Carolyne is a woman from Kenya. She is the sixth of nine children. She works as a small-scale farmer. In late January, Carolyne was in a road traffic accident and suffered injuries on the right side of her body. She has been diagnosed with an intra-articular distal radius fracture. She can't lift or stretch her hand. Fortunately, Carolyne is scheduled to undergo fracture repair surgery on February 1. The procedure will cost $763.

Bikolimana is a student from Tanzania. He is the fifth born child in a family of seven children. Bikolimana’s parents are both subsistence farmers. Bikolimana has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Bikolimana traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 31. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Bikolimana's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Bikolimana says, “I wish to be able to walk to school without difficulty and be able to play.”

Pang is a rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one son. She likes to watch TV and listen to the radio. Three years ago, Pang had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Pang experiences tinnitus, vertigo, ear discharge, and hearing loss. She cannot hear well. Pang traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On November 12, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She says, "I hope my ear doesn't hurt anymore and I can hear clearly after the operation."

Pya is a 57-year-old man who lives in Karen State, Burma with his wife, daughter, and grandson. Pya’s family owns land on which they grow rice. In March 2017, Pya started feeling pain in his lower abdomen, but he did not seek any medical care. Shortly after this pain developed, it forced him to stop working. Pya used to take herbal medicines for his symptoms. However, they were not very effective, and his condition deteriorated. He could not manage the pain, so he traveled to a clinic, where a medic examined him and performed an ultrasound. He was then referred to Mae Sot Hospital, our medical partner's care center, for further testing. Over three visits, he received an x-ray and blood and urine tests and was diagnosed with bladder stones. Pya was then scheduled for surgery on October 24. In addition to his pain, Pya’s condition has affected numerous other aspects of his life. Because he has had to stop working, his family has been struggling financially. Fortunately, we can help by raising $1,500 to pay for his surgery. Pya says, “I want to be able to work on my own farm again. I want my family to be able to eat well and have meat again.”

Rebcca is a girl from Ethiopia. She lives with her mother and two younger twin siblings. Unfortunately, her father passed away from cancer eight months ago. Her mother teaches in a private school and is having difficulty supporting the family. Rebcca has been experiencing chronic abdominal pain and discomfort. A CT scan showed she has a Wilms tumor, a type of cancer that starts in the kidneys. Rebcca has already undergone surgery, and the tumor resection was successful. She will also need chemotherapy. Now, Rebcca needs to undergo another surgery, an abdominal resection, to treat her condition. Surgery is scheduled for August 28 and will cost $1,500. Rebcca's mother says, "We moved from the city to countryside. Now I am a teacher and I am raising my children on my monthly salary alone. We are financially struggling."

Saw Htee is 45-year-old husband and father from Burma. He is a semi-subsistence farmer, who sells his crop of beans once a year for income. On August 26, 2018, Saw Htee and two of his son-in-laws were cutting wood in the jungle. All of a sudden, a thigh-sized tree, which Saw Kleet was cutting, fell on him. Trying to dodge the tree, his right leg slid between two rocks, and he fractured his lower right leg. Currently, Saw Htee has pain in his lower right leg and back. He cannot sit down or move. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Saw Htee will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for August 27 and will cost $1,500. As the main breadwinner for his family, Saw Htee will return to work on their farm. "I feel very worried now," says Saw Htee's wife. "Now I don’t have anyone to look after our bean farm. However, I'm a bit relieved that your organization is providing support for his treatment."

Abraham is a 13-year-old boy and the third child in a family of seven children. He is in fifth grade, and he loves science and mathematics. He wants to become a pilot when he grows up. Abraham was born with malformations of his right foot and leg. He cannot walk comfortably. His father heard about our medical partner's care center and decided to bring his son there. Now, Abraham is scheduled to undergo an amputation, after which he will be fitted with a prosthesis to help him walk. Treatment is scheduled for July 12 and will cost $1,035. His parents are subsistence farmers and need help raising this money. Abraham says, “I believe this treatment will help me by making my movements easy, I will be able to go to school and the doctor is telling me that the prosthesis will enable me to walk normal. Please help me get this treatment.”

Catherina is a grandmother from Kenya. She lives with her daughter and her three grandchildren. Recently, Catherina lost her balance and fell, sustaining an injury in her right hand. Later, Catherina’s hand started swelling. She was diagnosed with a proximal spiral humerus fracture. Catherina is in a lot of pain, and she cannot lift or move her hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 24, Catherina will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. Catherina will no longer be in pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. “I am having sleepless nights, I hope I will receive my treatment soon," says Catherina.

Sarah is a toddler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and older brothers in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. She likes playing with her cousins and her neighborhood friends. Sarah has a cardiac condition called pulmonary atresia. She was born with one of the four valves of the heart missing. Sometimes a surgery can be done to correct this condition, but the only way to know this is by doing a cardiac catheterization. To determine if Sarah's condition is operable, she must undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that is not available in Haiti. During the procedure, a catheter probe will be inserted into her heart to perform the necessary measurements and tests. On May 24, she will travel to the Dominican Republic to receive the scan at our medical partner's care center, Clinica Corominas. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Sarah's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. Her mother says, "Our family is hoping and praying for good news from this test!"

Fred is a farmer from Malawi. He lives with his wife, and they have three grown children, who help run the family farm. To help supplement the family income, Fred raises chickens. In his free time, he likes to sit and talk with his wife. Since November 2017, Fred has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Fred's surgery. On March 13, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Fred and his family were thrilled to find out his surgery would be funded, and he is looking forward to going back to his normal activities pain-free He says, "Thank you Watsi."

Phyo is a 21-year-old day laborer from Thailand. He lives with his wife and works on the sugar cane plantations harvesting cane. On February 13, Phyo was on the way to the market in a tractor-drawn cart. His hat blew off in the wind, and he jumped down from the tractor to pick it up. The driver of the tractor did not know he had gotten off, and the tractor drove over his lower right leg. Both his tibia and fibula were fractured. Phyo is in a lot of pain and cannot walk. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Phyo will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for February 13 and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Phyo will be able to walk and return to his job again. Phyo says, “Once I am better, I will be able to continue working so I can save money for our future.”

Aye is a 30-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband, and they work together in the same electricity factory. With her salary, she supports her parents, who live in Burma. For four months, Aye has been experiencing back pain and lower abdominal pain. She visited Mae Tao Clinic, our medical partner's care center, and had an ultrasound. She has been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. She has been advised to undergo an oophorectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her ovaries. Fortunately, Aye is scheduled to undergo her oophorectomy on January 16. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $913 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Aye says, “I feel stressed because of my condition. I worry that I will not be able to work and get my full salary. If I don’t get my full salary, I cannot send money to my parents and they will not be able to survive."