Meet Charity, a 32-year-old mother from Uganda. She has three children and is pregnant with her fourth. Charity lives in a village about 65 kilometers from Bwindi Community Hospital. While at home, Charity and her husband, Medard, practice subsistence farming where they grow cassava, potatoes, rice, maize, beans, and coffee. Charity sings in her local church choir, enjoys participating in church activities, playing with her children after school, and dancing to traditional songs. During her free time, Charity weaves baskets and mats and uses natural dyes to decorate them. Charity is a member of her local village loans and saving group and from the savings, she is able to pay her children’s school fees. Charity had her first two pregnancies delivered naturally. It was on the third pregnancy that Charity had a cesarean section due to prolonged labor, with no contractions, and having a big baby. For $258, Charity will undergo another c-section to deliver her fourth baby at Bwindi Community Hospital. She is subsidizing $8 of her treatment. After delivery, Charity hopes to start a small business to reduce the strenuous workload and prevent any complications with the healing incised site. “I thank the donors for supporting my safe delivery. Many women in the communities are struggling to afford the delivery fees. May God bless you," shares Charity.

Meet Tomasa, a 16-month-old girl from Guatemala. Tomasa is the youngest of three children in her family and lives with her parents in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. She enjoys playing with her dolls. Her mother works at home, cooks, cleans, and takes care of the children. Her father is a day laborer in the fields, who makes only a couple dollars per day. Tomasa is below the average height and the average weight for her age due to acute malnutrition. She currently is not consuming enough calories and enough quality foods. As a result her physical growth is stunted, and we worry her mental growth will be stunted as well. As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. $512 will fund the treatment Tomasa needs to address her nutritional deficit and improve her low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Tomasa of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for her parents. With these combined efforts, Tomasa will recoup her weight and height and strengthen her immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.

Sim is 65 years old and married with one son, five daughters, and eight grandchildren. Sim developed a cataract in each eye seven months ago. This causes him blurred vision, itchiness, cloudy lenses, and photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light). He can't recognize people easily or get around on his own. After traveling for two hours with his wife to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), Sim will receive cataract repair surgery. A phaco procedure and intraocular lens (IOL) implant in each eye will allow Sim to see clearly again. The phaco procedure will remove the cloudy lenses and replace them with clear, IOL lens implants. The treatment will cost $225. Sim enjoys listening to social news on the radio in his free time. "I hope I can see clearly so I can help my family work on the farm," Sim shares of his hopes for after surgery.

Joshua lives in the Philippines with his family. The family lives in a crowded area wherein they have many neighbors. But despite their living condition, they have harmonious relationship with each other and the people in their community. Joshua currently lives with an anorectal malformation. He experiences discrimination among his friends, classmates, and peers because of his condition. His teacher often sends him home whenever he does not bring an extra plastic bag for his colostomy. Whenever he eats fruits like pineapple, he suffers from stomach pain. When he exerts effort like playing vigorously or lifting heavy objects, his colostomy site becomes tender and bleeds. He thus has problems concentrating in school, and his studies and social interactions are very much affected. Joshua's family is also very concerned with Joshua's problem. Joshua sometimes roams around the market with his bike and collects bottles and scrap iron to be sold in junk shops to help his parents in their finances. His father is working at a fruit company and is the only provider of the family. For $965, Joshua can receive the colostomy closure he needs to recover from his condition. "I just want to see my child live normally just like other children," his mother said. "We as a family desires so much that Joshua will be treated but we really can't afford his treatment. As the matter of fact, we are struggling to provide our daily needs. We are hoping and praying that somebody would help us to provide for his surgery."

Meet Mya Htay, a 41-year-old woman from Burma. Mya Htay lives with her father, her 15-year-old nephew, and her 11-year-old niece. In September of 2015, Mya Htay began experiencing particularly heavy bleeding. She also began to experience back pain and cramps in her lower abdomen. As she was tied up working in Bangkok to support her family, she never sought treatment in Burma. In November 2015, the symptoms were still present. Mya Htay visited a hospital in Bangkok to get checked out. There she received an ultrasound test that uncovered a 6 cm uterine mass. The hospital referred her to a gynecological specialist, who presented her with the option of having surgery or leaving it alone and hoping it goes away on its own. She was prescribed some vitamins and was given a follow up appointment; however she didn’t attend because she went back home March of 2016 to see her family and rest. According to her: “It is hard and very expensive to get complex surgeries in Burma and Burmese hospitals can only do minor treatments." Mya Htay returned to back to work in April 2016 due to financial hardship, even though she was still unwell. Her whole body was tired, she was experiencing joint pain and abdominal pain, had no appetite, and began to see the mass protruding from her skin. Mya Htay’s sister-law is a staff member of Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), a Watsi partner, so she decided to make the trip up to Mae Sot. In order to cover the fees for the trip, the treatment, and support the family while she unable to work, Mya Htay’s sister borrowed 1,000,000 Kyat (approx. 1000 USD) at 5% interest. The trip costs 10,000 kyat (approx. 10 USD) and took approximately three hours. MTC then referred her to the Watsi program for treatment funding. All of Mya Htay’s symptoms are still present, and now her blood pressure is getting dangerously low. Not only does her condition prevent her from working, she is unable to do daily tasks around the house like she used to. She is exhausted and feels too much pain to clean or take care of her family. Mya Htay is quite stressed about not being able to provide for her family because of her condition. Mya is a strong, hard working and independent woman. In her spare time, she loves to unwind by reading magazines. Her dream is to one day own her own home. $1,500 will fund the surgery Mya Htay needs to recover. "After surgery, I am hopeful that I can return to work and pay back my debt," she said.

