Pisey is a 21-year-old construction worker. He has two sisters and two brothers. He likes to watch TV and listen to music in his free time. In June of 2014, Pisey was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture in his left femur and left tibia. He went to a Khmer traditional healer for treatment, but his symptoms did not improve. It was difficult for Pisey to walk, and he could not work to support his family. Pisey first visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), in early December of 2016. Surgeons performed an osteotomy procedure on his left femur to align his bones. Recently, he returned to CSC to further treatment. On December 20, surgeons performed an open reduction internal fixation procedure on Pisey's left femur. After recovery, he should be able to walk easily again. CSC is requesting $411 to fund this treatment.

Sophat is a 37-year-old farmer with one daughter and one son. She likes to go to her farm, do housework, and take care of her children. When she was a child, Sophat developed an infection in her right ear. Since then, she has experienced ear discharge and hearing loss. Sophat's condition makes her unhappy and uncomfortable. Sophat was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), by an NGO that specializes in hearing disabilities. She traveled for six hours to seek treatment. She was diagnosed with a perforated tympanic membrane and tympanic membrane retraction that has caused the formation of a cholesteatoma. A cholesteatoma is a skin growth in the middle ear. On December 14, ENT surgeons performed a tympano-mastoidectomy surgery to repair her perforated eardrum and treat the cholesteatoma. After recovery, Sophat's hearing will improve. Now, CSC is requesting $842 in funding.

Catalina is a seven-month-old girl from Guatemala. Her family cannot afford to give her a nutritious diet filled with protein, calories, and nutrients. She has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. She has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. She is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, Catalina began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016. Catalina loves to play with stuffed animals. She lives with her family in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, harvesting blackberries and corn. Her mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and weaving traditional Mayan textiles. Even though they want the best for their daughter, they cannot afford this $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Catalina recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Catalina a chance to grow healthy and strong.

Yoeun is a 51-year-old rice and crop farmer from Cambodia. She is married with two sons, three daughters, and three grandchildren. Yoeun likes to go to the pagoda to listen to monks pray. She also likes to listen to the news and monks pray on the radio. Yoeun heard about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from her aunt. She traveled for three hours with her aunt to reach CSC for treatment. Yoeun developed a cataract in each eye about five months ago causing her blurred vision. It is difficult for her to see things clearly, do any work, and go anywhere on her own. For $292, Yoeun will undergo cataract surgery in both eyes. After surgery, Yoeun will be able to see clearly again. Yoeun says, "I hope I can see everything more clear than now so that I can continue my work as a farmer just like before and go to the fields easily. I hope to be able to go anywhere outside by myself without needing to disturb others." Yoeun's aunt says, "I hope my niece can see better than now so that I don't have to worry about her vision loss anymore."

Meet Nallely, a 10-month-old girl from Guatemala. Nallely has two older siblings and lives with her parents in a humble adobe house with a tin roof. She loves to listen to music and dance. Nallely's mother cooks, manages the kids, and attends to the house. Nallely 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 Nallely 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 Nallely of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for her parents. With these combined efforts, Nallely will recoup her weight and height and strengthen her immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.

Two-year-old Princess "is a playful girl and very cute," reports our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). "She was loved not only by her parents but her neighbors and friends as well. She loves to play with kids around the neighborhood like they are living in a castle and she and her friends are princesses and princes." Princess lives in a mountainous part of the Philippines with her parents. Recently, her mother noticed a mass near her reproductive organs and sought care for her. "The mother did not hesitate to coordinate with the health staff to subject Princess for consultation to a surgeon," ICM explains. "Tests were performed including ultrasound and she was diagnosed with indirect inguinal hernia and surgery is needed. They cannot afford the surgery needed for Princess because of financial constraints." Princess' hernia is causing her pain, and her mother has had to stay home from work to care for her. For $465, we can pay for surgery to repair her hernia, allowing her to live a normal life. "I am thankful for the sponsors and donors who are very willing to help us. Princess is really a princess to her small kingdom we called our home. Thank you for making her wish come true," Princess' mother says.

Antony is a 44-year-old man who has been diagnosed with osteomyelitis, a bone infection, after a road accident in 2007. He is a father to two children, and separated from his wife in 2009. He has since moved back to his rural home in Kenya. In January of 2007, Antony was in a road accident and suffered multiple injuries. Since then, he had been to various hospitals, and had several surgeries, all in an attempt to improve his health. In our hospital partner's facility, Antony has had several surgeries on his left leg. He has used all his savings, as he has not had any meaningful source of income since his accident. Antony has even conducted several harambees, which are events held to raise funds, to help clear his medical bills. Antony's last surgery was in January of 2016, and he is in need of financial assistance to access further medical treatment. If not treated Antony may not be able to walk well again. There is possibility of severe infection that may result in amputation. $1,500 will cover the cost of of bone transport surgery to cure Antony's osteomyelitis. Portions of the bone that are infected will be removed, with the empty space being filled by bone or tissue from a different area to restore blood flow. After recovery, Antony will be able to continue working and live his life without the possibility of amputation. “I want to be well to earn a living for myself," he shares. "[I want to] write a book on experiences with broken limbs."

