Dennis is an 18-year-old boy from Kenya. He is being raised by his single mother, who is a casual laborer who relies on seasonal farm work and domestic jobs to provide for Dennis and his three siblings. From infancy, Dennis was a frail child who was frequently ill and required constant care. He experienced significant developmental delays, taking his first steps when he was nearly three years old. While his physical milestones came late, it was his lack of speech that concerned his mother the most. She longed to hear him speak, but Dennis remained unusually quiet. She would talk to him, and he would simply look back at her without responding. Instead of using words, he learned to communicate by lifting or pointing to objects whenever he needed something, a pattern that has continued throughout his life. When Dennis was three years old, he was brought to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, where fluid was drained from his ears. Unfortunately, this did not improve his condition. As he grew older, his mother enrolled him in school, but he consistently lagged behind his peers. Over the years, he adapted by relying on lip reading and sign language to communicate. Because of his hearing loss, he depends on watching his teachers' lips closely to follow lessons and understand what is being taught. Despite these challenges, Dennis performed well during his primary school years. However, the transition to secondary school has been much more difficult, as the academic demands have increased. On July 7th, Dennis will be fitted with hearing aids, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is asking for help raising $1,171. The gift of hearing aids would significantly improve Dennis' ability to communicate, participate in class, and reach his full potential. His mother is appealing for support to make this life-changing intervention possible, giving Dennis the opportunity for a brighter and more independent future. "Sometimes when I read aloud in class or say certain words, the other children laugh at me. I want to hear better so I can read and speak with confidence," Dennis said quietly.

Charity is a 60-year-old woman from Uganda. She grew up in a family of eight children, she is the fifth-born, with four brothers and three sisters. Her siblings all have families of their own and are farmers. After losing their father at a young age, their mother, who was also a farmer, could not afford school fees for all of them but managed to support Charity until she completed seventh grade. Charity and her husband are blessed with five sons. One works as a butcher, one works as a day labor on other people's farms, and the remaining three children are still in school. To make ends meet, Charity grows food crops for home consumption and sells the surplus to generate income for her family. Her husband works as a builder. About a year ago, Charity began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling on the front of her neck. Initially, it was painless, but she later began experiencing shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, frequent headaches, and painful swallowing. At first, she relied on painkillers, but they provided no relief. One day, while with a friend who noticed a significant increase in the size of her neck, she was advised that it could be a goiter. She then visited a hospital, but she was unable to raise the money needed for the procedure and returned home. For the past few months, she has been using traditional remedies, but none have provided any relief. While listening to a radio talk show, she learned about a surgical support program at Nyakibale Hospital that assists patients with conditions like hers. She decided to seek care there. She was diagnosed with a goiter. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Charity receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on July 7th at Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Charity says, “I don’t see any where to get the money needed for my surgery, but I have hopes that with your support, my surgery will be successful and I will get better.”

Nich is a 26-year-old tailor from Banteay Meanchey province who lives with her parents, sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces. Her sister stays home to manage the household, her brother-in-law works outside the home, and her parents take care of the grandchildren. In her free time, Nich enjoys playing with her nieces. In November 2020, Nich underwent treatment on both of her hands. A few years later, she began to experience burns, pain, and skin adhesions, affecting the muscles and tendons. She was diagnosed with a chemical burn and subsequent scar contracture in her wrists, which limits her hand movement. The scar contracture is more severe in her left wrist than her right wrist, causing it to be stuck in a dorsiflexion position, with limited flexion and difficulty gripping. This makes it impossible for her to sew or use a sewing machine. Nich and her sister traveled seven hours to seek treatment at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). On January 2nd, she will undergo surgery to release the contracture and a flap procedure on her left wrist, which will help her regain better wrist movement. Nich can contribute $100 toward her surgery, but she needs support to cover the remaining $387 cost of the procedure, including surgery, medications, post-operative care, and support. Nich shared: "I hope to move my wrist more easily after surgery. I want to work again to support our family."

Joseph is a nine-year-old boy and the youngest of three children. Both his parents are domestic workers who work hard to provide for their children. On December 2nd, 2024, Joseph attended a children’s service at their local church and went to play with his friends. While climbing a tree, he missed a step and fell, landing on his right hand. He lost consciousness for several minutes until nearby adults spotted him and quickly contacted his parents. Joseph was rushed to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, where scans revealed that his bones were broken and would require open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery to heal properly. The news of his accident has left his family in shock. To raise money for the surgery, his parents have reached out to friends and family, but their attempts have been unsuccessful. Without insurance to cover the medical costs, Joseph is still in pain and relying on painkillers to manage his suffering. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On December 5th, Joseph will undergo a fracture repair procedure that will relieve him of the pain and help him use his hand easily again Now, he needs your help to raise $1,500 to fund this procedure. Joseph says, "I'm so tired from sleeping on my left side all the time. I have to lift my right hand, and I can't lie on it."

Nech is a 25-year-old mother of two from Cambodia. She lives with her parents, husband, and children in Phnom Penh. Nech previously worked alongside her husband as a school bus driver but is now focused on raising her children and looking after their house. Her parents, who are rice farmers, help take care of their grandchildren at home. In her free time, Nech enjoys trying new recipes and relaxing with her family. Around ten years ago, Nech developed a lump on her left lower back, which has been growing more rapidly in recent years. Her family is urging her to have the lump removed because they worry it could be something serious and may cause health complications in the future since it continues to grow. Nech traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 5th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Nech's family can contribute $50 but needs help to raise $223 more to fund this procedure. Nech shared, I hope the mass will be fully removed so I can live comfortably again and my parents will no longer worry about me."

