Pulong is a 75-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has two sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. Now, she stays with her daughter at her home where her favorite pastime is listening to the news on the radio. Two years ago, Pulong developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Pulong learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for eight and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 3rd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. "I hope that my grandmother will be able to see more clearly so she can recognize things again and be able to go outside on her own." -Pulong's Granddaughter

Charles is a 24-year-old former student living with his mother and father in Kenya. Charles graduated from college with a degree in Information Technology in 2014. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, tells us that in June 2014, Charles’s parents were burglarized by armed robbers. Charles attempted to intervene, and both he and his mother were fired upon and seriously injured. Charles’s mother took a bullet to her hand, and has lost the ability to use it. Charles sustained a fracture in his left lower leg that has developed into a nonunion. He currently walks with crutches, and has a significant amount of pain and numbness in his left leg. His father is employed as a driver, and his mother used to sell vegetables. His older sibling is unemployed, and does little support the family. Charles has found that his injury has been preventing him from securing a job that pays enough to afford treatment. He has been reduced to a dependent of his parents. His parents have been attempting to save for treatment as well, but their household income has seen a large deficit since his mother is injured as well. His family has decided that the priority treatment should be for Charles’s nonunion fracture so that he work a higher-paid job and support the family. “I would like to get well,” Charles shares, “and be able to walk on my so I can support my mum’s treatment, too.” A nonunion fracture is a serious complication that develops if a fracture moves too much to stall or halt normal healing. In most cases, if a fracture has not been treated after six months, then orthopedic surgical intervention is necessary. Charles needs an open reduction internal fixation procedure to repair his leg. The procedure includes the insertion of steel rods, screws, or plates to keep the fracture stable during healing. After his cast is removed, Charles will undergo physical therapy to regain his strength. Charles’s family is in need of financial assistance. $1,410 will cover the cost of treatment he needs, in addition to his family's contribution of $210. Without treatment, Charles is exposed to risks of infection that may result in amputation. His leg deteriorates further the longer he is untreated. After his treatment, Charles’s pain will eventually be resolved, and he will be able to walk and work again. Let's help make it happen!

Two-year-old Luis is a previous Watsi patient who was treated for malnutrition. He's doing much better as a result of formula and supplements, but is still struggling with eating solid foods. "Our medical team thinks that he has a genetic syndrome that might be causing him to have an oral aversion, because every time he tries to eat solid food he spits it out, unable to chew," explains our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "His development has been further delayed by his lack of solid foods, and his mother cannot afford a blender to liquify his food, so he is limited in what he can eat." Luis is still failing to meet developmental milestones. He is trying to crawl, but is not yet able to, and he can only say the words "mama" and "papa." For $1,385, we can fund a comprehensive series of tests and assessments to determine the underlying cause of Luis' developmental delays, and provide him with a subsequent treatment plan. "I just want my son to walk, and to eat like a normal child," Luis' mother shared in their pre-operative appointment with Wuqu' Kawoq's health workers. Let's help make it happen!

In December 2015, Maung Shwe was walking on a dirt road when an out-of-control motorbike crashed into him and fractured his leg. He sustained several flesh wounds that healed in the subsequent weeks. He first sought treatment on the day of the incident with a traditional healer but this was ineffective. Next, he visited the local village health worker who could only provide him with injections to relieve his pain temporarily. The care provided by the health worker cost him a lot of money. Treatment at a hospital would have been too costly for him. He has never sought out treatment at a Burmese hospital but heard they are expensive. Maung Shwe’s nephew works for Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) and he encouraged his uncle to visit. In March 2016, he borrowed a mount of money from his friend for food and transportation so he and his daughter could make the trip to Mae Sot. Maung Shwe is a 62-year-old man who has always lived in a village in Karen State, Burma. He is a retired farmer and currently lives with his daughter and son-in-law. His daughter used to be a domestic worker in Bangkok and his son-in-law is a subsistence farmer. They do not generate an income, but when his family needs money, they sell their leftover rice yield or their chickens and pigs. Maung Shwe's current symptoms include pain upon movement and the inability to walk. His daughter had to quit working as a domestic worker in Bangkok in order to care for him. She assists him with tasks like helping him walk, escorting him to bathroom, and cooking for him. There are no wheelchairs in his village, so his daughter must tend to him at all times For $1,500, Maung Shwe will receive the operation he needs to treat his fracture permanently. This cost includes surgery, casting, and rehabilitation. Following surgery, Maung Shwe should no longer suffer from pain upon movement, and he should be able to walk again.

Meet Ma Hla, a 40-year-old woman who lives in Thailand. Ma Hla's husband passed away 10 years ago, and she is the primary caregiver of her four-year-old niece. Ma Hla was referred to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), for a medical condition called uterine myoma (fibroids). BBP shares that Ma Hla "first noticed her condition one year ago when she began to feel pain in her abdomen. Since that time she also experiences pain in her back and she cannot eat well or do anything active. Ma Hla has had to stop working for the past few months because of her condition." $1,500 in funding will cover Ma Hla's treatment expenses, outpatient pre- and post-surgery visits, hospitalizations, transportation, food and accommodations. "I want to work and earn money to support my niece’s future," shares Ma Hla. "I want to support my niece so that she will be able to become educated and will become a good person. I would like to go back to work after I receive treatment and am well again. I hope that I will be healthy and will be able to live with my niece for my whole life." Let's help Ma Hla get the surgery she needs!

Nak is a 42-year-old father to three young and lives with his family in Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us, “Nak has been feeling a constant burning sensation in his eye which causes him to itch it constantly, giving him a puffy face and even more red eye.” Nak has been diagnosed with pterygium—a noncancerous lesion that usually grows slowly due to too much sun exposure. The condition causes severe itchiness, swelling, and impaired vision. Due to his pteryguim, Nak is in a constant state of discomfort. He used to enjoy watching news on TV and working on his farm but is unable to do either until he receives treatment. For $150 Nak will undergo surgery to treat the pterygium. In this procedure, the pterygium is removed and the healthy part of the eye is glued or stitched onto the affected area. Following surgery, Nak will be free of the severe itching in his eye, which in turn will lead to reduced swelling and restored vision. With this treatment Nak will be back to his usual self and can once again support and care for his family.