Nehemias is a seven-month-old baby from Guatemala's rural highlands. He is just transitioning from formula to solid foods, and so far he loves to eat refried beans and watermelon. Nehemias’s father is a day laborer who harvests tomatoes and blackberries. His mother takes care of the family’s household and weaves traditional Mayan textiles. Nehemias has malnutrition, a dangerous condition that results from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. He is underweight and small for his age. In the short term, malnutrition means Nehemias has little energy to grow and that his immune system is weak. He may also face malnutrition’s long-term consequences, such as increased risk of chronic diseases, low IQ, and higher likelihood of dropping out of school. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Nehemias recover. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age, and his immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. Community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet with limited resources. Nehemias's family cannot afford treatment. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, is requesting $492. He is scheduled to begin treatment on March 13. Nehemias’s mother says, “I am thankful to the institution and the people who care for each of our families without knowing us so that our children can get better.”

Soklin is a 17-year-old girl in the twelfth grade from Cambodia. She has a younger sister, and she enjoys reading history books and watching Thai dramas. Soklin has had esotropia in her left eye since she was four months old. Esotropia is a form of strabismus that causes her eye to turn inward. For $264, Soklin will undergo a squint correction procedure that will improve her vision and confidence when going to school. Soklin says, "I hope my eye is good looking with a straight eye so that I feel better than now and not be shy with my friends, neighbors, and everyone else. I want to feel good when I study. In the future, I want to be a Pharmacist."

Sokhorm is a 36-year-old farmer who lives with his wife, two sons, and one daughter in Cambodia. He enjoys watching TV, working in the field, and listening to radio news. In April of 2014, Sokhorm was in a car accident that caused an open fracture of his left femur and knee stiffness. His wound and fracture have healed, but the knee stiffness remains. He can't bend his left leg because the muscle is scarred and contracted. Sokhorm traveled three hours with his wife to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. For $425, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricep release operation on his left thigh. Post-surgery, Sokhorm will be able to bend his leg easily again. He will not have any difficulty walking.

“Patrick likes to be alone most of the time," says Patrick's mother. "We hope once he is able to walk properly he will be more active and social." Patrick is a quiet and shy six-year-old boy from Tanzania. He likes coloring picture books and playing with cars. He is the first-born in a family of three children. Patrick was born with bilateral clubfoot, a condition where the feet are twisted inwards. As a result, Patrick had trouble walking until unusually late in life; he was crawling for so long that he now has chronic sores on his knees. Patrick now walks on the outside parts of his feet instead of on the soles, which has seriously affected his gait. Walking—let alone running, or participating in other playtime activities that children his age do—is painful and slow for him. Fortunately, there is a tried and true surgical solution for clubfoot. But Patrick’s parents cannot afford the procedure. The little money that Patrick’s parents earn as farmers is not enough to cover their daily expenses as well as the cost of corrective surgery which Patrick needs. But we can change that. For $1,160, doctors at Arusha Lutcheran Medical Centre will perform the operation that Patrick needs, correcting the abnormal connective tissues in his feet. This funding will also cover the cast, foot braces, and four-month stay at a recuperation center that will ensure Patrick recovers safely. When he’s healed from his procedure, Patrick will be able to walk normally, on the soles of his feet, for the first time in his life. This will mean a more physically comfortable life for him, and -- as his mother hopes -- a more social one.

Win Tin is a nine-year-old girl who lives in Burma with her parents and her three younger sisters. About two years ago, a benign tumor began growing on the right side of Win Tin’s jaw line. Her parents called upon a medical shaman and other local healers before seeking a prognosis at a local clinic. At the clinic, a doctor took an x-ray and suggested attempting removal of what appeared to be a mass by incision and suction. Her parents are fearful of the concept of surgery and they left the clinic without Win Tin receiving treatment. A year later Win Tin complained of puss coming from her teeth. Shortly thereafter two of her teeth fell out. Now two years have lapsed and the size of the tumor had not decreased or increased, but Win Tin’s symptoms persist. The tumor is firm, her jaw aches, puss continues to emerge, and she experiences itchiness. She can, however, eat comfortably. Since Win Tin stopped attending school two years ago, her mother often must stay home and she has been working less. Because symptoms have persisted for so long, the parents decided it was time to seek professional medical treatment. Win Tin's parents are agricultural workers, and their income fluctuates from month to month. They've accepted that their daughter needs surgery to remove her tumor, but cannot afford to pay for it. "I want to be secondary school teacher when I grow up," Win Tin shares. For $1,500, we can fund surgery to remove Win Tin's tumor, allowing her to continue her education.

