Nay Myo is a nine-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and has one older brother. Nay Myo's parents work as day laborers. They cut grasses, plant vegetation, and collect bamboo shoots. When Nay Myo was three months old, he fell very sick. He was subsequently diagnosed with thalassemia, a blood disorder characterized by an abnormal oxygen-carrying protein. Symptoms of this condition include fatigue, anemia, and trouble breathing. In order to treat these symptoms, Nay Myo has to receive oral medications and blood transfusions on a regular basis. Thalassemia has also caused Nay Myo's spleen to enlarge. After examination, his doctors decided to remove the spleen before other medical complications arise. On January 18, Nay Myo will undergo a splenectomy. Our medical partner is asking for $1,500 to fund the surgery. Nay Myo's mother is inspired by the caring hospital staff. She says, "I want Nay Myo to be an educated person and work like the staff."

Eduardo is a 13-year-old boy from Guatemala. He lives with his parents and nine siblings. He loves playing with his brothers and sisters and enjoys listening to music. Eduardo was born with microcephaly, a condition in which the brain develops unusually small and causes various developmental abnormalities. As a result, Eduardo experiences seizures that prevent him from being able to walk on his own. When he was younger, his family carried him on their backs to go to medical appointments. However, now that he is older and bigger, they are unable to carry him. Through our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), Eduardo will receive a wheelchair on February 28. WK is asking for $1,034 to cover the cost of the wheelchair. This wheelchair will make the world accessible for Eduardo.

Four-year-old Cecilia lives with her parents in Tanzania. Open cooking fires are common in Tanzania, and Cecilia’s home is no different. When she was seven months old, Cecilia crawled to the cooking fire and pulled a pot of boiling tea onto herself, burning herself badly. Her parents sought treatment at the district hospital. After the treatment, however, the ring and middle fingers of her left hand had fused, and she had a scar. One day, Cecilia's father noticed a car from our medical partner, Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT). He asked the drivers about CCBRT, and they referred him to the organization's disability hospital. At CCBRT, a surgeon examined Cecilia and said something could be done to correct her fingers and remove the scar. However, her father, a mason, cannot afford to pay for Cecilia’s treatment. Cecilia is scheduled to undergo surgery to release the contractures on her hand on March 1. Her family needs help raising $1,036 to pay for the operation, as well as one month of hospital care after surgery, food, medicine, medical supplies, and dressing changes. Cecilia’s father is optimistic that, after treatment, she will be able to attend and succeed in school. He hopes she will pursue her education to the highest level, enabling her to live a good life.

Aye Than is a 45-year-old Burmese woman. She lives with her mother and siblings in a village close to the Thai-Burma border. At the age of 40, Aye Than started experiencing frequent headaches and a stiff neck. For five years, she treated her symptoms with medication from a local pharmacy. Recently, Aye Than was picking up a bucket of rainwater when she started to feel dizzy and could no longer stand. She sat down to rest, but she found she could no longer open her left eye. After several visits to different hospitals, she was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Through BCMF, Aye Than was transferred to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. She underwent several diagnostic tests, including two CT scans––[one](https://watsi.org/profile/17128140c65d-aye-than) of which was funded by Watsi donors. The results of her tests showed an arteriovenous malformation with a proximal flow-related aneurysm and a fistula. In simpler terms, there was an aneurysm in Aye Than's brain. With this finding, her doctor performed an embolisation procedure on December 14. During this procedure, blood vessels were selectively blocked to treat her condition. Now, BCMF is requesting $1,500 in funding. “I am looking forward to getting better, so I can continue to work with my mother and resume my Buddhist practices: meditation, going to the monastery on full moon days, and maintaining the alter in my home," says Aye Than. She continues, "Without the donors, there was no chance for me to be treated properly. Thank you very much for your help."

Meet Caleb, a two-year-old boy who lives with his parents and elder sibling in a single roomed house in Central Kenya. Caleb’s father works odd jobs, and his mother spends her days caring for Caleb and his sister. The couple’s unsteady income has made it difficult for them to financially support their son through his medical complications. Caleb was born without an anus, making it impossible for him to pass stool. Despite their financial straits, Caleb’s parents made sure that “right after birth he got a colostomy,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). A colostomy is a procedure during which an incision is made in the abdomen and the intestine or colon is routed to that opening, allowing the patient to relieve him or herself. However, colostomies are typically only temporary fixes for patients with Caleb’s condition. In order to achieve a more permanent means of passing stool, Caleb must undergo a procedure known as an anorectoplasty, or “pull-through” surgery. This operation will separate the urinary tract from the rectum, and create a new opening called a stoma, through which Caleb will be able to pass stool. AMHF reports that Caleb has already developed “inflammation around his colostomy site and is at a high risk of getting infections.” Thus, he needs this next surgery as soon as possible. Caleb’s parents have managed to raise $215 for their son’s operation, but need our help; their seven-year-old daughter recently fell and burned herself, so much of their money has gone towards her treatment. With an additional $1,260 Caleb will undergo his crucial “pull-through” operation, after which “he will be able to relieve himself normally and escape the risk of infection to which the colostomy site is prone,” explains AMHF. “We have only been able to raise a small amount of money, but without the whole amount, Caleb can't get treated. Please help make this treatment possible,” shares Caleb’s mother.

“Zuly absolutely loves beans, and her favorite fruit is red apples,” says our medical partner in Guatemala, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). Zuly is a very playful and curious eight-year-old. She loves to listen to music and dance, and she enjoys playing and running around. “She likes to pretend she is a chef and cook ‘meals’ for her family,” says WK. Zuly has a developmental delay that prevents her from communicating effectively and performing to her full potential in school. She did not talk at all until she was five-and-a-half, and still she only knows a few words. “During the last school year, she had a lot of difficulty learning the letters of the alphabet and talking and did not pass her grade,” states WK. “Zuly is very caring and loves to give hugs, but it takes her a lot of effort to express herself using words.” In order to improve her linguistic skills, Zuly needs speech therapy, which costs $386. This will help her develop the communication skills necessary to pass school and express herself to others. “Being able to express herself will also allow her to make new friends,” says WK, “Something she has had a lot of trouble with in the past.” “We dream that she will talk, use words to express herself and be successful in school,” her parents share. “We are so glad that she has the opportunity to receive therapy.”