Ma Kyi is a 23-year-old woman who lives in a village in Burma with her husband, grandfather, and son. She was born with a congenital heart defect that has gone undiagnosed for most of her life. When her son was 20 months old, Ma Kyi began experiencing extreme fatigue. In January, as her condition began to deteriorate, Ma Kyi and her husband left their jobs in a factory in Bangkok to return to Burma. They have been unable to work since, and Ma Kyi's husband is very concerned about his wife's health. Finally, Ma Kyi and her husband traveled for eight hours to seek treatment from our medical partner. Her husband says, "I am worried about my wife." To treat her heart condition, Ma Kyi will undergo a single valve replacement surgery on March 16. $1,500 has been requested for her surgery and hospital stay.

Andrew is a 79-year-old man from the Central Region of Malawi. He is a farmer who lives with his wife and extended family. When not working on the farm, Andrew loves to spend time with his grandchildren. For six years, Andrew has been in pain due to an enlarged prostate. The pain sometimes prevents him from working. On February 7, he will undergo a prostate removal surgery at our medical partner's hospital, Nkhoma Hospital. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $726 to fund his care. Andrew says, “I am so happy to finally get surgery.”

Netra is a seven-year-old boy living in Nepal with his parents and siblings. His father works in India, sending money to support the family back at home, while his mother grazes the cattle and cares for the children. The yield from the field provides enough food for them for about six months of the year. After falling from a tree branch, Netra sustained an open fracture in his left forearm. Since he has been unable to seek treatment, he has experienced constant pain. He has difficulty writing in school or doing other activities with his hand. Finally, he and his brother traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Bayalpata Hospital. Netra needs a surgical intervention to reset his arm in a cast, but his family cannot afford it. The total cost of his procedure is $541, which covers staff, imaging, medications, casting, and four days of inpatient care. His procedure is scheduled for February 5. Following his recovery and cast removal, Netra will be able to resume daily activities and focus on his studies in school.

Sarim is a 72-year-old vegetable seller who is married and has two sons, one daughter, and sixteen grandchildren. She likes to go to the pagoda to listen to monks pray. She also enjoys watching the news, comedy shows, and Thai dramas on TV. One year ago, Sarim developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision and burning. It became difficult for her to see things clearly, work, and go anywhere on her own. When Sarim learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three hours to seek treatment. On January 3, doctors performed a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, Sarim will be able to see clearly again. Now, she needs help to fund this $292 procedure. "I hope to see everything more clearly," says Sarim, "so that I can work easily. I want to go to the pagoda or anywhere else by myself without needing to disturb others to take me."

Neymar is a ten-month-old boy from Guatemala. He has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. This means he has little energy to grow, and his immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. He is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, Neymar began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016. Neymar loves to play with his toy cars. His favorite foods are cauliflower and broccoli. He lives with his family in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. His father works as a day laborer on a local plantation. He cannot afford his son's $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Neymar recover. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age, and his immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Neymar a chance to grow healthy and strong. "This program is going to help me be able to give my son the foods he needs," says Neymar's mother, "so he can grow and develop better."

Vinz is an eight-month-old boy from the Philippines who lives with his family in a small bamboo house. He is a happy little boy and smiles at everyone, including strangers. Vinz's father is a fisherman, and his mother sells the fish at the market. They do not make enough money to support Vinz, who has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. Vinz's malnutrition potentially threatens his life, and could also lead to heart problems and mental development issues. Fortunately, Vinz is receiving the care he needs from Watsi's medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). Vinz began ICM's $268 home-based feeding program, which provides nutrient-enriched food packs to malnourished children, on October 19. This will help Vinz regain a normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. In order to monitor Vinz's progress in the program, ICM staff and volunteers will make weekly visits to check up on him. They will also educate his parents about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening to ensure that Vinz's health can be sustained in the future. "I hope Vinz will finish his studies and get a good job," says his mother. Let's help to fund her son's care!

Kyi Soe is a 42-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Burma. Her husband works in construction building houses, and her daughter works as a factory worker in Thailand. When Kyi Soe visited her daughter in Thailand last year, she began to experience intense pain in her abdomen and lower back. Since then, Kyi Soe's symptoms have only gotten worse-- she has been having very heavy bleeding, nausea, and cannot lay down comfortably. Despite her continuing symptoms, Kyi Soe was hesitant to go to a hospital because she knew it would be very expensive. Instead she returned to Burma and visited a local clinic. After a series of tests, the midwife told her that she would need surgery to remove the mass that was in her uterus-- surgery Kyi Soe was unable to afford. So she just left with pain medication, and an expensive medical bill. Kyi Soe had to stop working since her symptoms started. Her husband's income is not enough to even meet their daily needs, so they had to take out loans to pay for her medical bills. But without proper surgery, the mass in Kyi Soe's abdomen may grow and cause further complications. After hearing about Burma Border Projects (BBP) from her daughter's friend, Kyi Soe moved in with her daughter so that she could receive surgery. For $1500, doctors will remove the mass growing in her uterus. This will relieve her pain and other symptoms. Despite the stress that Kyi Soe and her family have had addressing her condition, they are looking forward to her finally receiving proper medical treatment. When she recovers, she will be able to return to living with her daughter in Thailand, where her husband is also hoping to find a job.

