Adere is a 14-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He is a grade seven student who loves to go to school and study. Adere also loves music and spends his free time listening to country music and dancing with his friends. Adere's parents are farmers of teff and maize, but they have a limited harvest each year due to the hot and dry landscape. The local community is mostly supported by government and NGOs for food and other basic need. His parents have 12 children, most of whom they are still supporting financially. As a result, Adere's parents need assistance with the upcoming medical bill for their son's surgery. Adere was born with a congenital anomaly called bladder exstrophy, and last year he received surgery to treat this condition in BethanyKids Hospital funded through Watsi donor support. Now, he is scheduled to undergo another surgery for his epispadias condition. Epispadias is an abnormal defect in a sensitive area that prevents him from using the bathroom comfortably. His condition may also cause future infertility problems. Adere will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo an epispadias repair procedure on February 11th. African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,040 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. This procedure will enable him to use the bathroom comfortably and prevent risk of future complications. Adere's brother shared, “I hope he can be relieved of this condition soon. That would be a great blessing for him and for our family. I hope he will be a doctor and treat children in need.”

Yany is a 37-year-old seller from Cambodia. For most of her life, Yany has been experiencing recurrent ear infections. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Yany experiences frequent tinnitus and ear discharge. She cannot communicate clearly with others, and is unable to socialize with her friends due to her poor hearing and lack of confidence. Yany traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 10th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $464 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Yany shared, "I hope that after surgery my ear will be better. I am looking forward to having better hearing and no more ear discharge."

Tibeihaho is a 56-year-old farmer and a widow with five children. One of her daughters is married, and the other daughter has just finished university. Of her three sons, two are still studying, and the other one operates a hair-cutting salon. Currently, Tibeihaho earns a living from her small scale banana and coffee plantation, which her late husband left for her. She recalls that starting in 1986, Tibeihaho began to experience troubling symptoms, including persistent headache and shortness of breath. She was since been diagnosed with a goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse and finally treat her condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Tibeihaho receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 9th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Tibeihaho shared, “I like farming but it has now been three years since I last did farming in a good health condition. This condition has caused me a hard time, but I hope that once I have your support and receive my treatment, I will regain my health once again and continue with farming.”

Puthy is a 20-year-old factory worker and the eldest in his family. He has three siblings, two brothers, and one sister. Both of his parents are farmers. In December 2020, Puthy was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a closed fracture of his left tibia. After the accident, he was treated with Khmer traditional medicine for one month, but his condition did not improve. Puthy's neighbor suggested he go to Children's Surgical Centre to seek care. Currently, it is difficult for him to walk, and his leg is very swollen. Puthy is in chronic pain and feels very unwell. His family is especially worried about his condition because is the breadwinner of the family. While he has been in the hospital, his family has lost their income and they will not be able to work while he recovers. Puthy and his family appeal for financial support. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 2nd, Puthy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will help him walk again and return to work to support his family. Puthy shared, "I hope that after surgery my left tibia will be fixed and I will feel better. I am looking forward to having no more pain and infection, and to walking and working as I did before."

Sammuel is an 11-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He is very outgoing and happy, and loves cycling and playing football. Sammuel is in grade five and his favorite subject is mathematics. He attends a government-run school, where his school uniform and meals at schools are supported. Sammuel's mom is a single mom, and works to support herself and her son by washing clothes in their community. Sammuel's dad is a guard in a church and earns limited income, so he cannot support Sammuel and his mom consistently. Since his birth, Sammuel has had a right inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain and weakness in his lower abdominal area. He will need to have surgery in order to allow him to be more active and without pain. Fortunately, on March 9th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $512 to fund Sammuel's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently and resume more of his favorite hobbies. His mom shared, “Sammuel is my only child and I struggled a lot to raise him. Now I don’t need any other life but to raise him well and to educate him. I always dream of him getting older and becoming somebody.”

Liam is a 5-year-old boy from Kenya. He was born spina bifida and clubfoot. A few days after his birth, the doctor also noticed that his testicles had yet to descend. At the time, this was not a major concern because it sometimes takes a while for this to occur. Liam's mom was told to bring him back in five years if this did not happen. In the meantime, Liam underwent treatment for his other birth defects. Four years down the line, only one of Liam's testicles had descended, so Liam's mom brought him to Watsi's Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital for examination in 2019. Upon review, Liam was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Liam has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Doctors recommended he undergo surgery, to be covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). The NHIF request was approved, but not approved at a level to cover all of Liam's treatment. Liam's mom decided to wait until she could raise more funds, but unfortunately the NHIF approval expired three months later without her knowledge. One year later, one of BethanyKids' social workers reviewed a list of patients and saw that Liam still had yet to receive treatment. Liam’s mother has not been able to raise the required amount for her son’s surgery through their friends and family. Liam’s father passed away when he was three weeks old. Having lost the breadwinner of the family, Liam's mother had to work hard to support them. Before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Liam’s mother had found a job as a nursery school teacher. However, the job only lasted for three months until the school closed down due to the pandemic. When the schools reopened, she was not able to go to work because Liam was not accepted again in the school he used to attend. She is appealing for financial help. Liam will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 8th. AMHF is requesting $561 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Liam’s mother shared, “Through the years since Liam was born, I have never given up on him. He has undergone several surgeries and God has always provided. Even in the upcoming surgery, I am very hopeful that Liam will be treated.”

