Kylian is a baby from Haiti. He lives with his mother and father in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; his mother is a nurse and his father manages a small store. Kylian has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Kylian will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On March 11th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use a patch to close the hole in his heart, and will remove the blockage from his valve. Another organization, Akron Children's Hospital, is contributing $20,000 to help pay for surgery. Kylian's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and transport. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Kylian's family overseas. Kylian's mother shared: "I am so happy that my son has the chance to be healthy and safe."

Tom is a nine-year-old student from Cambodia. He really likes to ride his bike around the village and hopes to become a teacher when he grows up. Since he was born, Tom has had a cataract in each eye, causing him blurred and cloudy vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Tom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On February 12, doctors will perform a lensectomy surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $398 procedure. He says, "I hope that my eyes will be able to see everything more clearly now. This way I will be able to read, play with friends, and recognize people's faces."

Nancy is an 11-year-old girl from Guatemala's rural highlands. She lives with her single mother and ten other siblings, as well as with her grandparents, uncles, and aunts. Nancy is in the fifth grade, and is extremely studious and gets good grades. She also loves to play basketball. When Nancy was just six years old, she began having vision problems. Fortunately, she was able to receive glasses at a free eye clinic at that time. For a while now, however, Nancy’s glasses have not worked well for her, and she continues to struggle seeing. One month ago, Nancy was given the opportunity to attend another free eye clinic to get her vision tested. There she was diagnosed with myopia, or nearsightedness, which means she has blurred vision and difficulty seeing faraway objects. In order to fix her vision, Nancy needs new glasses fit with prescription lenses. She will seek treatment and receive her new glasses from Intituto Panamericano, a care center of our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq. Wuqu' Kawoq is seeking $552 to fund the tests and medical supplies necessary to make Nancy's glasses, as well as the actual glasses themselves. With this support, Nancy will be able to live, study, and play easier. Nancy’s mother says, “The glasses that my daughter needs will be of much benefit to her, for they will help her to better her vision, which will help her throughout the course of her life and in her studies."

Abner is a four-month-old baby boy from Guatemala's rural highlands. While his father works as a day laborer, his mother stays at home to take care of the family and sell hand-woven textiles. Abner is the fifth child in his family. Because Abner's mother cannot produce breastmilk, Abner is already malnourished. Underweight and small for his age, Abner often cries from hunger. His mother can only afford warm sugar water to soothe him, however this diet has dangerous implications for Abner’s health. Lactation failure can lead to starvation, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances that can cause seizures and compromise brain development. To help his condition, Abner requires a formal nutrition plan, which he is scheduled to receive on June 9. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is requesting $1,162 to fund formula, nutrient supplements, and health education for Abner's mother that will teach her how to provide a nutritious, inexpensive diet for her son and monitor Abner's health. With this treatment, Abner’s immune system will strengthen, and he will grow up to be a healthy, energetic baby.

Ephy is a sweet 17-year-old girl from Kenya. She lost her parents at a young age and has been raised at a children's home. Ephy is an avid student in high school. Ephy has been diagnosed with perforations in both ear drums, leaving her susceptible to total hearing loss. To prevent her from losing her hearing, doctors at our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, have recommended her for surgery. On August 16, Ephy will undergo surgery to correct her hearing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is asking for $591 to cover the cost of her treatment. After surgery, Ephy is looking forward to succeeding in school!

Julia is a jovial ten-year-old girl who lives in rural Guatemala with her family. Her mother is a single parent and supports Julia and her three sisters by working in Guatemala's capital. Although her job provides a steady income, it forces her to live apart from her children. While Julia's mother is in the city, Julia and her sisters live with their grandparents. Julia is in third grade and does well in school. She likes to run and loves to play soccer, but she has been experiencing trouble breathing, which makes it difficult for her to participate in physical activity. Julia and her aunt recently traveled to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), complaining of a dry cough that makes it difficult for Julia to breathe. WK diagnosed Julia with asthma. Asthma is a chronic condition in which one's airways narrow, swell, and produce extra mucus, making it difficult to breathe. Already, her asthma has provoked a chronic cough and makes Julia's chest hurt when she tries to run and play. WK is requesting $422 to fund Julia's medicine and the medical attention she needs to manage her asthma. She will begin receiving her mediation on April 10. The medication will allow her to run and play without coughing. She will be able to participate fully in games at school, run without fear of being unable to breathe, and live without the constant bother of a persistent cough. Julia's grandparents say, "We feel sad because she is sick and we would like to help her with everything, but we don't have money. We ask God to help us keep moving forward, and at the same time for you all to have compassion on us and help with our little girl's treatment."

Maria is a 50-year-old woman from Guatemala. She has had diabetes for eight years, but she only began treatment five years ago. Her diabetes has advanced, and she has been experiencing blurry vision and dizziness, which prevent her from working. She needs insulin to manage her blood sugar and prevent serious complications, such as kidney failure, high blood pressure, and cataracts. Fortunately, she began treatment on November 28. Maria is a single mother to two sons. She lives with them in an adobe house with a tin roof, and she supports her family by selling fruits and vegetables in a large market. Maria leaves for the market at 4 am every day, and she often stays until dark. Despite her hard work, she cannot afford this $1,500 treatment. This treatment will protect Maria from the effects of uncontrolled diabetes. She will receive the insulin, blood pressure medications, and education she needs to adequately manage her diabetes for years to come. Once her glucose levels normalize, she will no longer be at risk of dangerous blood sugar highs. She will have renewed energy to return to work, and her quality of life will improve.

