“This injury has been very painful for Himal,” says Himal’s uncle. “He has been crying a lot.” Recently, eight-year-old Himal was minding cattle with his friends in the forest near their homes in Nepal. While walking down a steep hill, Himal slipped and fell hard. His elbow was dislocated in the fall, and his hand has become swollen. He received a deep cut on his forehead as well. Himal’s family was worried that he was not healing faster. His uncle shares, "Himal fainted for a while and was experiencing pain and a fever, so I decided to visit the doctors." They took a two-hour walk to visit Bayalpata Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a broken hand. Himal needs to have his hand set and casted in order for it to recover properly. However, his family cannot afford to pay for these procedures. His parents are farmers, and the typical yield from their field is enough to feed the family for only six months of the year. When times are tough, Himal’s father goes to India to work as a laborer and returns when he has saved some money. For $195, we can fund the full treatment that Himal’s hand needs, from x-rays and medications to his cast and physiotherapy. "I am so thankful that Himal can receive his treatment free of cost,” Himal’s uncle adds. Let’s make sure Himal heals properly so he can get back to playing with his friends—and to a pain-free daily life.

Joseph is a cute and happy eight-month-old baby boy who lives with his family in Tanzania. Joseph was born at home, but he was quickly rushed the hospital soon after birth because he had trouble breathing. Enlarged adenoids—masses of lymphatic tissue between the back of the nose and throat—have made it very difficult for Joseph to breastfeed. He cannot breathe through his nose, snores a lot, has trouble sleeping, and his nose runs constantly. Treatment for Joseph is an adenoidectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the enlarged adenoids. His parents, who work as small-scale farmers and keep a few cattle, work hard to take care of their family, but they cannot afford to pay for the surgery that Joseph needs. $488 pays for Joseph's operation as well as three medical consultations and three days of hospital care, including lab tests, an X-ray, pain medicine, and antibiotics. “All I want is my baby to have the ability to breathe through his nose so that he can breastfeed with ease and sleep better,” shares Joseph’s mother.

21-year-old Phat lives in Cambodia with her parents, sister, and brother. When not working as a farmer, Phat enjoys watching TV at home and cooking food for her parents. When Phat was eight years old, she received a snakebite on her left foot. The bite caused a Volkmann contracture, which is a deformity caused by injury to the muscles. The deformity turned into clubfoot, a condition when the foot is twisted out of shape or position. It is difficult for her to walk and she is currently in pain. Phat traveled with her mom for five hours to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. For $304, surgeons at CSC will perform a clubfoot correction surgery and use a frame to straighten her foot. Once she heals, Phat will have regular physiotherapy at CSC until she can walk easily.

“I would like to thank all the donors from the bottom of my heart," shares 50-year-old Clauda. "Hopefully, I will be pain free soon.” Clauda and her husband, Fabian, have two children and live in a village about 40km from Bwindi Community Hospital in Uganda. They both work as farm laborers, joining groups that go to the fields to work for large farms and tea plantations. Clauda, though, has had an umbilical hernia for about 15 years and the pain has been getting worse, making it difficult for her to walk and to work. What makes Clauda happy and gives her joy is to see her children healthy and doing well. The oldest is in school and the youngest will go next year, hopefully. At home, she works in the garden to grow food for her family. She also works with the village savings program learning about money management and helping others. $208 will fund the hernia repair surgery Clauda needs to get healthy. “After my surgery, I look forward to being able to farm like I used to," shares Clauda. "And, if we have extra, I can sell it in the market for school fees for my children."

Keath is a 50-year-old woman from Cambodia, who is disabled and unable to work. She has one older sister. Keath enjoys visiting the pagoda to join in ceremonies. She traveled three hours with her sister to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. Keath developed a cataract in each eye three years ago. This causes her blurred vision, tearing, and she can't go outside easily on her own. After a phaco procedure and intra-ocular lens (IOL) implant in each eye, Keath will be able to see clearly again. This procedure will cost $292. Let's help restore Keath's vision!

