Meet Diana! She is just under two-months-old, and lives in Kenya with her family. She has six brothers and sisters. ”Diana was born at home, and to everyone’s amazement she had a cystic mass on her back,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Her parents took her to the nearest hospital one week after birth, [but] unfortunately, there was no doctor at the hospital who could attend to her.” It is important for her to get this mass removed in order to stop the spread of infection and prevent other spinal complications. “Diana’s father is a motorbike taxi operator, while her mother picks tea from neighbors’ tea farms,” continues AMHF. With a daily income of $7 a day, they are unable to afford Diana’s $805 surgery. Her mother says, “I have never seen anything like this condition before. I pray that she will recover soon after treatment.” The good news is that we can help! If Diana gets medical attention soon, she will be able to get her tumor removed and develop into a healthy, happy baby. Let’s make that happen.

Meet Mustafe, a four-year-old boy from Somaliland. Mustafe was born with club feet, which makes it difficult for him to walk. Because of his feet, Mustafe falls over and hurts himself often. He struggles to keep up with his peers, and is unable to play games with other children. For $1,184, we can fund bilateral club foot repair surgery and follow-up care for Mustafe. After the surgery, our medical partners at Edna Adan Hospital anticipate Mustafe’s mobility will greatly improve. Let’s help Mustafe realize his hopes of joining in games with other children as he grows into a young man!

“We are worried about the condition of our son. He is becoming less and less active," Elisha's parents tell us. Eight-year-old Elisha has what doctors call a "windswept deformity"— genu valgus on his right leg and genu varus on his left. This means that Elisha is bow-legged and has difficulty walking and pain in his knees. If not treated, his condition could lead to early osteoarthritis and a significantly reduced ability to walk at all. Elisha is a happy, friendly boy who enjoys being active. "He sometimes goes out with his father to herd cattle as that is what his father does for a living," says our medical partner in Tanzania, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Elisha's parents are loving and supportive, and work hard to provide for their family, but often struggle to make ends meet. "Their income is not enough to cover their daily expenses as well as the corrective surgery which their son needs," says AMHF. Fortunately, for $940, AMHF can perform surgery to straighten Elisha's limbs and allow him to walk properly.

“Christina is a Kaqchikel-speaking Mayan woman from central Guatemala,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq. “She enjoys weaving and hanging out at home with friends and extended family. She is looking forward to feeling better so that she can continue to do the things she loves and to take care of her children.” “Christina has been having severe seizures for several months now,” explains Wuku’ Kawoq. “They are a great source of fear for her and they are limiting her ability to take care of her family, to engage in productive economic activities (like weaving, which she is very good at), and to enjoy life with her husband and friends. Christina and her family are very grateful for Watsi donors for their help.” Christina’s surgery costs $745 and will allow her to live the rest of her life without seizures. Let's make it happen!

Meet six-year-old Lensley from Haiti. He is known to be quiet and shy but is very close to his mother and two sisters. "Lensley was born with a condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole within the heart that normally closes once a baby is born remains open," the Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) tells us. "As a result, blood bypasses the lungs and travels back to the body without oxygen, leaving him weak and out of breath." A surgical procedure can rectify this, but it will need to be done in the United States. "Following surgery, Lensley's heart should be completely normal, and he should not experience any ongoing cardiac symptoms or have any need for further surgery," HCA writes. Open Hearts Haiti has provided $5000 to fund this treatment, but $1500 is still needed to cover the cost of Lensley's transport overseas. Let's come together and cover the remaining expense of getting Lensley the help he needs.

Meet Sokhy, a 24-year-old hardworking student from Cambodia. Sokhy, who was working part-time to help off-set his tuition costs, dislocated and fractured his right hip in a moto accident. For almost two years, Sokhy has been unable to walk or sit. His family has been helping to take care of him, now that he is unable to continue working and studying. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, explains, “Since he has very little money as is, Sokhy thought he was out of options for proper treatment, until a friend told him about our services.” With $405, Sokhy can receive the necessary treatment that will allow him to walk and sit without pain, and get back into school. Let’s help Sokhy get back on his feet!