Smaiya, a two-day-old Tanzanian baby, was born with her bowels exposed due to a defect in her anterior abdominal wall. This condition can be life threatening if not corrected with immediate surgery. Smaiya is the first born to her parents, who got married a little over a year ago. "Smaiya’s mother is a religion teacher and her father is a small scale farmer and he also works as a self-employed carpenter. They are renting a two bedroom apartment hoping to slowly build their own house in the future," shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. With $610, Smaiya’s intestines will be surgically reinserted into her abdominal cavity and the hole in the abdominal wall will be closed. Additionally, a three night stay at the hospital and six weeks of stay at a hospital affiliated facility are also included in the cost and will help ensure a smooth recovery. “We just hope that our daughter will survive,” say Smaiya’s parents. “She is our gift and bundle of joy and we would like to watch her grow up like other children”.

Meet 53-year-old Kok from Cambodia. “Kok is married with one daughter,” reports our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “He enjoys listening to monks praying.” Kok works in construction, but his condition has put a stop to his ability to support his family. Kok has hypermature cataracts, in which the lens proteins that cloud his vision have become soft and liquefied with time. This makes his job as a construction worker impossible and limits him in activities outside of work. “He feels useless and bored staying home all day, and his wife now has an extra burden to make ends meet,” explains CSC. “He also doesn’t go places very far away.” With $225 in funding, Kok will receive surgery to remove his cataracts and restore his vision, one eye at a time. This subsidizes the cost of the procedure, surgical supplies, hospital accommodation, food, and medication. “Kok will be able to see from his right eye and will come back in 1-2 weeks for surgery on his left eye,” says CSC. Kok is eager to return to daily life and continue providing for his wife and daughter. CSC shares, “His main hope after receiving surgery is being able to go back to his job.”

"Pyae Son first became aware he had a heart condition two years ago," says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). "He remembers supervising on a construction site and feeling overly tired. Since that day he says he experiences poor appetite, difficulty breathing and numbness in his chest." Pyae Son is a 27-year-old young man from Burma. He lives with his parents and grandfather. "He was enrolled at university but had to stop his studies one year ago in order to financially support his family," BBP tells us. Pyae Son was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, and needs surgery to correct his defect. "Pyae Son hopes to receive surgery shortly so he can contribute financially to his family once more," BBP says. "He stated he want a ‘stable and simple life.’ The only thing he desires is to live a life where he has energy; he no longer wants to live as a patient." $1500 will fund a complex cardiac treatment for Pyae Son. BBP expects that this will resolve the underlying condition and resolve his current symptoms, such as the inability to sleep, pain, and numbness. He will also be able to return to work and support his family.

“I work hard to support my sons and parents,” Ian’s mom shares. “I want to see Ian and his brother lead a better life that I do. I will ensure that they get the best education possible.” This is Ian, an eight-year-old boy from Kenya. Ian lives with his younger sibling, mother, and grandparents. Ian’s mother works in a bar along with one her brothers. “Ian was playing when he fell and fractured his leg,” his doctor at African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) tells us. “He was plastered but the fracture did not heal well. Ian experiences pain in his leg especially when walking. This has affected him in school because he cannot participate in activities that will have him walking around, standing or running. If the surgery is not done soon, Ian could develop severe infection which would result in amputation.” Ian will need an ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation) procedure to repair his leg. Ian’s mother has not been able to raise the money for his treatment, but with $1,410 we can help. “We expect that after the surgery and recovery,” AMHF explains, “Ian will be able to focus on his studies and participate in all the school activates. The risk of infection will also reduce.”