Chetraj is a 60-year-old man from Nepal who lives with his wife. His son works in India to support the family back home while his wife is housewife. Their income is barely enough for eight months to cover their daily needs. About two months ago, Chetraj began to have pain when he would walk. He went to the district hospital for a check up. He underwent a series of tests and was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. Doctors from the district hospital referred him to Possible's hub at Bayalpata Hospital, the only center in the entire district for hernia repair. He took around three hours long jeep ride to reach at the hospital. For $451, Chetraj will have hernia repair surgery to move his organs back into place, avoiding strangulation and other complications and alleviating his pain.

Ny is a 28-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He is married with two sons, and enjoys watching television and looking after his children. Ny was in a moto accident in April 2013 and fractured his left humerus. After traveling six hours with his wife to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), Ny was given an x-ray and told that his fracture has failed to heal. He is in pain, and currently cannot use his left arm. Surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction internal fixation procedure, during which they will reset the fractured bone and fix it in place using steel rods, screws, or plates. Ny requires assistance to cover the $411 surgical cost. After a successful operation, Ny's fracture will be healed and he will regain use of his left arm.

Meet Melany, a 20-month-old baby from Guatemala. Melany 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 and her stuffed animals. 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. Due to malnutrition, Melany is below the average height and the average weight for her age. 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 Melany 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 Melany of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for her parents. With these combined efforts, Melany will recoup her weight and height and strengthen her immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.

This is Kan, a 60-year-old farmer who is married with three sons and two daughters. He enjoys working on his farm field, relaxing at home, and watching news on TV. Kan came to Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), complaining of severe right hip pain. He traveled three hours with his son in search of treatment. Doctors discovered a right hip fracture and arthritis. Because of his pain, Kan cannot walk. For $430, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Center will perform a right hip replacement. The arthritic hip joint will replaced with an artificial one, reinforced with metal rods. After a recovery period, Kan will be able to walk easily again and without pain. After treatment, Kan will be able to care for his family in good health.

In June of 2016, Korb, a 60-year-old woman from Cambodia, fractured the femoral neck of her left hip when she slipped and fell. She is in pain and is unable to walk or stand. Femoral neck fractures are commonly found in the elderly population, and occur when the ball (of the ball-and-socket joint) is fractured. Treatment almost always requires surgery. In Korb's case, surgeons at Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a hemiarthroplasty to replace the damaged bone. The surgery will replace half of the hip joint with a prosthetic. The surgery plus two days in the hospital to recover will cost $392. After surgery, Korb will be able to walk again and be free of pain. Since she is unable to work currently, she enjoys staying at home and looking after her grandchildren.

"Sometimes I just can't find anything to do for my daughter because I don't have the resources to give her what she needs,” shares Nataly’s mother. 17-month-old Nataly lives with her mom, her two siblings, and her grandparents in a wood home in Guatemala. Nataly loves to play with her siblings, and with a little teddy bear that a neighbor gave her--it is the only toy she has. Nataly's mother has noticed that her daughter is not growing like she should. Her baby’s height is nearly three standard deviations below what's healthy, but she is still losing weight. Nataly also gets sick with fevers and diarrhea almost every week. These are symptoms of Nataly’s malnutrition, a problem that could stunt her neurodevelopment, weaken her immune system, and put her at risk of chronic diseases in the future. Nataly's mother is raising her by herself, and has not had much support from family. She has been having a hard time finding work to support her kids, and cannot afford the vegetables and eggs that Nataly needs on a daily basis in order to grow. But for $512, we can provide Nataly with the growth monitoring, micronutrients and food supplementation she will need to recover from malnutrition. She will gain weight to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger, preventing her from having any life-threatening situations with diarrhea and fevers. The increased caloric intake will also help Nataly develop mentally. Lastly, the requested funding will also sponsor nutritional training for Nataly’s mother, tailored to help her give Nataly a healthy diet that fits the family’s budget. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition. “ I appreciate the help that my daughter will receive so that she can improve and grow well,” Nataly’s mother adds. “I want my daughter to study so she can be a nurse." Let’s give Nataly the chance to someday finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition.