Ort is a rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one son and two daughters. She enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. Two years ago, Ort developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ort learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for six hours seeking treatment. On March 5, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. Her son says, "My mom cannot go outside alone, she needs someone to help her get around. She is looking forward to having restored sight and living an independent life again after surgery."

Muon is a 58-year-old cook from Cambodia. She is married and has five children and seven grandchildren. She enjoys watching TV dramas and going to church to learn and listen to the pastor. About 20 years ago, Muon developed a painful growth called a pterygium in each eye, impairing her vision. Not being able to see things clearly makes doing any type of work difficult, and Muon worries about going blind. "I hope to feel more comfortable because I want to continue my work at the church and I want to be able to go anywhere by myself," says Muon. Muon and her daughter traveled for one hour to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. On January 12, eye surgeons from CSC will remove the pterygium from each of Muon's eyes, allowing her to see clearly again! CSC is requesting $148 to fund this procedure.

Gabriel is a three-week-old boy from Kenya. He is the only child of his young parents, both of whom are farmers. Gabriel was born with a large head size compared to his body, a condition determined to be hydrocephalus. This has caused excessive buildup of cerebral spinal fluid and has the potential for severe brain damage. Gabriel’s head has continued growing in size, leaving him irritable and uncomfortable. Both his parents have no external source of income and are unable to provide the funds for his treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to fund Gabriel's care. On January 19, he will undergo a shunt insertion surgery to drain the fluid from his brain. His parents are grateful to have found our medical partner and hope that their son can enjoy a happy start to his young life. "I am glad to have found a place where Gabriel can be treated," says his mother.

Nkhamanga is a 60-year-old maize farmer. He and his wife live in a small village in rural Malawi, and they have seven children and thirteen grandchildren One year ago, Nkhamanga began to develop difficulty urinating. His condition worsened over time, to the point that he now has to be catheterized to go to the restroom. This severely impairs his ability to farm and provide for his family. Upon arrival at our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, Nkhamanga was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as an enlarged prostate. Nkhamanga is scheduled to receive treatment on January 19. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $726 to cover the cost of the operation and post-op care. After surgery, Nkhamanga is expected to make a full recovery and return to daily life without the discomfort he has been experiencing this last year. "I needed this surgery very much," Nkhamanga says. "This is a bad problem. Now, I will be fine!"

Wai Wai is a 48-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her mother and younger sister. They own a small shop, in which they sell goods made from bamboo. Eight years ago, Wai Wai started to experience pain in her joints. She was diagnosed with rheumatic arthritis. She visited a clinic, where she received injections for the arthritis. After a year of receiving injections, her pain subsided. Wai Wai did not experience any health problems until March, when she began to cough and have difficulty breathing. She grew tired easily, and her joint pain returned. She experienced strong heart palpitations, which sometimes prevented her from sleeping. In May, Wai Wai visited a hospital and underwent a diagnostic echocardiogram. She was diagnosed with mitral valve stenosis, a narrowing of the heart's mitral valve. Inflammatory diseases, such as Wai Wai's rheumatic arthritis, can affect the connective tissues of the body, particularly those in the heart. Her doctor recommended surgery, but she she could not afford treatment. She tried using traditional medicines, but her symptoms did not improve. Fortunately, Wai Wai was referred to our medical partner. She is now scheduled to undergo a mitral valve replacement on December 23. Wai Wai hopes to get well soon. She plans to help her sister with their business, and resume her religious activities, including meditation and teaching children about Buddhism. “I’m very happy now," says Wai Wai.

Mackendy is a 2-year-old boy who was born with several holes in his heart, including a patent ductus arteriosus, an atrial septal defect, and a ventricular septal defect. The net effect of these holes is to allow oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix in his heart without passing through the lungs, leaving him sickly and weak. Mackendy was also born with other developmental disabilities. Because of the complexity of his condition, Mackendy required a cardiac catheterization to better understand the size, location, and nature of the holes in his heart. Now that this has been completed, he can move on to have open-heart surgery to close these defects. Mackendy lives in Port-au-Prince with his mother and father and one older brother. His father is a driver for a package delivery company, and his mother works part-time in the market. Mackendy is very attached to both of his parents, and enjoys playing with his brother. "We are glad that Mackendy can have surgery, and are praying to God that everything will go well for him," his father said.

Faliot is a 75-year-old retired civil servant, where he worked primarily administrative jobs. He lives in Malawi with his wife of 32 years, and they have nine children; five of which are still in school. Being retired, it is difficult for Faliot to provide for all of his children and his wife. Faliot began experiencing symptoms related to his enlarged prostate since last year. He wakes up multiple times in the middle of the night to use the restroom, and experiences frequent pain and discomfort. Although he cannot afford the cost of surgery himself, Faliot is excited to have a prostate resection to relieve his symptoms. After the surgery, Faliot is expected to make a full recovery.

