Ezekiel is a 7-month-old baby from Tanzania. His parents are both subsistence farmers and they keep a few goats. They depend on their small harvests to meet their day-to-day basic needs. Ezekiel was born at a hospital, a healthy happy baby, but when Ezekiel reached one month old he started crying most nights, was taken to a local near by hospital and was immediately referred to a regional referral hospital where this stayed for three weeks on antibiotics and seizure control medications. Their family was then referred to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center ALMC for further neurological consultation. At ALMC they were told that Ezekiel has a brain abscess that needs draining immediately, but Ezekiel’s parents could not afford surgery. They had already sold their land as they were being moved from hospital to hospital and on medication and tests done to diagnose him. Watsi's partner ALMC-The Plaster House paid for Ezekiel’s first emergency surgery and he healed well and was discharged home. A few weeks later Ezekiel started crying a lot, vomiting and experiencing seizures. Ezekiel’s mother rushed him to a near by local dispensary where they were told he needed to be seen by specialist doctors for further investigations. She brought him back to ALMC and he was diagnosed with acquired hydrocephalus, which is a result of inflammation of the ventricles in the brain secondary to the infection he had. This caused him to have obstructive hydrocephalus. Through Watsi donors support, he was able to have hydrocephalus surgery of ETV, which helped save him from having headaches, vomiting, and seizures that could have resulted in death. His earlier treatment relieved the built up pressure on Ezekiel’s brain and prevented further brain damage. But now the ETV surgery need to be supplemented. He was rushed to hospital and has been schedule to have a VPS shunt insertion. Ezekiel has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. Without treatment, Ezekiel will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $765 to cover the cost of surgery for Ezekiel that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 26th and will drain the excess fluid from Ezekiel's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Ezekiel will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Ezekiel’s mother says, “All I wish is to see my son well and not going through all this suffering and pain he is going through. Please help my son.”

Tin is a 20-year-old from Burma. He lives in a nunnery with his mother and aunt, who are nuns, in a village in Katha Township. Tin became a monk 13 years ago when his father passed away. His mother then became a nun. Tin left monkhood two months ago, when he became very ill. He is now unable to work, and he is looked after by his mother. However, sometimes when he feels better, he teaches Buddhist theology to boys from a nearby monastery. As his mother is a nun, she has no income except for whatever she is given during weekly alms collections. Usually she receives dried food staples such as rice in addition to money. Currently, Tin feels tried if he has to walk for a while and if he has to use stairs. Tin was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Tin is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on March 15th to correct the condition and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Tin's procedure and care. Tin said, “Sometimes I have chest pain and when I have them, I have difficulty breathing.”

Darun is a 20-year-old gas station worker from Cambodia. He is the fourth child in a family of five brothers and a sister. After work, he likes to exercise, listen to classical music, play games on his phone, and help his family around the house. He also enjoys going for walks around the city with his friends. In October of 2019, Darun was treated for a fractured right leg at a local hospital after getting in a motorcycle accident. He has swelling and pain when he walks. He cannot walk without support and is unable to work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 9th, Darun will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. Surgery will fix Darun with hardware that will help his injuries heal, and allow him to walk again. "I hope that surgery will help fix my leg and I won't have any pain and can walk again," he said.

Starlex is a student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and two younger brothers in Cap Haitien, a city in northern Haiti. His father is a taxi driver. He is in the second grade and likes going to school and playing with his friends. Starlex 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. Starlex will fly to Canada to receive treatment. On April 1st, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in his heart with a patch, and remove the muscular blockage from his valve. Another organization, The Herbie Fund, is contributing $25,000 to pay for surgery. Starlex'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 Starlex's family overseas. Starlex's father shared, "My family is looking forward to the day when our son can be healthy and normal!"

Tina is a 59-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her family in a village in Myawaddy Township, Karen State. She stopped working five months ago because of her poor health and now, she looks after the household chores and takes care of her grandchildren. Both of her grandchildren go to school while her daughter works as a health worker in their village. Both Tina’s son and her son-in-law work as agricultural day labourers on different farms. In January 2019, Tina began to experience that her right eye started to hurt. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for she to see clearly. Tina was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, she could lose vision completely. Tina is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach her retina on September 20. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. After his surgery, Tina's vision will hopefully be restored, and she will resume her daily activities comfortably. She is not able to sleep well because she worries about her condition. “When I have free time, I weave bags for my grandchildren,” said Tina. “I hope that I will feel better soon so that I can go back to work and pay back my debt.”

Cynthia is a five year old sweet and talkative girl. On Tuesday evening, Cynthia came to our hospital accompanied by her mother with complaints after sustaining a fall one week ago. She sustained an injury on her left hand now she is unable to flex her elbow. On arrival, an x-Ray was done that confirmed that Cynthia has a completely displaced supracondylar fracture. Cynthia has been admitted into the pediatrics ward awaiting OREF surgery. Cynthia’s father is a shopkeeper and her mother is a housewife. Her father earns an average of $52 in a month. Having been blessed with three children, this gross income is too little to meet the needs of his children. He is unable to raise the funds for Cynthia's surgery bill causing him alot of fear and anxiety. Doctors suggest that her fracture need to be fixed urgently to avoid healing badly.

Syndie is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three siblings on a small farm in the mountains of southern Haiti. She likes going to school and helping her parents around the farm. Syndie has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves in her heart was severely damaged due to a fever she suffered earlier in childhood, and cannot adequately pump blood through her body. Syndie will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On July 29, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will first attempt to repair the damaged valve, and if this is not possible they will implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Mitral Foundation, is contributing $6,000 to pay for surgery. Syndie's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. 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 Syndie's family overseas. She says, "I am looking forward to having more energy and better health after my surgery!"

Harrison is a baby from Tanzania. He has been diagnosed with genu varus. his legs are bowed outward. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Harrison. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 21. Treatment will hopefully restore Harrison's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Harrison’s mother says, “My son is suffering due to his legs condition but due to financial challenges we are unable to afford his treatment cost please help our son.”