Meet Saroun, a 58-year-old Cambodian man. Saroun is married with two daughters. “A rice and crop farmer by trade, in his spare time Saroun likes watching the news on TV,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. Lately, both work and leisure time have been less enjoyable for Saroun. “Saroun developed a cataract in each eye 5 years ago,” explains CSC. “This causes him blurred vision and tearing, and he is afraid of sunshine.” Saroun’s vision is so impaired that it is hard for him to work, or even leave his house on his own. “I wish my husband could see more clearly than he does now so it wasn’t so hard for him to work,” his wife shares. And in the long run, if untreated, Saroun’s clouded lenses could get even worse—cataracts are the world’s leading cause of blindness. For $225 we can sponsor a two-part medical procedure that will clear his eyes of cataracts. Doctors will first use a technique called phacoemulsification to break up and remove the cataracts in both of his eyes; then they will insert an artificial lens in each eye that will act just as his healthy, natural lenses did before they developed cataracts. “After this surgery, Saroun will be able to see clearly again,” says CSC.

Blessing is a 35-year-old seamstress from Nigeria who has one older and four younger siblings. Our medical partner, Hope for West Africa, tells us she has a "sweet personality" and likes to cook. Blessing was recently diagnosed with uterine fibroids, painful noncancerous growths in the uterus. As a result, she has been having painful, prolonged menstrual periods and difficulty urinating. "Due to the pains and prolonged menstrual flow she hasn't been concentrating in her business of making clothes," shares Hope for West Africa, our medical partner. Blessing is unable to pay for treatment, as she contributes part of her income to help her siblings attend school. For $1,500 we can fund surgery to remove the growths, relieving Blessing's pain. The funding will also cover hospitalization and recovery. "Blessing looks forward to when she can concentrate and spend most days in her shop without pain and heavy flow," the staff at Hope for West Africa adds.

“Taina is an intelligent and cheerful girl who enjoys going to school and is in the third grade,” says our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Taina also likes to play with dolls and make new friends. Taina was born with a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect. "A hole exists between the two upper chambers of her heart," explains HCA. "Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak.” Taina requires surgery to repair the opening between the atria in her heart. “Following surgery, normal blood flow should be restored to Taina’s heart and body,” says HCA, “and she should no longer have symptoms from this condition.” However, Taina needs help securing funding for her operation. “Her mother passed away when she was young, and she lived in the streets for some time before being enrolled into an orphanage,” says HCA. Gift of Life International has contributed $5,000 towards her surgery, and an additional $1,500 in Watsi funding is needed to cover preparation and transportation costs, as this surgery is not readily available in Haiti. With our help, Taina can receive the medical care she needs to restore her health. “I am very excited to have my surgery so that I can play with my friends without getting tired,” she shares.

"Nazrawit fell inside the house about one year ago and sustained an open fracture," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. She is 11 years old and lives in Ethiopia with her large extended family. Since the fall, Nazrawit sustained a tibia fracture and developed osteomyelitis (infection in the bone) due to her lack of treatment. Her open wound has kept her from going to school, as she is unable to walk normally. Without treatment, she will have to leave school permanently and may develop a deformity or possibly have to amputate her leg. $1,470 will cover the surgery, cast, and medication she needs. "When the bone heals, Nazrawit will be able to walk without assistance and live a normal life," AMHF explains. Due to the size of Nazrawit's immediate family, she lives with her maternal aunt, uncle, and cousins. When possible, she likes to help out with the younger children, however it is often difficult due to her condition. "Nazrawit is very eager to learn and is looking forward to going back to school and eventually becoming a teacher," her uncle expresses.

Myint, a 52-year-old mother of four, runs a small flower shop. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us she lives with her youngest daughter and son-in-law in Burma. Three years ago, Myint was carrying a heavy object when she felt her uterus prolapse. This condition occurs when the muscles surrounding the uterus weaken, causing the uterus to shift out if its normal position. Over time, these muscles continue to weaken. “Gradually Myint’s prolapsed uterus became bigger and she also experiences pain in her abdomen,” her doctor says. Due to this, Myint finds it hard to work and support her family financially. For $1,500, Myint will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy. This operation will remove both her uterus and cervix, preventing the problem from returning in the future. Once she undergoes surgery, Myint looks forward to returning to work, sharing, “I want to earn more money, be happy and healthy.”

Meet Jean Willio, a 17-month-old boy who lives in Haiti with his parents and seven older siblings. Jean Willio's two favorite pastimes are playing with his older siblings and enjoying music. His parents are both farmers. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) shares, "Jean Willio was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole in the heart which normally closes shortly after birth, remains open." As a result of his heart condition, "blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen." Without treatment, Jean Willio will remain sickly and weak. Jean Willio's family cannot afford the $1,500 surgery he needs to restore blood flow to his heart. Fortunately, we can help. After the surgery, "he should not have any further cardiac symptoms," says HCA. "We have made many trips to the hospital with our son," Jean Willio's father shares. "We are very happy his heart can be fixed so we don't have to do that anymore."