Simone is a 72-year-old woman who lives with her family in Haiti. She is divorced and has three children and several grandchildren. Prior to her retirement, Simone was a local businesswoman. According to our medical partner, Project Medishare, Simone recently went to visit a doctor after feeling a mass in her right breast. “She got checked out and a tumor was found in her right breast after the lab exams,” Project Medishare explains. “The biopsy showed breast cancer and now she needs surgery to remove the tumor. Her family is not able to pay for the operation." $1,500 will fund Simone’s mastectomy and the following chemotherapy. Following treatment, her doctor anticipates she will be cancer-free. “She’d like to have the operation, get rid of the cancer, and live the rest of her life peacefully,” Project Medishare explains.

Musiimire is a 43-year-old primary school teacher who lives with her three children in Uganda. “About seven months ago, Musiimire felt severe abdominal pains but did not know the cause,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “She went to a clinic and was told that she had multiple uterine fibroids. She was told that she needed a surgery, but she did not have the money.” Fibroids are tumors that grow within the muscle tissue of the uterus. They can be very small (invisible to the naked eye) or very large (melon-sized) and can present as a single mass or a cluster of several masses. Some women who have fibroids have no symptoms, but others experience heavy periods, abdominal pain, or constipation. AMHF reports, “Musiimire feels severe pain in the lower abdomen. Her menstrual days have become irregular and she has heavy bleeding. If not treated, Musiimire will continue experiencing pain and she will at risk of developing anemia.” Doctors recommended that Musiimire undergo surgery—a total abdominal hysterectomy—to remove her uterus and cervix. Musiimire’s income from teaching barely pays for her family’s basic needs, and her parents are unable to help her pay for the surgery that she needs. $165 pays for Musiimire’s surgery, medicine, and a four-day hospital stay. AMHF says, “After the surgery, Musiimire will have relief from pain and no longer be at risk of developing anemia.” “I hope for a better life and to be able take care of my children because I have lived with pain for very long,” shares Musiimire.

“Once I am well, I hope to open a hardware shop near our home to improve our economic situation,” says 40-year-old Mary, who lives in Kenya with her husband and two children. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Mary has cancer on her left breast. “Mary has a two-year history of breast mass which has been hardening over time,” AMHF explains. “She experiences intermittent periods of pain on her breast. If not treated, the cancer may advance to other parts of her body and become fatal.” “Mary’s personal journey has been remarkably sad,” AMHF shares. “After being displaced during the Kenyan post-election clashes of 2007-2008 and having all of her family’s belongings torches, Mary began afresh. Her husband founded a church while she began working as a postage clerk. Because of her breast cancer, Mary has sometimes not gone to work because of the pain.” Despite the many advances for Mary’s family, she told AMHF that, “we are yet to be stable after the displacement, our house is incomplete and what we make is barely enough for sustenance.” $740 will cover the cost of Mary’s mastectomy and chemotherapy to treat her breast cancer. “We hope that after a left mastectomy is performed, the spreading of the potentially fatal cancer may be halted,” AMHF says. “Mary will be able to fully participate in working for her family and raising her children.”

Meet Adrienne, a 78-year-old mother and grandmother who lives with her sister in Haiti. According to our medical partner, Project Medishare, Adrienne worked as a business woman prior to her retirement, “traveling to the countryside to buy products cheaply and then selling them in the city for a profit. She has one son and several grandchildren.” “Adrienne found a small tumor in her right breast a year ago,” Project Medishare explains. “She had no pain and came to the hospital only after her nephew, who works there as an EMT, suggested she get checked out. She had a suspicious breast ultrasound and the biopsy showed breast cancer and now she needs surgery to remove the tumor. This will be her first operation ever in her life.” Adrienne’s mastectomy, which will remove the tumor, costs $1,500. This amount will also fund her stay in the hospital and the following chemotherapy. “She’d like to have the operation to get the cancer out of her body and live peacefully with her family,” says Project Medishare.