Gasper loves to read, write, and color pictures with his friends. He was also born with bilateral clubfoot, a deformity that causes the bones in his feet to grow incorrectly, causing extreme pain and difficulty walking. Gasper loves playing with his siblings and classmates, but, if his condition goes untreated, he won't be able to move about as easily and is at risk of developing early osteoarthritis. Gasper's parents work hard to support their son and his siblings, providing them with the food and support they need to go to school. Though Gasper's father earns money as a carpenter and his mother sells tea and snacks at a local café, they do not have enough money to pay for Gasper's medical care. "My dream is to become a business man when I grow up," Gasper says. For $1,160, we can fund Gasper's surgery and help make that dream a reality! Once funded, Gasper will undergo surgery to repair his congenital deformity and allow his bones to develop normally. Gasper will be able to walk without pain and difficulty, and continue to thrive in school and whatever else he dreams of doing!

Calvin is an energetic and social seven-year-old from Tanzania. He is in kindergarten and likes school and being with other children. Calvin also likes to sing and color. Tightness in his Achilles tendon and knee pain keep Calvin from missing out on physical activities, though. He often has difficulty walking because of the deformity on his right foot. "If not treated, Calvin will develop early osteoarthritis of the foot," Watsi's medical partner writes. Calvin’s family wants to see him walk properly, but cannot afford the open Achilles tendon lengthening and serial casting required to address Calvin’s condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, has agreed to provide this surgery under the guarantee that Watsi donors will fund the care for Calvin. “I want to be able to ride a motorcycle like my brother,” he says. Let's help Calvin do it!

Meet 12-year-old Felista. She is studying in primary school but her schooling has often been interrupted and progress has been difficult because Felista has hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a condition that causes enlarged head size, intra cranial pressure, and "sun-setting" eyes. To escape brain damage, blindness, or even premature death, Felista needs surgery, but her parents are unable to raise the funds. The fourth born in a family of six children, Felista lives in Kenya with her parents and siblings. Felista’s father is a hawker in a nearby trading center, while her mother does small scale farming on their parent’s small land, both jobs bring in very little income. “It has been so difficult for me as a mother to bring up Felista and seeing her condition progress over time. I pray she gets treatment soon and that she lives a healthier life,” says Felista’s mother. For $980, we can give Felista a shunt incision. Watsi hospital partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation says, "we expect that the surgery will reduce the intra cranial pressure in Felista’s head and she will not suffer brain damage nor become blind.” Let’s help Felista grow up healthy!

Daw Khin is a family-oriented woman who works hard to save for her future. She dreams of opening her own shop so that one day she can enjoy a relaxing and well-deserved retirement! However, Daw Khin was recently diagnosed with myoma, a noncancerous but painful tumor in her uterus. Pain and discomfort prevent her from doing daily tasks like helping her husband with chores and cooking. She also has trouble eating and sleeping. Daw Khin is hopeful that Watsi can help her. For $875, she can receive surgery to remove her uterus and prevent tumors from growing there in the future. Successful surgery should alleviate Daw Khin’s pain, and allow her to lead a healthy, comfortable life. Following treatment, she plans to open up her own shop to sell fried snacks. Let’s give her a hand up!

Little Jaymar was born with a condition that prevents him from passing stool normally. This rare malformation has made it impossible for him to live a normal life. It affects his health, education, and social interactions, to the point where this eight-year-old and his family are hoping for any solution. Jaymar lives with his parents and two siblings. His father is a farmer who works hard to support their family, but the surgery Jaymar needs to live a healthy life costs more than 10 times what the family lives on per month. For $985, we can help Jaymar receive a colostomy closure that will completely cure his condition. Jaymar says he is very excited that after the operation, he will be like the other children when he returns to school. "We are so grateful that there’s an organization like you that helps us, because we can’t really afford the surgery," his parents say. "We will not forget this for the rest of our lives."