Jonatan is suffering from chronic malnutrition—a condition caused by the fact that his parents have had trouble affording foods rich in calories, protein, and nutrients. This has made his growth stunted—he is only the size of a healthy 9-month-old despite being 19 months old, and is behind in his motor and cognitive development. To make sure he has healthy development and growth during this delicate time, he needs treatment to help him overcome malnutrition. Jonatan lives with his mother and older sister in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. His mother says that he is always playing with his toy car! Even though Jonatan’s favorite food is chicken, his mother often can't afford to give him nutritious foods like that—his mother is raising him alone and works as a tailor, making only a couple dollars per day, which has to support the whole family. Jonatan was enrolled on October 11 to a program where he will be provided with growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Jonatan recover from malnutrition. This will save his life now and putting him on track to live a better life in the future. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. His mother will receive the support she need to feel empowered to give Jonatan the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Jonatan the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place. His mother said, "I am very motivated and I will do my part so that I can see my son healthy. I dream that one day in the future he will be a doctor."

Maria was born one month ago weighing 5.4 pounds, and she has not gained any weight since birth. Maria's mother cannot produce breastmilk, so Maria is small and malnourished. She often cries from hunger, and her mother uses the only substance she can afford––warm sugar water––to soothe her. This limited diet is insufficient and has dangerous implications for Maria’s health. Lactation failure can lead to starvation and dehydration. It can also provoke electrolyte imbalances that cause seizures. Brain development is compromised, so Maria is at risk of long-term damage. Fortunately, on November 3, 2016, Maria began a treatment program with Watsi's medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq. Lactation failure, while dangerous, is easy to treat. By supplying Maria with formula and her mother with health education, Maria will receive the calories she needs to grow and thrive. One-on-one education with Maria’s mother will teach her how to provide a nutritious, inexpensive diet for her daughter. She will also learn to check for signs of malnutrition and other illness. Maria’s immune system will strengthen, and she will grow up to be a healthy, energetic baby. Maria is the fifth child in her family. Her mother takes of the household, and her brothers look after her. Unfortunately, her family’s limited income puts treatment for Maria outside of their reach. The family needs help to fund this $1,107 intervention. “I am very worried," says Maria's mother, "because when I brought her to the public health center, they told me my daughter was not growing well...We don’t have the resources necessary to be able to buy her milk, and I feel sad because I don’t want to watch my daughter get sick. I want to watch her grow healthy. With your help, I trust that my daughter will get better...I hope that when she is grown she will be a teacher.”

Marcos is a 28-year-old man from a village in Guatemala who is focused on gaining an education. After he graduated high school, he went on to college to study architecture. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK) shares that Marcos has had to stop pursuing his bachelor's degree due to a recent diagnosis of colon cancer. Following this news, "his family pulled all of the money to afford treatment. They sacrificed their savings and any other money they could spare, and Marcos started chemotherapy," WK explains. Despite their pooled resources, their money ran out after a couple of months of treatment. "He is extremely smart and driven," WK continues, "and his dream before he was diagnosed was to study as hard as he could to get a good job and be able to support his parents." Marcos hopes that receiving necessary treatment for his cancer gives him the chance to keep working towards that dream. "I want to live," Marcos shares. "I want to be there for my parents and my siblings. I will fight for that and do whatever it takes." $1,430 covers the cost of chemotherapy to help Marcos to continue his fight against cancer. "His family's sacrifice when they struggled to pay for his treatment and used all of their savings, will not have been for nothing," WK shares, "and Marcos will gain years to his life that he can spend finishing his studies and supporting his family."

Meet Boniface, a 6-month-old baby girl! Boniface lives in Uganda with her parents and seven siblings. Her parents, both subsistence farmers, normally grow a few crops to support their children, but this year returned a smaller harvest than usual. After a visit to our medical partner, the Kellerman Foundation, Boniface was diagnosed with malnutrition, meaning her body is absorbing fewer nutrients than it needs to be healthy. In children, this condition can lead to slower mental and physical development. As KF explains, “Boniface is six months old but the size of a newborn.” With $375, Boniface will be treated for her malnutrition. Therapeutic milk containing essential micronutrients will be gradually introduced into her diet. This is intended to be a slow process, allowing Boniface to safely adjust to the diet changes. Boniface “is young so the effect of the treatment may help avoid the severe impacts of malnutrition, such as stunting, compromised immune systems, and impaired cognitive development," KF explains. During Boniface’s 10-day stay in the hospital, she will be very closely monitored. She will also receive several lab tests to ensure the doctors are fully aware of her condition and progress. With treatment, Boniface will be able to grow healthily throughout her childhood, creating opportunities for the future. Her mother, "a happy woman who enjoys dancing and singing, is even happier because of the help offered her,” KF shares. “She didn't expect it and wants to say 'Thank you so much' to all the donors.”

Meet 75-year-old Ny from Cambodia. "Ny has had mature cataracts in both eyes for three years," Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us. "She has very blurry vision that makes it so that she can't go anywhere alone, and it is hard for her to see people's faces." "Ny has a daughter and a son, and she enjoys reading and listening to monks pray," CSC continues. "She is looking forward to going to the pagoda again when her eyes are better." And that's a very certain possibility. With $150, clinicians at CSC will be able to remove the cataracts from both of Ny's eyes. With our help, Ny will be able to see clearly once again.