Erla is a 48-year-old woman from Haiti. In 2013, she felt a small pain in her right breast. Over time, the mass grew and Erla began to notice unusual secretions from her breast. “She decided to see a doctor in a neighborhood outside of Port-au-Prince,” says our medical partner, Project Medishare. “She could not unfortunately meet the doctor because there were too many people waiting. She stayed home all those two long years with pain until she heard a radio announcement about a hospital which has special services for people with breast masses.” “She decided to come and get diagnosed by having some lab tests done,” her doctor continues. “The result revealed that she had breast cancer. She spent six months following the process with a chemotherapy and now the time has come for her to be operated on to remove her cancer.” Erla needs a mastectomy to remove her breast, which will cost $849. She has very little money, especially since her husband passed away after the earthquake in Haiti. “She used to have a small business selling items of different sorts,” her doctor says. “Now, because of her sickness, she practically can’t do anything anymore. She is supported by her elder son who doesn’t have much money and can’t pay for the treatment.” “She wishes God to make the operation successful,” her doctor adds. “She hopes that you can help her take this important step in her treatment. Hopefully, she will be able to restart her small business.”

Kattie is a 27-year-old mother from Haiti who currently lives with breast cancer. “Kattie’s pain makes it hard to carry her baby with her right arm, “ shares our medical partner, Project Medishare (PM). “The skin around her breast has also broken open, causing fluids to leak through her bra and shirt.” PM continues, “Kattie is a young mother, whose parents both passed when she was young. However, she has a supportive sister, who will travel with Kattie to the Dominican Republic (DR) for her radiation. Kattie is quiet, strong, and resolute; she hasn't worked since becoming pregnant, but she hopes to go back to school when she is better.” Kattie will need to spend two to four weeks at a hospital in the DR before returning to Haiti for chemotherapy. For $1500 we can fund her travel, hospital stay, and treatment. “It is still possible for her to be cured," her doctor shares. "Kattie will continue taking care of her baby and hopes to eventually go back to school.”

Meet Petna, a quiet, four-year-old girl from Tanzania. “Petna is the second born in a family of three children. She used to be very active and enjoyed playing hide and seek,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). However, due to a lumbar spine tumor on her lower back, Petna has not been able to play or sleep on her back for some time. According to AMHF, last year Petna's mother "noticed a small swelling on her daughter’s lower back.” This swelling continued to grow until this September, when Petna was taken to a local hospital and underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Unfortunately, the tumor was not completely removed "and the swelling is back to a big size and it is also infected,” reports AMHF. If not properly treated, Petna will continue to be in pain and face the risk of the swelling bursting, which can cause even more serious complications. Petna’s parents are young and rely on livestock keeping for income. It is difficult for them to come up with $920 for Petna’s operation. With help from Watsi’s donors, however, Petna can receive another operation to properly remove her tumor. She will no longer experience pain or face or other complications down the line. “I feel sorry for my granddaughter because she is in pain all the time,” says Petna’s grandmother. “I long to see her happy again, actively playing with other children.”

Tumusiime is a 49-year-old teacher who lives alone in her small rental home in Uganda. She came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), seeking treatment for multiple uterine fibroids. Fibroids are tumors that grow within the muscle tissue of the uterus. An estimated 80 percent of women have them in their lifetime. They can be very small (invisible to the naked eye) or very large (melon-sized) and can present as a single mass or a cluster of several masses. Some women who have fibroids have no symptoms, but others experience heavy periods, abdominal pain, or constipation. AMHF tells us, “Tumusiime has continuous bleeding and severe abdominal pain.” Doctors recommended that Tumusiime undergo surgery—a total abdominal hysterectomy—to remove her uterus and cervix. Tumusiime does not earn enough money as a teacher to pay for the surgery that she needs. $165 pays for Tumusiime’s surgery, medicine, and a four-day hospital stay. AMHF says, “We expect that after the surgery, Tumusiime’s pain and the bleeding will stop." “I can’t wait to be free from this severe pain and be happy,” says Tumusiime.