Rorn is a 57-year-old corn and potato farmer from Cambodia. She is married with one son, three daughters, and seven grandchildren. Rorn likes to watch Khmer dramas on TV and listen to monks pray at the pagoda. She heard about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a neighbor who had surgery here before. Rorn traveled for three hours with her grandson to reach CSC for treatment. Rorn developed a cataract in each eye about two years ago causing her blurred vision and photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light). It is difficult for her to see things clearly and do any work outside. For $292, Rorn will undergo cataract surgery in both eyes. After surgery, Rorn will be able to see clearly again.

"I dream that my daughter grows well and studies to become a secretary," shares the mother of 16-month-old Gleymi. Gleymi lives with her mother, father, and two siblings in Guatemala. She loves to play with her toy tea set, listen to music on the radio, and dance. Her father works as a day laborer, often making only one or two dollars per day, and her mother works at home, cooking and cleaning for the family. Gleymi is suffering from malnutrition, meaning that she is far below a healthy size for her age. Her mother is worried because she is not growing as well as the other kids in their neighborhood. Since they do not have their own land to cultivate, buying fruits and vegetables is a luxury Gleymi's family cannot afford. Thus, she does not receive the nutrients she needs to grow and develop. A weakened immune system is one of the symptoms of malnutrition, leaving the child more prone to diarrhea, severe coughs, and fevers, which can reducing their appetite and cause dehydration. If left untreated, the negative effects of malnutrition could affect Gleymi for the rest of her life - she could have a higher risk of chronic disease, have a hard time focusing and doing well in school, and be less likely to have a well-paying job as an adult. Gleymi will receive growth monitoring, food supplements, and deworming medication which will help her grow, develop healthily and overcome malnutrition. Her parents will receive motivational nutrition education so they can learn how to best feed Gleymi, even with the little resources they have. This treatment, which includes supplements, nutritional consultations, and food, costs $512 and will be administered by Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. If she receives immediate treatment, Gleymi will have a more successful and healthy future.

Chamman is a 29-year-old woman who lives at a pagoda in Cambodia. She spends her time cleaning and helping the monks around the pagoda. Chamman has cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects the body’s muscles and movement. In March 2015, she took a fall and injured her right hip. Over the past year, her pain has been getting worse, and she is now walking with an abnormal gait. Chamman traveled an hour with her mother to reach Children’s Surgical Centre in Phnom Penh. Doctors there diagnosed her with osteonecrosis of the right hip. This means that part of her hip bone has not been receiving enough blood flow, and has begun to die. If left untreated, Chamman will continue to be in pain, and the decayed bone could eventually collapse. For $392 we can fund the hemiarthroplasty surgery that she needs. This procedure will replace the dying bone in her hip with a prothesis. After receiving her hemiarthroplasty, Chamman’s hip will be stronger and she will be able to walk easily and without pain. Let’s help get Chamman mobile again by funding her treatment.

Kyi Soe is a 42-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Burma. Her husband works in construction building houses, and her daughter works as a factory worker in Thailand. When Kyi Soe visited her daughter in Thailand last year, she began to experience intense pain in her abdomen and lower back. Since then, Kyi Soe's symptoms have only gotten worse-- she has been having very heavy bleeding, nausea, and cannot lay down comfortably. Despite her continuing symptoms, Kyi Soe was hesitant to go to a hospital because she knew it would be very expensive. Instead she returned to Burma and visited a local clinic. After a series of tests, the midwife told her that she would need surgery to remove the mass that was in her uterus-- surgery Kyi Soe was unable to afford. So she just left with pain medication, and an expensive medical bill. Kyi Soe had to stop working since her symptoms started. Her husband's income is not enough to even meet their daily needs, so they had to take out loans to pay for her medical bills. But without proper surgery, the mass in Kyi Soe's abdomen may grow and cause further complications. After hearing about Burma Border Projects (BBP) from her daughter's friend, Kyi Soe moved in with her daughter so that she could receive surgery. For $1500, doctors will remove the mass growing in her uterus. This will relieve her pain and other symptoms. Despite the stress that Kyi Soe and her family have had addressing her condition, they are looking forward to her finally receiving proper medical treatment. When she recovers, she will be able to return to living with her daughter in Thailand, where her husband is also hoping to find a job.

