Esther is a small-scale farmer and widow. She is a lively 81years old - still farming when she is healthy. At present she is unable to work because of her condition. She and her late husband have seven grown children, all with their own families. In the last five years, Esther has been experiencing periodic post-menopausal bleeding, often accompanied by backache and lower abdominal pain. She has been diagnosed with Endometrial Hyperplasia. Doctors recommend she undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $755 to fund Esther's surgery. On January 18th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Esther will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Esther said shyly, “I am feeling bad sharing this problem with my children. I kindly request help so that I can be treated and get well to take care of myself. I don’t want to continue burdening and disturbing them.”

Malaika lives on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in Haiti with her parents and four siblings; she is in the third grade and likes her science and reading classes. She was both with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. The surgery she needs is not available in Haiti, but fortunately for Malaika, doctors at the Clinica Corominas in the Dominican Republic will be able to perform an interventional heart catherization procedure to fix her condition. During the procedure, doctors will insert a catheter into her heart to plug the hole with a device. Now, her family needs $1,500 to help pay the costs of the procedure and travel. Another organization Gift of Life International is also contributing to her life-saving care. Malaika's mother says: "Our family is very hopeful that our daughter will be healthier and happier after her heart is fixed."

Ferdinand is a father of two from the Philippines. He has one son and one daughter. Both he and his wife both work as public school teachers. Their income is still insufficient for their needs, however and, in addition to supporting their children, part of their salary goes to their medication for diabetes and hypertension. In September, Ferdinand began to experience several troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain. He was rushed to an emergency room to be treated. The ultrasound test showed that he has gallstones. Ferdinand has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy which is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and will put him at risk of further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Ferdinand is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on December 3rd. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $826 to cover the cost of Ferdinand's surgery and care. "Because of my condition, I'm in constant pain which hinders me from doing my usual activities. I've tried to reach out for help to our local government but was unsuccessful," Ferdinand shared. "I am glad there are foundations like Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines that exist. I'm forever grateful for the help that you've given me," he added.

Edith is a house-helper for a family in Nairobi. She goes to work for two days a week and is paid Ksh 1,000.00 (8 US dollars) per day. As a widow, this is the income she relies on to support herself and her two kids who are high school teenagers aged 17 and 15 years old. For some time now, Edith has been experiencing abdominal bleeding and lower back pain. She has been diagnosed with an intrauterine myoma (fibroids). She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1260 to fund Edith's surgery. On November 3rd, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Edith will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain but she needs help to pay for this surgery. Edith says, “I started feeling weak and drained. I thought it is the long hours I work. It gradually became hard for me to endure working for a lengthy period and I could not walk for long distances. I was losing lots of blood. I was admitted to the hospital because my haemoglobin levels were so low. I need this surgery to correct these anomalies and get back to my normal life.”

Khin is a sweet and loving grandmother from Burma who helps her family manage their household. She lives with her daughter, her two sons, her two daughters-in-law, and her beautiful granddaughter. One of her daughters-in-law will give birth in the coming days, and her other daughter helps manage the household along with Khin. Both of her sons work as day laborers. Some of Khin's favorite ways to spend her time are praying and playing with her sweet six-month-old granddaughter. This past February, Khin's small toe on her left foot was amputated at our medical partner's care center, Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital (MCLH), due to a severe ulcer. In July, she developed another ulcer near where her small toe was amputated. Because of her condition, Khin is experiencing pain and swelling in her left foot. She also has little appetite and difficulty sleeping. She currently cannot put any weight on that foot, meaning she has not been able to walk. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Khin receive treatment. On July 15th, surgeons will perform a debridement, a surgery that will remove the damaged tissue from her foot, to help her walk and live free of pain. Now, Khin needs help funding this $694 procedure. Khin shares, "I want to be healthy because I am old, and I don’t want to make any problems for my family. Thank you so much to all the donors who are supporting my free treatment. I hope that my condition will heal fully after surgery. I just want to live happily with my family for the rest of my life."