Born just six months ago in Tanzania, Joshua is the first child in his family. During the first two months of his life, Joshua had no problems. He was a happy baby, feeding well and growing normally until he developed a severe fever. The fever was treated, but after he recovered, his mother noticed the size of her son’s head was increasing. His body now looks small, and he cannot control his neck at all. Joshua was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain as a result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect. He needs surgery to help reduce the intracranial pressure and prevent him from losing his eyesight and the ability to control his body. Joshua’s mother used to work at a small restaurant in their town, but she can no longer continue with work due to Joshua's condition. Now, she cares for her son at home while Joshua’s father, a self-employed carpenter, works hard to support the family. The little money that he earns is not enough to cover the cost of renting a room or other basic needs as well as the cost of the surgery that Joshua badly needs. For $775, Joshua will undergo surgery to place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain and transport it to his abdomen, where it can be resorbed by the body. Funding also covers the costs of five days of hospital care, dressing changes for his surgical wound, imaging, blood tests, medicine, and two weeks of accommodations at the Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation. Joshua’s mother looks forward to a successful surgery for her son and hopes that he will continue to grow like other children.

Jinja is a 75-year-old small-scale farmer from Malawi, and the father of six children. He is a patient with our medical partner, World Altering Medicine. Jinja has an enlarged prostate, which has led to trouble urinating and defecating properly. The symptoms are significantly affecting his daily life. Jinja needs a prostate resection - surgery that removes part of the prostate gland and improves the flow of urine through the urethra. The treatment costs $742 and includes hospitalization, surgical, and travel costs. Jinja is not feeling anxious about the surgery. Rather, he is looking forward to being relieved from his symptoms. Let's help make it possible!

Enderson has been suffering from seizures since he was six or seven months old. He has tried to seek out care through other outlets, but his family has been unable to afford expensive imaging--leaving the cause of his recurring seizures a mystery. Enderson is 10 years old, and from a rural community in Guatemala. He likes to spend his free time cooking, doing crafts, arranging flowers, and playing soccer with his brothers. He likes to listen to instrumental music, and eat grapes. He and his family are very involved in their church, which they go to every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. His parents both work hard, but they cannot afford to buy food for the family as well as Enderson's expensive medical care. He has been having constant headache for the past two months, and has been having nausea and vomiting almost every day. This has caused him to stay home from school, hurting his ability to graduate on time and fulfill his dreams. Treatment will give Enderson high-quality medical imaging, labs, and medication which will provide him with a more fine-tuned diagnosis and allow him to manage his symptoms. Once he feels better, he will be able to go back to school, and he will be able to pursue his dreams as a chef.

A six-year-old boy, Ayubu likes to skip rope and play football with the other children in his village in Tanzania. Despite his love for being active, Ayubu has been diagnosed with bilateral congenital clubfoot. He was treated as a baby, but it has since relapsed. He needs proper medical treatment to ensure he can recover permanently. "If not treated, Ayubu will be at risk of developing osteoarthiritis at a young age," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), reports. Clubfoot is a developmental disorder that results in the feet turning inwards and with very high arches. To treat his condition, Ayubu will undergo a surgical procedure called a tenotomy, which is the release of of an overly tight tendon, and will also have to wear casts to realign the foot and ankle joint. $1,160 will cover the cost of the surgical and casting procedures, along with a four-month stay in Plaster House, a home where children can recover after surgery. After treatment, "Ayubu's gait will improve and he won't be feeling pain in his ankles when walking," AMHF explains. "I hope my son will be able to walk properly so that he can walk to school with ease," Ayubu's father shares.

42-year-old Naing is a veteran of the Burmese army who lost his right leg in combat 15 years ago. He is married with five daughters, one of whom works in the city, and two of whom are still in school. "Naing began to experience painful urination, back pain, and a tender abdomen eight months ago. He did not try to access healthcare in Burma because he knew that it would be too expensive for his family," explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). Naing has been diagnosed with bladder stones which require surgery to remove. BBP explains, "Currently, he has back pain and painful urination. He can still work as a day labourer sometimes but it is hard for him to work when he is in more pain. He said now he has blood in his urine and he has stopped working. His family and friends are worried about his condition." Naing was discharged from the army with no disability pay or retirement benefits and does not have enough savings to cover his surgery. For $1,500, we can pay for surgery to remove the stones, including transportation to the hospital and all expenses while he recovers from the procedure. Niang shares, "I want to have surgery and recover soon. I would like to work as a barber ... since it would pay better than my present work."