Sros is a 30-year-old NGO staff member from Cambodia. She works for an education organization and her husband is a chef. They have one son together. She enjoys teaching children, and going on bike rides with her son. She also enjoys reading English books and listening to music on her mobile phone. Three years ago, Sros developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her severe irritation, redness, and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Sros learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two-and-a-half hours seeking treatment. Sros needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for August 10th. Sros said, "This eye problem has made it difficult for me to work and take care of my son, but my husband has worked hard to keep our family in good health. Now I hope I can help him so he can relax."

Richard is a laborer from Kenya. He is married and a father of two children. One day in June, as Richard was going home from work, he was hit by a vehicle and sustained an open fracture of his right tibia bone. He is not able to walk and uses a wheelchair to move. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 12, Richard will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and go back to work once he is fully recovered. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $998 to fund this procedure. “I have a lot of pain and am afraid to delay the surgery. My family is still very young and require my support. Kindly help me so that I can be well again to earn for my family," he says.

Hla is a 35-year-old woman from Thailand. She is originally from Karen State, Burma but moved to Thailand when she was 12 years old. She lives with her 11-year-old son. She sells vegetables, which she picks on different farms around Mae Sot. In June, Hla had an accident while she was riding a bicycle with her son from school. She is now suffering with pain in her arm. Her left forearm and fingers are swollen, and she is unable to move and use them properly. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Hla will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for June 8 and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Hla will be able to return home. She says, “I am worried that soon I might not be able to pay rent for our house anymore. Also, I am worried about my arm. I hope that I will be able to use it again in the future, so that I can go back to work and support me and my son.”

Martha is a mother of two from Kenya. She stopped working two months ago. Currently, the family relies on her husband, a construction worker. Their two children are in high school. Martha has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Martha. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 11. After treatment, Martha will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Martha says, “My prayer is to be treated and resume my duties. I wish to help my husband in raising our children.”

Smaha is a young student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three siblings in Cap Haitien, a city on the northern coast of Haiti. She attends kindergarten, and likes coloring and doing art projects. Smaha has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and short of breath. On April 8, she will undergo cardiac surgery at St. Damien Hospital, our medical partner's care center. During surgery, Surgeons will use stitches to close off the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Smaha's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and medications. Her mother says, "We are very happy that Smaha can have this surgery, and would like to say thank you to everyone!"

Rose is a housewife from Kenya. She is widow with two children. She owns a small green grocery business. For five years, Rose has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and bleeding. She has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $718 to fund Rose's surgery. On March 9, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Rose will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. “I have suffered so much and I pray that Watsi will support me so that I can go back to my normal life and start working and not depending on my children,” says Rose.

Pakizani is a farmer from Malawi. He lives with his wife, and they have eight children. Pakizani spends his days tending his land and raising chickens. In his free time, he likes to play with his grandchildren Since 2016, Pakizani has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Pakizani's surgery. On February 8, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Pakizani was thrilled to find out his procedure would be funded. He is looking forward to living free of the pain associated with his condition. He says, "Thank you Watsi."

Sophat is a father of three from Cambodia. He works as a nurse in a remote provincial hospital. He is busy with three kids, and enjoys gardening around his house, particularly his flowers and mango trees. For the last three years, he has been experiencing hip pain due to avascular necrosis. He can only walk about ten meters, which isn't suitable for his job. He's in pain and it's also affecting his sleep. Fortunately, Sophat learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Sophat of his pain and allow him to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for January 10, and Sophat needs help raising $1,025 to pay for this procedure. He says, "It's difficult to work and I want to support my family."

Po is a 44-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and two children in a rural village. She and her husband are subsistence farmers, growing peanuts and beans. Po 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. She began to experience frequent tiredness in 2014, and her symptoms intensified in 2017. She could not walk long distances due to heart palpitations. She often feels dizzy and even loses her appetite during extreme tiredness. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Po. The treatment is scheduled to take place on December 13 and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Po says, “I hope to continue to work on the farm with my husband. And bring my children back to take care of them. I want to be cured of my condition and I am not worried about having to go through a surgery. I believe in the surgeon who will take care of my condition.”

Two-year-old Tabitha lives with her mother and grandparents in Haiti. She enjoys playing with the other children in her neighborhood and helping her family cook their meals. Tabitha was born with a cardiac condition called complete atrioventricular canal defect. With this condition, a large hole exists between all four chambers of her heart, allowing blood to mix freely between them. This prevents Tabitha's body from receiving enough oxygen and leaves her sick and weak. Complete atrioventricular canal defects are especially common in children like Tabitha who have Down syndrome. Watsi's medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,343 to pay for Tabitha to travel to the Cayman Islands for treatment. Tabitha's trip is currently scheduled for August 9. "My family is very excited for Tabitha to be able to play and be active without getting tired!" shares her mother. Let's help make that happen!

Mpapa is a 10-year-old boy from Kenya. He lives with his parents and five siblings in a small town north of Nairobi. His father is a motorcycle taxi driver who also raises goats. Recently, Mpapa was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in the amputation of the fingers of his right hand. His father rushed him to a local hospital, where he was referred to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. Doctors recommended a debridement procedure and a skin graft in order to prevent infection of the bones and of the exposed tissue. Mpapa's father immediately sold eight of the family goats in order to pay for Mpapa's hospital admission, however the money is still not enough to cover the recommended treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,129, on top of the $206 subsidized by Mpapa's family, to cover the cost of Mpapa's operation. The procedures are scheduled to take place on June 29 and, once completed, will hopefully protect Mpapa's hand from infection. “I would like to see my son doing okay and being able to utilize his hand," says Mpapa's father.

Tin is a 37-year-old woman from Burma who lives with her family and works as a schoolteacher. Two years ago, Tin started to experience difficulty breathing when walking up the stairs to get to her classroom. She could feel her heart beating fast and often experienced shortness of breath when performing regular daily activities. Tin later visited a local clinic, where doctors explained that she has a large hole in her heart. Over time, the medications that she received stopped working. Tin visited several other clinics and spent a lot of money to treat her condition, however her symptoms failed to improve. Finally, Tin was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), for further treatment. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of an atrial septal defect closure that will close the hole in Tin's heart. The treatment is scheduled to take place on July 15, and, once completed, will hopefully allow Tin to live much more comfortably. "Currently I am still suffering from the same symptoms, but I cannot take too much time off work, otherwise my salary will be cut," says Tin. "Once I recover, I hope to return to teaching private lessons to my students."