Gilbert is a hard working 48-year-old man from Kiambu, on the outskirts of Nairobi. His family is from both Kenya and Rwanda and he is the second born in a family of four. Gilbert has been working as a labourer at construction sites. He was married but separated with his wife and he is now raising their small child who is in kindergarten with the help of his neighbors. On Monday 25th January, while checking a tank at a construction site, Gilbert slipped and fell. He sustained a closed fracture of the right tibia and was brought to Nazareth Hospital. He needs a fracture repair surgery but his income is not sufficient to meet the cost of the surgery. If not treated Gilbert may have difficulty walking, may not be able to go back to work, and his leg may heal with a deformity. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 8th, Gilbert will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The surgery will correct the fracture, allow him walk with ease and free of pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. “I have no family member around, yet I have to work to support myself and my child. I kindly request for help so that I may be well to take care of my baby,” said Gilbert.

Zainabu is a 10-year-old student and the youngest in a family of six children. She is an intelligent, social, and hard-working girl both at home and at school. She is currently in class four and will be joining class five next year. Her best subjects are English and Swahili, and she proudly shared that she was position three in her class in the final exams this year. Go Zainbau :)! Zainbau loves to help her mother with home chores. Her parents are small scale farmers who sell maize, sorghum, and vegetables to make a living. They use most of their harvest of food for their family and are able to sell a few harvests in order to buy other basics. Zainabu was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, or bowleggedness. This condition causes her legs to bow outwards at the knee. It is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has great difficulty with walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Zainabu. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 5th. Treatment will hopefully restore Zainabu's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Zainabu’s father shared, “My daughter has been having difficulty walking for a while, but I was unable to help her due to financial challenges. My family and I are grateful for your help."

Sour is a 73-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has four daughters, four sons, and sixteen grandchildren. Since his wife passed away three years ago, he lives with his daughter and her family. He spends most of his time taking care of his grandchildren, tending a garden and listening to the radio. Seven years ago, Sour developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision, tearing, and photophobia. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Sour learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four-and-a-half hours by taxi seeking treatment. On August 6th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Sour shared, "I still have a lot of work I want to do to help my family, and I hope after this surgery I can see everything well and do my activities by myself."

Vuthy is a 26-year-old construction worker and both of his parents are farmers. He has one brother and three sisters. In his free time Vuthy enjoys listening to music, playing games on his phone, doing house work, and meeting up with his friends. In 2015, Vuthy was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a closed fracture of his right knee. His family took him to a government hospital where pins were placed to heal the fracture. The bone has healed but the knee and thigh are stiff and he still has a lot of difficulty walking. When Vuthy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On December 25th, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty procedure of his right knee to help him walk again. Now, Vuthy needs help to fund this $430 procedure. Vuthy said, "I am hoping that once I am better from the surgery I can walk easily and my leg will feel better at last."

Celina is a young girl from Tanzania. She is the firstborn in her family who already loves school and has made so many friends. She does not know how to read and write yet, but she is very excited to be in school learning new songs and games. When she was one year old, Celina got into a fire accident. Her mother was preparing a traditional beans and maize dish, and during the process Celina fell with her left hand landing in the cooking pot. She was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment, but after the wound healed she had severe contractures on her left hand. When she was almost two years old, Celina received a contracture release surgery on her wrist. However, she still has contractures on her fingers and now needs surgery to release her fingers so that she can use her hand. Currently, she is not able to hold things or do many other things on her own. Celina's parents are not able to pay for her needed surgery. To make a living, her mother sells second-hand clothes, while her father trades in vegetables in the local market. The family appeals for financial support for her cost of care. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Celina receive treatment. On December 11th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to allow Celina to be able to utilize her hand with ease, and become more independent especially now that she has started school. Now, she needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Celina’s mother shared, "Please help my daughter be able to get this treatment. She is growing up now and I really would like for her to learn to do a lot of things on her own."

Emily is a small business woman from Kajiando County in Kenya. She is a widow with two children; one in primary school and the other in secondary school. Emily sells street food to be able to raise her children well and meet their family's daily needs. In 2012, Emily began to experience troubling symptoms, including loss of weight and she gets exhausted very quickly. She was diagnosed with a goitre, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Emily receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on September 7th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $657, and she and her family need help raising money. “It has been years of waiting and worry. The goitre is now big and I am worried it will extend. I hope for help and successful treatment so that I can live a normal life again taking care of my children. I am their only hope,” said Emily.