Saw Hsar is a 21-year-old man who lives with his mother, stepfather, and sister in a refugee camp in Hong Son Province. He used to live with his father in Burma, but he moved back to live with his mother in 2018 and hoped to receive treatment for an eye injury. His stepfather is a homemaker, while his mother weaves traditional Karen sarongs to sell. Saw Hsar stopped studying after he graduated from grade four, when he injured his eye. Currently, he is unemployed. In 2018, Saw Hsar began to experience blurry vision, and an inability to clearly see the objects around him. While he is comfortable moving around in his home, he needs someone with him when he leaves home, as he is afraid of tripping over unseen objects in his way, given his increasing inability to see clearly. Saw Hsar was diagnosed with a detached retina, which means that his retina has pulled away from the supporting tissue in his eye. Without the proper treatment, Saw Hsar could completely lose the vision in his eye. Saw Hsar is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his retina on September 3rd, at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Saw Hsar's procedure and care. After surgery, Saw Hsar's vision will hopefully be restored, and he will be able to resume his daily activities without his current limitations. He said, “I would like to see clearly like before. In the future, I will find a job and earn a living. I want to grow rice or vegetables on a farm, save money and support my family.”

Elkana is a cheerful and friendly man from Kenya. He is the fourth born in a family of seven. He attended school up until class seven but had to end his studies due to financial constraints. He now works as a farmer and has a small piece of land on which he plants maize and potatoes, primarily to feed him and his family. To earn money, he works as a casual laborer, working on people's farms, as well as doing work such as clearing bushes and carrying loads. Until now, his wife has worked alongside him, but she has stopped working because she is currently pregnant. On July 16th, Elkana was brought to our medical partner's care center after being involved in a road traffic accident involving a lorry, or large truck, and a tractor. This accident left many people injured, including Elkana. He experienced a fracture of his left femur and is now experiencing pain. He is also unable to walk or stand. Without treatment, he will not be able to return to work and provide for his family. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 19th, Elkana will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After surgery, he will be able to use his leg again, return to work, and continue providing for his family. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Elkana shares, ”My family depends on me for their daily needs, so it is really difficult for them. Kindly help me so that I may lead a normal life once again.”

Rose is a retried woman who used to work as a junior officer at the county government in Machakos in Kenya. Her husband is also retired, and they both now spend their time farming at their ancestral home to provide food for their family. Together, they have one daughter who is currently attending secondary school. Their family does not have a stable source of income. Rose was involved in a motorbike accident two weeks ago, and she was rushed to a nearby facility. There, she was treated for pain and discharged, but she later developed a blister on her right leg which burst and worsened into a wound. After attempting to clean the wound at home with no improvement, one of Rose's relatives advised her to visit Kijabe Hospital. On June 21st, she visited the facility and underwent two debridement surgeries where they removed damaged and infected tissue in her leg. However, her wound still needs care, as well as skin graft surgery. Due to financial constraints, Rose has not been able to pay for her medical coverage since she retired. She accrued a bill that she has been unable to clear, and as a result, she cannot afford her third procedure. Rose currently experiences pain due to her injury, and she is unable to use her right leg or walk. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Rose receive treatment. On July 4th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to get rid of the infection and help her walk again. Now, Rose needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Rose shares, “I haven’t been able to walk since the accident. The leg was so swollen and infected. I am scared I might lose my leg if not treated.”

Shee is a 23-year-old woman from Burma. In 2016, Shee and her family moved to a refugee camp in Thailand. There she has been able to continue her studies. Shee graduated from the junior college and now helps her cousin-in-law weave and sell traditional Karen clothes. She shared that it has been difficult for her family to find work within the camp at this time, but she hopes to become a teacher soon. In her free time, Shee enjoys playing with her nephews. In February, Shee began to develop a mass and experience pain in her abdomen, so she visited the camp's hospital. Upon review, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and given medication. Since the mass continued to grow, Shee was referred to her our medical partner's hospital, Mae Sariang Hospital, in early April. After receiving an ultrasound, the doctors determined Shee has an ovarian cyst and needs to undergo surgery to heal. Currently, Shee experiences severe pain that makes it challenging for her to sleep, eat, or continue her weaving. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), can help Shee receive treatment. On April 20th, she will undergo surgery to remove the cyst. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund the total cost of this procedure. Shee shared, "I am not worried about my operation because I hope it will fix my health problem. I would like to become a teacher in the future because I like teaching. After I recover, I plan to apply at a school in the refugee camp."