Krouss is a four-year-old boy from Haiti who was born with a cardiac condition called valvar pulmonic stenosis. One of the valves of his heart is too small to allow blood to adequately pass through. As a result, oxygen does not reach his body in sufficient quantities, leaving him sickly and weak. Krouss needs surgery to ensure he can grow up healthy, and without further complications from his heart condition. Surgeons will insert a balloon inside the valve and inflate it to stretch the valve open. Depending on the result, he may or may not then need an open-heart procedure. The treatment will cost $6,500, however Health City Cayman Islands has subsidized part of the treatment. Through Watsi, $1,500 will cover the cost of overseas preparation and transportation for Krouss and one parent as the surgery will be performed in the Cayman Islands. Krouss lives with his mother and father, and he is their first child. His father is a security guard and his mother sells goods in the local market. He is a very intelligent boy and has already learned to read, and is looking forward to starting school next year. "I am most excited about getting to go on a plane ride," Krouss shared excitedly.

Angelica is a newborn baby girl from rural Guatemala. She was born one month prematurely. She was small and weak when she was born, and acquired an infection in her eyes and now her lungs. When she came to see us at the clinic, she was very sick, but now she is doing much better after receiving hospital care. Unfortunately, her mother had to receive antibiotics that are unsafe for breastfeeding. Since her mother had to stop breastfeeding while taking the medications, she lost her ability to make milk and now Angelica is acutely malnourished. Her mother says her heart breaks because she is unable to give her daughter enough milk to make her stop crying. Angelica lives with her parents and her older siblings in a humble one-room wood house with a tin roof. Her mother is worried because she can see her daughter losing weight, and she does not have enough milk to feed her. Since she spends so much time caring for Angelica and her father works as a day laborer in the coffee fields, barely making enough money to support basic living costs, they cannot afford the extremely expensive formula Angelica needs to survive. Although Angelica's life is in danger now, the treatment she needs to be a healthy and happy baby is simple. She will receive formula with the protein, calories, and nutrients she needs to grow and develop. Her immune system will grow stronger with the formula, and she will no longer cry from hunger. This treatment will not only save Angelica's life, but will mean she is no longer at risk for seizures, diarrhea, and long-term developmental delays due to her lack of milk. "My desire is that my daughter gets better and can grow healthily," her mother said. "I want to see her get big so that she can go to the school and study and be a person like you all that helps the people that need it."

“Lencer is a young child with a long medical history,” reports our medical partner in Kenya, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). When he was nine months old, he fell sick with meningitis; he has contracted pneumonia six times since his birth; and now, at three years old, Lencer has contracted tuberculosis. “Lencer has battled his previous medical complications with zeal,” AMHF tells us. However, fighting these near-constant illnesses “has drained his family’s income,” leaving them unprepared to cope financially with the most recent medical problem that has beset Lencer: severe hearing loss in both ears. Lencer’s hearing problems are sensorineural, meaning they originate in his inner ear, and could have been caused by a variety of factors, from disease to head trauma. According to AMHF, “if not assisted with the hearing aids, Lencer may not be able to communicate effectively”—a deficiency that could have profound implications for the child’s social life, language learning, academic abilities, and career. $920 will purchase two hearing aids—one for each of Lencer’s ears. With these devices in place, “Lencer will be able to use speech and hearing for communication,” AMHF tells us. “I feel emotionally weak that my child has to pass through all these medical complications,” shares Lencer’s father. “My only wish is to have God heal him and for him to grow as a healthy child.” Let’s help make that wish a reality for this family.

Six-year-old Nehemie lives with her mother and father in Haiti. She enjoys attending school and playing with friends in her kindergarten class. “Nehemie was born with a heart defect called atrioventricular canal defect,” our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us. “Holes exist between the upper and lower chambers of the heart, allowing blood to pass freely through all four chambers. This leads to heart failure and deprives the body of oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak.” "We have been very worried about Nehemie because she cannot keep up with the other children and gets tired very easily,” shares Nehemie’s mother. To repair Nehemie’s heart defect, doctors will perform a surgical procedure known as cardiac catheterization. Using imaging as a guide, doctors will thread a catheter—a thin, flexible tube inserted into a blood vessel—from the groin to the holes in the heart. Next, they will position a mesh patch contained within the catheter to close the holes and then remove the catheter. Over time, heart tissue grows into and around the mesh to permanently close the holes. For $1,500, HCA will provide the overseas preparation and transportation required for Nehemie’s surgery. Gift of Life International has donated $5000 to cover the costs of surgery and post-operative hospital care. “Following surgery, Nehemie should be able to lead a normal life with no further symptoms from this condition,” says HCA. Let’s help make that happen!

