Navin is an eight-year-old third grade student with one older sister. Navin lives in the province where his parents are farmers. When he is not in school, Navin enjoys playing football, playing with his toy car, and asking his father questions (sound familiar to any parents out there?) Two years ago, Navin had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Navin experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear discharge. It is difficult for him to hear at school. His parents took him to a local NGO that told them Navin needed to have surgery. They recommended his family come to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Navin and his family traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 12th, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $925 to fund this procedure. This covers his medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Navin's parents hope his hearing can improve so he can communicate well again in school and at home.

Thorn is a motorcyle taxi driver from Cambodia. He has one son and three grandchildren. He likes to read and watch boxing matches. Two years ago, Thorn developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision, burning, itchiness, tearing, and a clouded lens. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Thorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On October 17, doctors will perform a small incision 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 $211 procedure. He says, "I look forward to planting a banana tree and lemongrass plants around my house after I return home."

Katusabe is a single mother from Uganda. She is a mother of seven children. For one year, Katusabe has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia is causing her discomfort and if not treated, it may lead to intestinal tissue damage and death. Fortunately, on September 26, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Katusabe's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. She says,"After surgery I will resume working in my fields."

Melvin is a two-year-old child from Uganda. He enjoys playing with his older sister and other children in the community, and imitating his father riding a motorcycle. Melvin was born with a painful hernia. His parents initially treated him with medicinal herbs, but when the herbs did not work, they brought him to our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, for treatment. Melvin is now scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery on June 8, and his family is requesting $229 to cover the total cost of the procedure. Once Melvin is recovered, he looks forward to being able to play with his friends again.

Victor is a five-year-old boy from Kenya. He likes playing with other children and also loves being in school. Although Victor was born a healthy baby boy, he was diagnosed with acquired clubfoot of his left foot about two years ago. This condition means that over time, his left foot began to curve inward until the sole of his foot is no longer able to stand flat on the ground. Because of this, he experiences pain while walking, standing, and playing. Seeking treatment through our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Victor is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his clubfoot on July 3. His family is requesting $1,224 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. "My joy is to see my son receive treatment and advance in his studies. The help will be a great blessing to our family. May God bless Watsi for the initiative of helping those who are unable to afford for the surgery,” Victor's mother says.

Ester is a farmer from Malawi. She recently traveled to our medical partner’s care center, Kabudula Community Hospital. Kabudula is a rural community outside of the capital city of Lilongwe. The health catchment area serves roughly 350,000 people, but the health centers and the hospital are often poorly stocked and staffed.  One of Ester’s teeth has been causing her bothersome symptoms. Diet is an issue for dental health in Malawi, where sugarcane is prevalent. Also, there is little to no oral health education in Malawi and limited access to a dental professional. In fact, there are fewer than 20 dentists across the country. Fortunately, a visiting dentist will perform a dental extraction. A dental extraction is a simple procedure with few risks, and it will result in a significant reduction in her symptoms. Ester is scheduled to undergo treatment on July 18. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting just $28 to fund the procedure.

Benita is a 55-year-old mother of four who stays home and cares for her grandchildren while her children are at work. She prepares meals for the whole family and does chores. She lives in the Philippines. After the birth of her fourth child, Benita experienced difficulty swallowing and a heavy feeling in her chest. She avoided seeking care because she knew the cost would be a burden on her family. Over time, her condition has gotten worse, and she now has a lump on her neck that is tender and painful. She has had this condition for six years. After a series of lab tests, Benita was diagnosed with a multinodular goiter, a thyroid condition in which the gland is swollen and produces excess hormones. She needs surgery to remove her thyroid gland and prevent her symptoms from getting worse. The cost of Benita's surgery, scheduled for February 8, is $1,500. Her husband works as a farm laborer and cannot afford this procedure, so they are seeking help from Watsi. "I really don't deserve this kind of blessing, but I am very grateful that I was given a privilege to be treated," Benita says. "Though we are not that rich, the simple joy and happiness given by my family, especially my grandchildren, are more than enough for a lifetime. This gift was just a bonus in my life, and I am thankful that you are giving me a chance to enjoy life more."