Than Dar is a 27-year-old woman who lives in Burma with her parents, her eight-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, and her two sisters. She enjoys listening to music in her free time. Than Dar has been healthy her entire life. However, a month ago she began experiencing abdominal pain and excessive bleeding that prompted her to visit several clinics. Than Dar received a blood test and ultrasound, which she paid for herself, and these exams revealed a uterine mass. After her examinations in April, Than Dar was referred for further care, where another ultrasound confirmed previous reports of the presence of a mass close to the ovary. As a result of her mass, Than Dar is experiencing pain in her lower abdomen and back, tenderness upon pressing the area, and excessive bleeding. She hasn't been able to work for a month but she can help her mother with light household chores. Than Dar is scheduled for surgery to remove her mass, but she requires financial assistance to cover the $1,500 procedure that will eliminate her pain and rid her of future risks associated with the growth. She has been living and working as a shop vendor in Thailand for the past two years. Her work enables her to send money home to support her children and other family members. The family's total income is sufficient for their day-to-day needs and they can pay for minor medical expenses; however, they are unable to put any money away for savings. Than Dar hopes to get back to work to support her children after her surgery. "I want my children to go to school and become educated," she says. "I only completed third grade and I want them to do better. Whatever they decide to do with their lives is fine, as I only want them to be happy with their lives."

“My only wish is to get well, and be free from the pain,'' shares Lucy. Lucy is a 50-year-old woman from Kenya, where she lives with her husband. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), she works as an early childhood development teacher, while her husband does construction. In December 2015, Lucy was diagnosed with uterine fibroids, non-cancerous growths on the walls of the uterus. AMHF tells us, “Lucy experiences lower abdominal pain. Due to the persistent pain, she is not able to attend to her work consistently.” Without treatment, Lucy risks developing anemia, due to the constant bleeding caused by the fibroids, in addition to worsening pain. Lucy requires a hysterectomy, a surgical removal of the uterus. The procedure will cost $800, which covers all surgical and medical expenses, pain management, four days to in the hospital, and meals during her stay. Lucy is contributing an additional $52 for her treatment. This procedure is effective in eliminating fibroids and preventing recurrence. After surgery, Lucy will be free from pain, and will be able to return to her job.

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.

Eh Htoo is a 17-year-old girl living on the border of Burma and Thailand with her sister’s family. Her sister and her husband have two children; a 3-year-old girl and 4-month old-boy. Her sister works as a teacher and her sister’s husband works as a social worker in a clinic. Their combined income every month is just enough to cover their living expenses. Eh Htoo's mother and father are living in Burma and work as farmers. Eh Htoo's sister says that the life in Burma was challenging. It was hard to find a job and the salary was not enough to feed the whole family, so she decided to move to Thailand. Eh Htoo is studying 9th grade in school. In her free time she likes to read the Bible, listen to music, and watch movies. Eh Htoo has a congenital deformity on her left foot. She went to a screening in her town with the hope of getting some medical treatment for her foot. The doctor examined her and when he was listening to her heart, he detected a cardiac problem. She was referred to Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Watsi's medical partner, who told Eh Htoo that they could not help her with her foot until she had received cardiac surgery. Eh Htoo was very sad when she heard the news about her heart condition. She was not aware of any symptoms relating to her ventricular septal defect (VSD) diagnosis. Fortunately, we can help. $1,500 will cover the cost of life-changing heart surgery for Eh Htoo. After successful cardiac surgery, Eh Htoo will be able to have her planned foot surgery. She will not have to worry about future problems associated with her VSD diagnosis. Eh Htoo is thankful for the opportunity to receive surgery. "I want to continue my studies and in the future I want to be either a teacher or a doctor," she shares.

In July 2014, 58-year-old Nhor from Cambodia was in a car accident. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Center (CSC), says that she sustained a fracture at the neck of her femur, which is located around her hip region. She was taken to a clinic, where she underwent surgery to repair the fracture. Unfortunately, the surgery was not successful. Since then, Nhor has been in pain. "I cannot walk, and it is difficult to work,” shares Nhor, who normally relies on farming to help care for her husband and children. Without treatment, Nhor’s injury may never heal properly, severely limiting her mobility. CSC can treat Nhor with a hemiarthroplasty. Hemiarthroplasty is a surgical procedure in which part of the hip joint is replaced with prosthetic parts. Nhor’s treatment will cost $392. For this amount, all of her surgical and medical expenses will be covered, and she will be able to recover in the hospital for two days. CSC expects that “after surgery, Nhor will be able to walk again without pain.” "I hope I can go home and heal after my operation. I want to walk again,” says Nhor.