“Beautiful, confident, and composed are just a few of the impressions you get when you meet Dorcas,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare foundation (AMHF). Six-year old Dorcas is also one of the brightest pupils in her class, with aspirations to become a pilot. The last born in a family of five children in Kenya, Dorcas has suffered loss at an early age. At two-months old, Dorcas lost her only then surviving parent - her mother - to a brain tumor. Since then, Dorcas and her siblings are under the care of their elder sister who is only 20 years old. For three years, Dorcas was healthy, until she developed severe headaches, nosebleeds, and seizures, causing her to miss most of her classes. Her condition progressed until her sister had no choice but to reach out to a relative to bring Dorcas to the hospital, as she had no funds to bring her on her own. There, Dorcas was diagnosed with a brain tumor. “Dorcas is at high risk of increased intra-cranial pressure, which is likely to cause brain damage or even death," AMHF says. "She is also at risk of losing her eyesight.” With a small profit made by selling vegetables in a stall near their one room rental house, the family has no additional funds for Dorcas' treatment, and her symptoms are getting worse. Nearly two weeks ago, Dorcas’ left limbs became numb. Her mobility has become infrequent, and she staggers while she walks. $1,260 will pay for Dorcas’ brain surgery. AMHF says that with it, “Dorcas will be relieved from experiencing severe headaches, nose bleeds and seizures; she might also regain use of her hand and leg.” “If only I was informed earlier, maybe it could have been less severe...we are not too late though, Dorcas will be well again. Our plea is for financial help,” says Dorcas’ aunt.

Ruth lives in the mountains of Haiti with her mother, grandmother, and four siblings. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us that eight-year-old Ruth "does not attend school, but likes helping her mother around the house, playing with her brothers and sisters, and singing." Ruth loses her breath and energy quickly, however, because she was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. "A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart," HCA says. "Ruth also has down syndrome." Ruth's heart condition makes it difficult for her body to circulate and process her blood efficiently. HCA explains that "because she has lived for so long with this condition, there is a chance it may no longer be repairable, but the only way to determine this is by inserting a catheter into the chambers of her heart. Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring her to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that she can have heart surgery soon." For $1500, Ruth will be taken to the Dominican Republic for the catheterization procedure that will determine whether she is a candidate for heart surgery. If she is operable, she will be prepared for surgery as soon as possible. "We are very happy that there is hope for Ruth, and hope that she will be able to have surgery," her mother says.

Eh Tha is a six-month-old girl who lives with her parents in Burma. When Eh Tha was born, her mother noticed a small lump between her daughter's eyes. A few months later, the lump has grown larger and decreased the vision in Eh Tha's right eye. Eh Tha's mother brought her daughter to see our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), where she was diagnosed with encephalocele -- a defect of the neural tube that causes sac-like protrusions of the brain. This condition has also caused a fluid buildup that has contributed to Eh Tha's vision loss. Eh Tha needs surgery to remove the mass and the fluid behind her eyes, but her parents cannot afford the treatment. BBP tells us, "her father is a teacher and her mother looks after her at home. Eh Tha is the first and only daughter for them." For $1485, Eh Tha will receive an operation to provide her with a shunt to remove the fluid buildup and pressure behind her eye. Surgery will also prevent further vision loss, giving Eh Tha the ability to see. "I want my daughter to be healthy and happy," her mother shares. "I want her to recover and see well when she grows up."

Meet Rosie, a 35-year-old woman from the Philippines. Rosie enjoys cooking and singing, and often sings at weddings and funerals. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), says, “Rosie loves to work together with her husband who is a gospel minister and she loves to serve people.” Due to a mass on her right breast, “Rosie occasionally experiences muscle pain on the entire right side of her shoulder, chest, and back, which requires her to rest a minimum of two hours throughout the day,” ICM reports. “It is a discomfort since there is additional itching at the site of the mass and under her right upper arm; these symptoms bother her as it causes her lack of sleep, which makes her very tired for the next day’s tasks.” Rosie needs a lumpectomy to remove the mass on her breast. This procedure costs $612, and will remove all abnormal tissue form her breast. ICM says, “The treatment will give Rosie the freedom to do what she wants, especially in serving the church and the community as a whole. “ ICM adds, “Rosie is looking forward to being free of pain and discomfort so she can perform her best as a mother and a wife.” "I am looking forward to being free of this condition I have," Rosie shares. "I know that without it I can serve my family and our church at my full capacity.”