Suzan is a mother of five children from Uganda. She recently moved to her home village with her children and works as a small farmer raising food for her family. She also operates a small business selling household items, such as soap, salt, flour, and other foods. In her spare time, Suzan enjoys visiting friends and relatives and talking with elders about traditional stories. She also enjoys teaching her children traditional dances and songs, attending church, and praising God. Suzan is currently expecting twins. Her pregnancy is high-risk because she is experiencing pre-term labor and bleeding. Despite her condition, she made the 45 kilometer trip to our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital, on the back of a motorcycle. Her doctors recommend that she receive medical attention before, during, and after labor to ensure a safe delivery. On March 23, she will begin to receive supplements and attend antenatal checkups and health education classes. She will deliver her baby in the hospital, and she will undergo a C-section if necessary. After birth, Suzan and her baby will be monitored by the hospital staff. Suzan has contributed $7 to her care. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting an additional $241.

Nitchie is a 12-year-old girl from Haiti. She is known for her friendliness and love of interacting with others. She particularly enjoys playing with her neighbors and helping her mother around the house. Nitchie was born with a heart condition called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Normally, there is a hole in the heart that closes soon after birth, but for individuals with PDA, the hole remains open. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs for oxygen. Because of this, Nitchie feels fatigued and short of breath. She needs to undergo surgery to repair this hole. First, Nitchie will undergo a full cardiac assessment on January 20. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Nitchie also covers the cost of medications and social support for her and her family. Gift of Life International is contributing $3,500 to cover additional costs associated with Nitchie's surgical care. Nitchie's mother is ecstatic that her daughter is receiving help. She says, "It always makes me sad to see Nitchie get out of breath when she tries to play. We will be very happy once her heart is fixed."

Reynald is 2-year-old and lives with his parents and six siblings in a small house made of scrap materials in the Philippines. His parents' source of income is from a small sari-sari store and struggle to feed the family with their earnings. Without proper nutrition, Reynald is thin and weak, suffering from moderately acute malnutrition. One out of five children under the age of five-years-old in communities of our medical partner International Care Ministries (ICM) are either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the additional food to regain normal weight, and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child being malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and organic vegetable gardening.

Khaing is a 48-year-old woman from Burma. She lives in a small town about thirty minutes from the border with Thailand, where she and her husband moved twelve years ago in search of better job opportunities. They have two children who are both in school. Her 19-year-old daughter is in the tenth grade. Her 25-year-old son attends the university in Chiang Mai on a scholarship, which makes Khaing very proud. About six months ago, Khaing began to experience some uncomfortable symptoms. She developed lower back and abdominal pain. Her use of traditional medicine only alleviated the symptoms for a short time. As the pain increased, she lost the ability to walk long distances, eat and sleep well, and even to sit for long periods of time. Eventually, Khaing visited a Watsi medical partner's hospital, Mae Sot General Hospital, where she received blood and urine tests and an ultrasound. Khaing learned that she has cervical cancer. Now, she needs a CT scan to determine the stage of the cancer and possible treatment. Unfortunately, Khaing and her husband cannot afford the cost of healthcare. Though she used to work as a day laborer, Khaing's health condition has made her unable to work for several months. They send most of their income to their daughter for dormitory fees and pocket money. Khaing needs Watsi's help to pay for the $414 scan. Khaing is increasingly worried about her condition and the effect it has on her family. She says, "My daughter's education is very important to me." She hopes that, like her son, her daughter will attend the university in Chiang Mai. For this reason, Khaing is eager to recover so she can resume work and support her family's dreams.

Kaw We is a 19-year-old Buddhist monk from a village in Burma. Kaw We currently lives and studies at the monastery in his village. His parents grow rice, and they pay rent for the land with half of their harvest. Kaw We is the youngest sibling in the family and has three older brothers and three older sisters. Kaw We has experienced uncomfortable urinary symptoms since he was a toddler. For most of his life, he relied on traditional medicine, which helped to alleviate the symptoms temporarily. Kaw We's family did not seek treatment at a hospital, assuming his condition was merely an annoyance and hoping to avoid the cost of modern medicine. With help from traditional medicine, Kaw We began to work on the family paddy field. Recently, however, Kaw We's symptoms worsened. He developed a fever, his face swelled, and he felt sharp pain in his abdomen. Traditional medicine no longer helped. Kaw We’s family learned from fellow villagers about our medical partner's clinic in Thailand. They decided to cross the border, traveling three hours to seek care for Kaw We’s condition. The family arrived on September 12, 2016. After several tests, Kaw We was diagnosed with a bladder stone. On October 31, 2016, doctors at our medical partner's hospital, Mae Sot General Hospital, performed a cystolithotomy surgery to remove the stone. Now, Kaw We's family needs help to pay for this life-changing procedure. “I would like to continue to be a monk," says Kaw We. "I am now more worried about my current condition, and my only hope is that it can be fully cured."