Meet Miyron, a 16-month-old baby boy from Guatemala, and a patient with our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq. Miyron lives with his parents and his older sister in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Miyron is often playing outside with his toy cars, or eating vegetables, his favorite foods. Miyron is suffering from acute malnutrition--he is over three standard deviations below a normal size for his age. He has not had access to a nutritious diet, leaving him unable to gain weight and develop physically. His mother is worried because he is not growing as well as his older sister. Malnutrition has also weakened his immune system, and he has gotten frequent respiratory infections. In the long term, he could have a low IQ and increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease if he does not receive treatment. Unfortunately, his parents do not have the resources to buy their son even one piece of fruit or vegetable every day, making it impossible for him to overcome malnutrition without treatment. His parents both want the best for him, but since their only income is his father's inconsistent work as a day-laborer, they lack the resources to pay for the treatment he needs. $512 funds a multifaceted program to fight malnutrition that will give Miyron's mother the nutrition education and food supplements she needs to help her son grow and develop.This treatment will help his immune system get stronger, allowing him to use the extra calories he's ingesting to grow taller and bigger instead of burning them recovering from frequent respiratory illnesses. Let's help Miyron get back on track!

Meet Samuel, a 35-year-old father of four who lives with his wife, mother, and children in Kenya. In 2014, Samuel began experiencing migraines, blurred vision, and loss of balance. After visiting our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Samuel was diagnosed with a benign pituitary tumor. "If not treated," AMHF reports, "Samuel may continue experiencing the painful head migraines and risk having complete blindness. There is also a chance of the tumor increasing and causing further complications on Samuel’s health." The recommended treatment for this condition is an interhemispheric parietal craniotomy, where the tumor will be removed after the parietal lobe is exposed. AMHF is confident that this procedure will improve Samuel's life and shares, "Samuel’s vision shall be restored and the painful migraines will end. Chances of further tumor complications will be reduced." As a result of his condition, Samuel is no longer able to attend his work as a cart operator. And, although his wife washes clothes to help support the family, her income is not enough to cover Samuel's operation. However, with a donation of $1,205, we can help Samuel get back on his feet. Samuel tells us, “I want to get well and be able to provide for my family and support my mother.”

A six-year-old boy, Ayubu likes to skip rope and play football with the other children in his village in Tanzania. Despite his love for being active, Ayubu has been diagnosed with bilateral congenital clubfoot. He was treated as a baby, but it has since relapsed. He needs proper medical treatment to ensure he can recover permanently. "If not treated, Ayubu will be at risk of developing osteoarthiritis at a young age," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), reports. Clubfoot is a developmental disorder that results in the feet turning inwards and with very high arches. To treat his condition, Ayubu will undergo a surgical procedure called a tenotomy, which is the release of of an overly tight tendon, and will also have to wear casts to realign the foot and ankle joint. $1,160 will cover the cost of the surgical and casting procedures, along with a four-month stay in Plaster House, a home where children can recover after surgery. After treatment, "Ayubu's gait will improve and he won't be feeling pain in his ankles when walking," AMHF explains. "I hope my son will be able to walk properly so that he can walk to school with ease," Ayubu's father shares.

Phoeun is a 36-year-old construction worker from Cambodia, where he lives with his wife. When he isn’t working, he enjoys playing soccer and helping his wife on their farm. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), informs us that since Phoeun was five years of age, he has had recurring discharge from his left ear. The discharge is due to a cholesteatoma, which is a cholesterol-filled cyst that develops in the mid region of the ear. “I get ear discharge every day so I am upset. Sometimes I can't go to work because of pain in my ear,” shares Phoeun. CSC has informed us that, without treatment, this condition “causes hearing loss, pain, and tinnitus.” These complications can be eliminated with a mastoidectomy. During this procedure, portions of mastoid tissue near the ear will be removed in order to allow surgeons to remove the cyst. Treatment will cost $809, a fee that includes surgical and medical fees, meals during his stay in the hospital, and three post-surgical follow-ups. "After the operation I hope I stop having ear discharge and won't have any more ear pain,” shares Phoeun.

64-year-old Jane is a mother of two living in Kenya. “Jane and her husband are farmers and depend on their small farm produce for their basic needs,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). The couple is also supporting the younger of their two children, who attends a university. Both Jane and her spouse have recently fallen ill. “About four months ago Jane woke up with severe pain on the lower right side of the abdomen,” AMHF tells us. An ultrasound revealed that Jane has uterine fibroids, or tumors in the wall of her womb. Although uterine fibroids typically are not cancerous, Jane’s have been causing her increasingly acute pain, as well as bleeding. This combination of symptoms “has made it difficult for Jane to socialize,” AMHF shares. Furthermore, “the excessive bleeding may cause development of anemia.” Jane will need a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove her uterus and cervix. Several weeks ago, Jane’s husband underwent a procedure to address his own medical issue. Unfortunately, paying for that operation left the family without adequate funds to pay for the hysterectomy that Jane needs. $790 will fund this procedure for Jane, and will also cover the cost of her postoperative hospital stay as she recovers. “I am praying and hoping for a successful surgery. I need to be well to take care of my family, especially now that my husband is also sick,” Jane says.