Said is a talkative, friendly and playful 4-year-old boy who loves to play football and to watch movies. Said's family consists of three other siblings, his mother, who is a housewife, and his father, who is a day laborer getting work whenever he can. Because of a medical condition, Said's legs bow outward and his knees don't touch, which caused difficulty walking. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $880 to fund a procedure that will take place on April 22nd to restore Said's mobility. This treatment will enable him to participate in a variety of activities as he grows and also decrease his risk for future complications. Said’s mother says, “The economy is not good and finding work is getting hard. The little money I get goes to food. If you can help my son have this treatment, I would be very grateful.”

Mom is a 42-year-old seller of snacks and drinks. She is married with three young children. Her husband also sells goods at the market in Siem Reap province. She works hard to keep their house clean, cook for the children, and spend time with relatives when she has free time. Ten years ago, Mom had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. Mom experiences frequent ear infections causing ear discharge, hearing loss and tinnitus. It is difficult for her to communicate with others. She feels unwell and often cannot work due to frequent headaches. Mom is frustrated because she has spent money on medicine and treatments but nothing has worked. Mom traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 8th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left 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 medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She hopes that - after this surgery - her ear infections will disappear and she will improve her hearing. She said, "I want to care for my children and not always feel bad."

Misael is a smiley nine-month-old baby boy from Venezuela. His family moved to Medellín in Colombia after he was born, where his father works in construction and his mother is caring for Misael and dedicated to giving him all of her love. His smile is contagious and his energy is endless! Misael has clubfoot on his left foot. Clubfoot is a congenital musculoskeletal condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Misael and his family traveled to visit our medical partner, Clínica Noel, where they can offer him the life-changing treatment he needs. Fortunately, on March 14th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery to correct his foot. Our medical partner is raising $1,422 to help fund Misael's surgery. After treatment, he will be able to walk and wear shoes as he grows up and eventually run around and play with his friends! His mother said, "Thank you so much for everything you are doing, being in Medellín and finding you has been a blessing."

Marimar is from Samar, an island approximately 530 km away from the capital city of Manila. She's been diagnosed with cholelithiasis, also known as gallstone disease. She saw several doctors in her province after experiencing shooting pains in her stomach whenever she walked. Eventually, her condition has gotten severe to the point that she had to stop working due to her worsening symptoms. Due to the lack of equipment and specialists in their province, she has needed to travel to Manila to get the surgery she needs to heal. If left untreated, her condition may lead to tissue damage, tears in the gallbladder, and infection that can spread to other parts of her body. Luckily, her brother who works in construction in Manila is able to host her to stay with him until she undergoes surgery and afterward as she heals. Her surgery is scheduled for February 1st and our medical partner World Surgical Foundation Philippines is raising $1,253 to fund her procedure and care. After recovering, Marimar will be able to work again to support her family in Samar. Looking forward to a better future, Marimar shared, "after the surgery, I hope to be able to live and work again without the excruciating pain."

Phy is a widower and has nine children and five grandchildren. Four of his children are married and the other five are still single. His wife passed away a long time ago due to an unknown illness, so he lives with his first son. In his free time, Phy enjoys drinking tea and talking with his friends. Phy was in a motor vehicle crash a month ago, where he fell and injured his left shoulder. After the accident, he went to a nearby hospital for medical treatment but his left shoulder is still in pain. He cannot use his arm and cannot work. Now he has traveled two hours to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for a diagnosis and treatment. At CSC, he was diagnosed with a left shoulder dislocation and now needs $412 for surgery to heal his left shoulder. He hopes after surgery, his left shoulder will have no pain, no more infection, and that he will be able to work with his hand again.

Jacob is a 3-year-old who lives with his family in Colombia. His parents moved from Venezuela after he was born seeking better opportunities for their family. Jacob has a 6-year-old sister who loves to play with him. Jacob's family calls him their rainbow baby as after a miscarriage this little angel came to fill his parents lives with joy. He loves to play with cars and different toys, he shares everything unless it's a candy he really likes. He enjoys watching tv and singing and his favorite song is baby shark! On December 20th, our medical partner Clínica Noel will help Jacob undergo a orchidopexy procedure to heal his birth condition. They are raising $1,167 to fund his surgery and care. Jacob's mother said: "I just hope that with this surgery everything goes perfectly. I dream that he can have a normal future with a family and no health difficulties."