Nae is a 38-year-old woman who lives with her family in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. They receive support from development agencies for food and household expenses. They also have access to basic healthcare and education in the camp. In her free time, Nae loves to embroider traditional clothes for extra income. Since June 2024, Nae has been experiencing pain in her lower abdomen. She cannot sit for long periods and feels tired easily. She diagnosed her with a leiomyoma or a benign tumor in the cervix. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Nae's surgery. On March 5th, she will undergo gynecological surgery that will help address her symptoms and allow her to resume her daily activities free of pain. Nae said, "I would like to have the surgery to finally be healthy again. The monthly follow-ups and not feeling better make it difficult for me to manage my daily life."

Mitchelle is a 14-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the youngest in a family of four. Mitchelle is in 6th grade and loves reading. Her favorite subject is science. She dreams of becoming a doctor in the future so that she can help her parents and others who are suffering from different illnesses. Her parents are small-scale farmers who work on other people's farms to earn money and support their family. Mitchelle was born at home with a condition called spastic diplegic Cerebral Palsy and bilateral rigid Talipes Equinovarus (TEV), which means her legs are stiff and her feet are turned inward. As a result of her condition, Mitchelle has not been able to walk normally. She used to rely on a wheelchair and now uses crutches to move around. Mitchelle also has clubfoot on both feet. Club foot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Mitchelle will undergo clubfoot repair on October 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund this procedure and her care. After treatment, she will be able to walk properly, help her mother at home, and continue her education without any interruptions. Currently, Mitchelle is in the hospital, undergoing serial casting to prepare for bilateral club foot treatment. “I am looking forward to walking to church and school, helping my mom at home, and continuing with an active life,” Mitchelle told us.

Rehema is a four-year-old child from Tanzania. She is the youngest of four children in her family. Her family depends on farming maize and beans for their livelihood. Her father supplements their income by doing casual day jobs, such as working on other people’s farms and delivering water to the village using a bicycle. Two years ago, Rehema began experiencing pain while walking, and soon after, her legs started bowing outward. Rehema was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. she suffers from significant pain and struggles to walk even short distances in the community. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $777 to fund surgery for Rehema. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 22nd at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Rehema's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Rehema's mother says: "I hope my daughter's legs will be fine and she will lead a good life".

Meet Precious, an active and joyful four-year-old from Kenya. Her father engages in construction jobs, while her mother stays home to care for Precious and her sister. In 2023, the family grew concerned when they realized Precious couldn’t interact with her peers. After multiple hospital visits, tests confirmed that Precious cannot hear, which explains her delayed speech. Her parents struggled to accept the diagnosis and hoped that enrolling Precious in school and having her interact with other children, would help Precious improve. But in school, Precious sees other children raising their hands and laughing at jokes she can’t understand. She is unable to fully participate and has not been able to progress to the next grade, because she can’t hear her teachers and can’t take exams. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On November 14th, Precious will start the process necessary to fit hearing aids at our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. Her family is seeking your help to raise $748 to fund the hearing aids that Precious needs, so that she can begin to experience the world around her and enjoy her childhood. Precious's mother says: "We took Precious to school hoping she would improve, but seeing the other children progress while she can only watch, has only made us more heartbroken."

Eimy is an 11-month-old baby girl from Bolivia. She lives east of Bolivia with her mom, who used to sell cosmetics from home, and her dad, who works driving a motorcycle taxi. Eimy has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect where a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through the hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. On November 13th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in her heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Eimy's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to fund cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical fees, follow-up care, and medications. Eimy's mother shared, "Eimy is making many friends at the hospital. She misses her sister, but the children here are friendly. We await her surgery patiently."

Thu Ta is a 23-year-old worker at a non-governmental organization. He lives with his aunts and cousins. During his free time, he enjoys cooking and visiting his relatives. In May 2019, Thu Ta began to experience occasional tiredness and difficulty breathing. In the summer of 2023, his symptoms worsened, and he felt severe exhaustion and his hands started to shake. After undergoing an echocardiogram, he was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect (VSD) or a hole in the heart. Currently, Thu Ta is constantly tired and experiences chest pain and body aches. He also cannot lift heavy objects due to easily getting fatigued. Doctors suggested that he undergo VSD closure surgery to treat his condition and scheduled the procedure for August 6th, 2024. The surgery is expected to relieve his tiredness and enable him to engage in physical activity more comfortably. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund is requesting $1,500 to fund the procedure. Thu Ta said, "I feel sad when people mention that I have a heart disease and being sick. I cannot engage in physical activity due to my tiredness, and it makes me depressed. With the help of Watsi and BCMF, my surgery becomes possible. I cannot wait to be a healthy person again. Once I recover, I will continue my work with more passion."

Elizabeth is a child from Kenya. Elizabeth is the youngest in a family of three children. Her parents separated a few weeks after she was born, and they returned to their ancestral home to stay with their grandparents. They are now living in Gataka town, where they have rented a single-roomed house. To earn a living, her mother sells watermelons to provide for them. Elizabeth injured herself while playing, waiting for her friends to go home after school. She was not in pain at the moment and went home. When she got home, the pain intensified suddenly, and her mother had to rush her to a nearby hospital. She was in excruciating pain and could not use her right hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 13th, Elizabeth will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. She will heal properly and continue with schooling. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Elizabeth’s grandmother says, “After all we have been through, it is very painful to see Elizabeth having an injured arm. We really want her to be treated and be well.”