Liam is a 5-year-old boy from Kenya. He was born spina bifida and clubfoot. A few days after his birth, the doctor also noticed that his testicles had yet to descend. At the time, this was not a major concern because it sometimes takes a while for this to occur. Liam's mom was told to bring him back in five years if this did not happen. In the meantime, Liam underwent treatment for his other birth defects. Four years down the line, only one of Liam's testicles had descended, so Liam's mom brought him to Watsi's Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital for examination in 2019. Upon review, Liam was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Liam has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Doctors recommended he undergo surgery, to be covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). The NHIF request was approved, but not approved at a level to cover all of Liam's treatment. Liam's mom decided to wait until she could raise more funds, but unfortunately the NHIF approval expired three months later without her knowledge. One year later, one of BethanyKids' social workers reviewed a list of patients and saw that Liam still had yet to receive treatment. Liam’s mother has not been able to raise the required amount for her son’s surgery through their friends and family. Liam’s father passed away when he was three weeks old. Having lost the breadwinner of the family, Liam's mother had to work hard to support them. Before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Liam’s mother had found a job as a nursery school teacher. However, the job only lasted for three months until the school closed down due to the pandemic. When the schools reopened, she was not able to go to work because Liam was not accepted again in the school he used to attend. She is appealing for financial help. Liam will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 8th. AMHF is requesting $561 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Liam’s mother shared, “Through the years since Liam was born, I have never given up on him. He has undergone several surgeries and God has always provided. Even in the upcoming surgery, I am very hopeful that Liam will be treated.”

Angkea Sel is a 21-year-old photographer with two brothers and one sister. Angkea Sel's father and brothers are policemen and his sister is in 11th grade. Angkea Sel enjoys listening to classical music, playing football, watching movies, and meeting up with friends in his free time. In February 2020, Angkea Sel was in an accident that caused severe fractures of the 4th and 5th fingers of his right hand, making it difficult for him to use his hand due to his chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will perform a fracture repair procedure so that Angkea Sel will be able to use his fingers easily again. Angkea Sel shared, "I hope this surgery will help me regain my strength and return to work."

Phoeun is a mother of two from Cambodia. She is a retired rice farmer who has two married daughters. She lives with her grandchildren and her husband who is a retired teacher. At her age, she no longer works in the rice field; she likes to stay at home and look after her grandchildren, who enjoy eating her traditional Khmer food One year ago, Phoeun developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to have halos around lights at night, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and glare. When Phoeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled there hoping for treatment. On February 1st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. "I hope after surgery, I can go outside again. I can help my children take care of my grandchildren and help around the house as before."

Moses is a quiet two-year-old boy. In early 2018, Moses was an orphan rescued by New Life Home in Kisumu. When a new child is rescued, they have a full health examination for birth defects and any other medical condition that might require medical intervention. During Moses’ examination, the physicians diagnosed him with Hirschsprung’s disease, which affects his large intestine and digestive system as a whole. Since then, he has been under a close eye of the medical practitioners in the facility. After some time, Moses was moved to the organization's Nairobi branch so that they could bring him to Watsi's Medical Partner BethanyKids Hospital for review. After some examinations, he was scheduled for surgery, which was to be supported by a national health insurance system. During admission to the hospital awaiting his surgery, Moses became sick and was diagnosed with pneumonia. His surgery had to be postponed so that he could recover from the illness. Once he felt better, Moses was scheduled for surgery again. This important procedure will help him to pass stool properly without any complications. The orphanage home that rescued Moses has National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) coverage that would have helped pay for Moses' surgery initially. However, due to his pneumonia, the funds were depleted while he was in the hospital during his illness. NHIF will not approve support for the surgery, so we are raising funds to cover his cost of care. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Moses receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo an anorectoplasty on January 11th at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $743, and he needs help raising money. Moses’ guardian shared, “As a children rescue home, it is our joy when the rescued children are in good health and independent in many ways. For Moses, it will great joy to us for him to be treated.”

