael works as a casual laborer doing laundry or farm work for neighbors. Rachel has been experiencing almost continuous abdominal bleeding and pain, but didn't visit a doctor because she couldn't afford treatment. Rachael has uterine fibroids, non-cancerous growths of the uterus. The bleeding has caused Rachael to become anemic, which means her body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. She has had to receive emergency blood transfusions as a result, but to permanently cure her, she needs a hysterectomy. When asked how she feels Rachael says, “I feel very desperate because my mother is old and I have left my children in her care. I hope Watsi will come to my aid so that I can be well again and have the strength to work for my children.” For $790 Rachael will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy, which means that her uterus and cervix will be surgically removed. This procedure will relieve her of the bleeding and pain and also treat her anemia. After Rachael recovers she will be able to go back to work, take care of her children, and lead a healthy life.

“I just wish that the pain on my knees will go away and all me to walk again,” shares Uyande, a 78-year-old woman from Tanzania. “Some Sundays I fail to walk to church because my legs will just not let me walk. I wish to be able to do a few things at home and also visit my children and grandchildren.” Uyande has osteoarthritis. She “walks with difficulties due to the pain on her knees, especially the left knee,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, tells us. “If not treated, she will continue to feel pain.” “Uyande is a mother of eight children, grandma of 22 grandchildren, and great-grandma of four great-grandchildren,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “She lives with her husband. Even with the help from her children, the cost of a total knee replacement is too high for them to afford. Uyande wishes to be more independent.” Doctors at AMHF want to completely replace Uyande’s hurt knee, a procedure that costs $960. Let's cover the cost of her treatment and help her walk again!

“We just need Denis to be able to walk properly so that when the time comes, he can walk to school and do other things without feeling that he is different from other people,” Denis’ mother says. “Denis is eleven-month-old little baby boy,” write his doctors at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. He was born with a unilateral club foot, and therefore is not on track to ever walk normally without surgical intervention. His hard-working family in Tanzania cannot afford the treatment he needs. If left untreated, Denis’ club foot will not only affect his gait, but likely cause early osteoarthritis of his small bones. Fortunately, for $1160, our medical partner can treat Denis’ club foot. The treatment will put him on track to grow and develop normally, and be able to walk and keep up with his peers. Let’s give this young boy the chance to walk normally and develop into a healthy child!