"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 am the only hope for my children. I hope Watsi will assist me so that I can see them grow," says Abigail. "My dream is to start a business so that I can get enough money to educate my children." Abigail is a 31-year-old woman from Kenya. She is a widow with four children ranging from two to 11 years old. Abigail has had uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts since the beginning of 2014, causing lower abdominal pain, and back and abdomen swelling. Since her husband passed away, she has started doing laundry and cleaning houses to earn a living. Abigail has been unable to raise enough money for the surgery she needs, but if left untreated, her fibroids and cysts will grow and affect other organs. For $790, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) will be able to provide Abigail with a total abdominal hysterectomy -- a surgery that will remove her uterus and cervix. With this treatment, it is expected that Abigail will recover fully and be able to go back to work and take care of her children.

“I dream of going to school one day,” said Esupat, an 11-year-old girl from Tanzania. “Esupat likes to sing and play ‘rede,’ a local ball game. While at home, she helps her mother wash dishes, collect firewood, and herd calves with her sister,” shares African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF,) our partner in Tanzania. Unfortunately, Esupat currently has a burn contracture on her right elbow and wrist from an incident that occurred when she was a baby. “One day, she crawled around the house and saw a stool that had a pot on it. She was at that age where she can hold on to something and stand up and so she wanted to hold on to the stool and stand up. She did not know that the pot on top of the stool had hot porridge. As soon as she held the stool, it tilted and the hot porridge came pouring down her right arm,” explains AMHF. As a result, Esupat cannot fully extend her right arm. “Esupat’s parents are livestock keepers with minimal income to afford the cost of surgery which Esupat needs,” AMHF continues. For $550, we can fund a treatment to release the burn scar contracture and give Esupat the ability to straighten her arm and perform activities more easily.

"Saruni’s father keeps livestock and his mother is a home maker," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "They badly need financial assistance to save the life of their little baby boy." Two-month-old Saruni is a young boy from Tanzania. "He was growing as usual until his seventh week when her mother noticed her son’s head was unusually increasing in size," says AMHF. Saruni was diagnosed with hydrocephalus -- a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling. Saruni needs a shunt inserted to decrease pressure and allow circulation inside his skull. This surgery costs $690, and is vital for Saruni to grow and develop without severe health complications. "I want him to go to school when he grows," says Saruni's mother. "With good education, he will live a better life." Let's give this young boy a chance at life, and fund his surgery!

“I would like to become a pilot when I grow up,” says Ryan, a five-year-old boy from Kenya. He has one older sibling, a mother that does small-scale farming, and a father that runs a small business. “Ryan has difficulty passing urine because his urethra opens [in the wrong place],” our partners at African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) tell us. This condition is called hypospadias. “If the surgery is not done, Ryan will not be able to have children when he grows up and this will affect his self esteem greatly,” AMHF continues. His parents have taken him to different health facilities, but have been unable to raise funds for his treatment. AMHF will provide Ryan with hypospadias repair surgery for $655 to help him pass urine normally. Let’s help Ryan get healthy!

“We want Kasosi to have the same opportunity like the rest of our children and for her not to feel neglected or left behind. She will be more independent if she can walk properly,” says Kasosi’s mother. Kasosi is a shy eight-year-old girl from Tanzania. Her parents and two older siblings love her very much and hope she will be able to walk the long distance to school. Kasosi has unilateral club foot, a deformity on her left foot. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) shares that if untreated, “she will be at risk of developing early osteoarthritis of the foot.” Her parents are small scale parents and strive to make sure their children get what they need, but cannot cover all the medical costs. With $1,160 Kasosi will be able to receive clubfoot surgery. AMHF says that with this treatment, “Kasosi will be able to walk properly, allowing her to continue with her education without problems.” Let’s work together and help Kasosi out!

This is Tem, a 23-year-old rice farmer who loves to play volleyball and travel around on his moto through his hometown in Cambodia. One year ago, Tem was on his moto when a car blindsided him and broke his femur on impact. Tem sought "bambooslim" treatment from traditional Khmer healers but he has never fully recovered and has great difficulty walking. Tem will need surgery to fully recuperate from the accident. Tem has lived with his injury for so long that he can now walk quite slowly without crutches, although his doctors share that "when he sits down he must keep his leg straight and that can get very uncomfortable. He cannot go to work and now relies on his mother to support him." Tem shares that he "dreams of returning to school and learning English and basic computer skills," but must receive proper treatment first. For $405, we can pay for Tem to undergo surgery to reset his broken bones so that they can properly heal. This operation will allow Tem to walk normally again so that he can return to working at the farm and contribute to his family's income. Tem will also be able to play volleyball, return to school, and live a life free from pain!