Kikafunda is a farmer from Uganda. He is a married father to seven children, including five sons with three still studying and two driving motorcycle taxis. His two daughters are married and are now small-scale farmers. Kikafunda holds a degree in social work and social administration and has all along been working with NGOs, but lost his job. He now does farming where he earns from his banana plantation, but since he still has children studying, the money he earns from the plantation alone can’t sustain him and provide to the family. For some time now, Kikafunda has had a left inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him weakness and pain and prevents him from working. Fortunately, on September 8th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $230 to fund Kikafunda's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Kikafunda told us: “I hope to get relief because I have really had this condition for so long and it has given me a hard time.”

Ly is a 48-year-old street noodle vendor from Cambodia. He's married with one son and one daughter. He and his wife work together as street noodle vendors near their home. He shared with us that he enjoys helping his children with their homework and doing activities outdoors with his family on the weekends. His relatives live in the province so he sends money to his parents and takes his children to visit them from time to time. In 2018, Ly started experiencing ear discharge and hearing loss in his right ear, Ly had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in his right ear to perforate. For this reason, Ly experiences ear discharge, itchiness, tinnitus, and hearing loss. He can't communicate clearly with other people. Ly traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 24th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $464 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Ly said, "I hope after my surgery is done the ear discharge and infection will go away and some of my hearing will return."

Banshekwire is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is a mother of seven children - her first born is now 21 years old and her youngest is 6 years old. Her husband is also a farmer and they own a three room semi-permanent house for shelter. For 20 years Banshekwire has experienced troubling symptoms, including difficulty breathing and persistent headaches. Doctors have diagnosed her with a multinodular goitre. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Banshekwire receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 7th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $293, and Banshekwire and her family need your support. Banshekwire says, “All I pray for is to get well through the surgery and be able to work harder and support my family financially through farming. Its currently hard for me because of my neck and how I feel.”

Kim Sour is a 32-year-old factory worker, from Cambodia. She is married with one daughter and two sons. Kim Sour's husband is a fisherman. When she is not at work, she helps her children at home and prepares food for their family. Six years ago she began experiencing ear discharge. In the past few years she has experienced ringing in her ear and hearing loss as well. Kim Sour had an ear infection and this infection caused her tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear ear to perforate. Her husband feels very worried about his wife's pain and hearing loss. Kim Sour traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 1st, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $464 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She said, "I hope that this surgery can improve my hearing and make my ear pain stop."

Nay Toe is a seven-year-old boy from Burma. He was recently diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which has caused fluid to build up in his brain. Without immediate surgery to alleviate the intracranial pressure that the excess fluid is causing, he is at risk of developing severe, potentially fatal medical complications. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for Nay Toe, which will drain the fluid that has accumulated in his brain. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 21, and, once completed, will greatly improve Nay Toe's quality of life. Nay Toe said, “One day, I will be able to write, and I can become a teacher.”

Zaw is a 14-year-old student from Burma. He lives with his parents, grandmother, two aunts, brother, and cousin. Both his parents are middle school teachers. Zaw was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Zaw. The treatment is scheduled to take place on May 22 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. “Before he was able to study and memorize his homework well. But now he has difficulty studying and memorizing,” says his father.

Nam is a 16-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her family in Mae Sot. She likes reading in her free time. Nam was born with a meningocele, a birth defect in which the spinal cord fails to form properly. Meningocele is characterized by a sac-like protrusion of the membranes surrounding the spinal column. If left untreated, it can result in extreme neurological impairment due to the continued exposure of the spinal tissue. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of meningocele repair surgery for Nam. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 25. Nam says, "I want to finish my high school and after that I will join the university in Thailand."

Ai is a boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and four siblings. In his free time, Ai likes to play with his friends and swim. When Ai was five months old, he burned his right palm and hand. He is no longer able to move the fingers on his right hand. He and his mother visited our medical partner, who agreed to help Ai access treatment for his hand. Now, a contracture release surgery has been scheduled for March 22. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Ai said, “In the future I want to earn money for my family, and I want to support my parents when I grow up.”