Bala is a married father of three. He works as a motorcycle taxi driver, and he uses his income to take care of his family. About five years ago, Bala developed a painful and irregular swelling in his left groin region. When he visited a hospital, he could not afford to pay for treatment. Finally, he visited our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. There, he was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, meaning that part of his intestine has bulged through his abdomen. Bala requires surgery to repair the hernia and is currently scheduled to have the operation on January 18. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to cover the expenses of the procedure. After surgery, Bala hopes to start trading in secondhand clothes so that he can increase his income and continue to support his family.

49-year-old Maw has lived in a village in Burma her whole life. She lives with her husband, two daughters, one son, and three grandchildren. Five years ago, Maw began to experience uncomfortable symptoms. She visited a local hospital, where a doctor informed her that she had a bladder stone. She was prescribed medication, which worked to reduce her symptoms until she could no longer afford to buy it. Two years later, Maw’s symptoms returned. An ultrasound revealed another bladder stone, and her doctor recommended surgery. Maw returned home, knowing that she could not afford surgery. She tried to use traditional medicine, but her symptoms did not improve. By July of this year, Maw’s condition had grown severe. She was experiencing back pain, stomach aches, weight loss, and urinary dysfunction. She was referred to our medical partner’s hospital, Mae Sot Hospital, for further investigation. She underwent an X-ray, which confirmed the presence of a bladder stone. On December 13, she underwent a cystoscopy to remove the stone. Maw used to work as a day laborer, but she stopped working last year because of her condition. Her husband’s health does not allow him to work. They cannot afford this treatment, so our medical partner is requesting $1,155 in funding. "I just want to recover and live happily with my family," says Maw.

James is a 50-year-old man from Kenya. Last year, he was in a road traffic accident that left him with a broken right leg. He received first aid at a local hospital but could not afford to pay for surgery. Since then, James walked on crutches and experienced severe pain in his leg. He was unable to continue working as a stone layer. Unfortunately, James's wife and family members have passed away. He was supported by community members who learned of his condition from the community chief. Recently, the chief brought James to our medical partner's hospital. There, he underwent surgery on November 28. He needs help to fund this $1,451 procedure. James is optimistic about his future. "I hope to work again," he says, "and maybe start another family."

Denjie is a ten-month-old boy from the Philippines. He lives with his parents and six siblings. Denjie's father is a farmer, but he does not earn enough to support the family. His mother takes care of the family. Without nutritious meals, Denjie is living with moderately acute malnutrition. Denjie began $184 malnutrition treatment on October 19. Denjie is being treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. "I hope my son, Denjie, recovers fast from malnutrition and grows up with strong faith in the Lord," says Denjie's mother. She also hopes that he "finishes his studies and has a good job."

Meet Gayatri, a 12-month-old baby from Nepal. Gayatri currently lives with her parents and siblings. Her father works in the furniture factory while her mother works in the field to support the family and their essential needs. The yield from the family's field keeps them going for about six months of the year. About eight days ago, Gayatri developed an abscess on her stomach. The wound been extremely painful, and she has been experiencing additional abdominal pain. Because Gayatri is so young, she cries often. Unable to tolerate it any longer, her mother walked for four hours to see Watsi's medical partner, Possible. To address her abscess, Gayatri will undergo wound care, which consists of an incision and drainage procedure and will need to a hygienic dressing regularly. This abscess usually occurs due to bacterial infection and cannot be simply addressed with routine antibiotics. Medication and monitoring for $157 should clear up her condition in no time. Gayatri's mother says, "I cannot see her crying anymore so I hope that my baby's treatment can happen sometime soon." Let's support Gayatri and her family!

Kenley lives in far northeastern Haiti with his mother, however they have been staying in Port-au-Prince to have better access to medical care. Kenley is two years old, and has three older siblings who have all graduated from college and are working. At present, his siblings support the family, but his mother hopes to find employment once Kenley is healthier. Kenley was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a large hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood passes through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. Kenley also has Down syndrome. $1,500 in Watsi funding, and an additional $10,000 subsidy from Have a Heart Cayman Islands, will fund the life-saving heart surgery that Kenley needs to grow up healthy. "I am so glad that there is a way to fix Kenley's heart problem," his mother shared. "He can be healthier and have more energy."

Zar Win is a resourceful 27-year-old woman who lives in a small village in Burma. She attended school until fourth grade but had to drop out to help support her family. Her parents work as subsistence farmers and grow enough rice to eat. When Thu Zar was 10-years-old she developed encephalocele, a sac of neural tissue that pushes outside of her skull. This condition causes her face to swell, her vision to blur, and causes her severe pain when she looks down for more than 10-15 minutes. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, tells us, "Currently, she cannot cook or do any household chores because she cannot look down for long periods of time as the pressure is too painful. She can only feed the animals on their farm or prepare food for the family." Zar Win says, “I want to be a normal girl and, when I become healthy, I would like to start sewing again. I haven’t been able to look down at the sewing machine for a long time. I want to work hard, save money, and help my parents.” With $1,500, we can make this dream a reality by funding surgery to remove the mass from Zar Win's face.