Bekalu is a 5-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He loves sweets and playing football. He also loves his dad very much and is a good listener to him. Bekalu is the first child of his parents and he has a younger sister. His dad works as a health information technician in a government clinic. Bekalu’s mother ran a small vegetable business in the neighborhood before she gave birth to their second child. His dad’s income is significantly lower than the needs of the family so having money for healthcare costs is very challenging. Bekalu has been diagnosed with a condition called cryptorchidism. If left untreated, Bekalu has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Bekalu will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 28th. AMHF is requesting $754 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Bekalu's dad said: “I am so happy for him getting such a medical chance. I lost my hope before I came to this hospital. I was thinking ‘What will happen to this boy?’ We couldn’t get him to school as a result of this condition. But it was beyond our expectation to get this service. Once the treatment is finalized and he is as any other boy, me and his mom will have renewed hope and we will educate him well.”

Nin is a 27-year-old rainy day farmer from Cambodia. He has 3 older sibling. Nin shared that he enjoys playing volleyball, football, fishing, and plays chess with his friends. In July 2021, Nin was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a mandible injury and paralysis of his shoulder. After the accident, he had his mandible fixed at a local government hospital. He was also diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his right side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. Nin still has no shoulder abduction, no elbow or wrist flexion, and has no sensation at the level of his forearm. Nin needs nerve reconstruction surgery to repair the injured nerves. Nin traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 6th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will be able to use his arm and hand again. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $696 to fund this procedure. Nin hopes that he can use his hand again as soon as possible.

James is a hardworking man coming from the outskirts of Nairobi and is a father of two daughters, one in college and the other having completed high school recently. He is separated from his wife and takes up casual labour to make ends meet. He is a jovial man. In August, James was involved in an accident when a motorcycle hit him as he walked on a footpath. The motorcycle driver escaped leaving him in pain. He was taken to a local hospital for first aid and then to a district hospital. He had an x-ray done but was only given pain medication and advised to wait for the bone to heal on its own. However, James' mother decided to bring him to Nazareth hospital. His leg is painful and swollen and he is not able to walk at all. James was recommended to undergo an ORIF surgery to repair the fracture. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 30th, James will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The surgery will allow the fractured bone to heal with ease allowing him to walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. James says, “I am glad there is hope for my leg to be treated so that I can go back to my normal life.”

Caleb is a young, four-year-old boy with one older sibling. His family currently lives in a one-roomed rental house made of iron sheeting in Nairobi County in Kenya. Caleb's mother is the sole breadwinner of the family, cleaning clothes in the neighborhood. Caleb has clubfoot on both feet, which doctors informed his mother after delivery immediately, but Caleb did not receive care due to a lack of referrals. Now, four years later, his mother heard about our medical partner's care center, CURE hospital, through a friend whose son had been treated at CURE. She was convinced to visit the hospital for possible treatment. Fortunately, Caleb's family traveled to visit CURE International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Caleb's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Caleb will be free from pain when walking and able to wear shoes comfortably. “I am appealing for help for my son to undergo surgery. I will be grateful to see him walking without struggle like others," Caleb's mother said.

Kishimwi is a playful and friendly young boy who is currently having a hard time walking. Kishimwi has a younger sibling, and his parents are small-scale maize and vegetable farmers who grow food for their family. His father also works as a hawker selling Maasai beads, belts and sandals in order to make extra income. Kishimwi was diagnosed with genu valgus, causing his legs to bend inward to form knock knees. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Kishimwi's parents noticed a slight bent in his leg when he was three years old, but became alarmed when the problem worsened over the past year to the point where walking became difficult. Kishimwi experiences pain when participating in daily activities, so his parents decided to seek treatment for him at a local hospital in their village. The family was advised to give Kishimwi foods containing high calcium and calcium supplements to strengthen his bones and prevent his legs from bending further. However, the effects were negligible and Kishimwi's legs became more bent. Fortunately, an older patient's parent told the family about Watsi's medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC), and the family traveled to the hospital hoping for treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Kishimwi. The procedure will take place on June 29th. Treatment will hopefully restore Kishimwi's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Kishimwi’s father hopes his son's pain will be alleviated after this care, "We have used medication and foods containing high calcium but none has helped. Please help treat my son because as you can see his legs are badly affected."

Wit is a four-year-old boy who lives with his parents in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. Wit goes to junior kindergarten, while his parents own a small shop in the camp. In his free time, he enjoys drawing and coloring. He's also already really interested in fixing and building things. Since he was a year old, Wit has had an inguinal hernia. The hernia causes him pain in his scrotum and in his stomach. Due to the pain, he cannot run and play with his friends and he sometimes he misses school. To control the pain, he takes pain medication three times a day. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is helping Wit to receive treatment. On June 1st, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once completed, the procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Now, BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund Wit's surgery. Wit's mother shared, "he tells me he wants to become a doctor [in the future], but he also says that he wants to become a mechanic or a builder. He will ask me to buy him tools and things to fix. He will try to fix his [father’s] motorcycle and bicycle.”