Kaganda is a builder from Uganda. He is married and a father of 14 children. For five years, Kaganda has had a right inguinal hernia. The hernia causes him mild pain, especially after working and walking long distances. Fortunately, on February 14, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Kaganda's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. He says, “My health is being disturbed by this condition. I need help to have surgery so that I can be able to work well again.’’

Hak is a 26-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. He is married and has one son. In his free time, Hak enjoys watching TV, listening to music, and looking after his son. Hak's left shoulder is dislocated, making it difficult for him to use his arm and causing him pain. His doctor at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), has recommended an ORIF (open reduction internal fixation) surgery to appropriately realign his left shoulder. CSC has requested $411 for Hak's procedure and hospital stay, scheduled for February 15. After the surgery, Hak will be able to move freely again.

Nehemias is a seven-month-old baby from Guatemala's rural highlands. He is just transitioning from formula to solid foods, and so far he loves to eat refried beans and watermelon. Nehemias’s father is a day laborer who harvests tomatoes and blackberries. His mother takes care of the family’s household and weaves traditional Mayan textiles. Nehemias has malnutrition, a dangerous condition that results from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. He is underweight and small for his age. In the short term, malnutrition means Nehemias has little energy to grow and that his immune system is weak. He may also face malnutrition’s long-term consequences, such as increased risk of chronic diseases, low IQ, and higher likelihood of dropping out of school. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Nehemias recover. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age, and his immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. Community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet with limited resources. Nehemias's family cannot afford treatment. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, is requesting $492. He is scheduled to begin treatment on March 13. Nehemias’s mother says, “I am thankful to the institution and the people who care for each of our families without knowing us so that our children can get better.”

Diogenes is an 11-year-old seventh grade student from Elias Pina, a town on the border between Haiti and western Dominican Republic. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and two younger sisters. Diogenes enjoys playing soccer. Diogenes was born with a cardiac condition called partial atrioventricular canal defect, in which a hole exists between the four chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. On February 7, Diogenes will begin receiving treatment at our medical partner's care center, Hospital Pediatrico Robert Reid Cabral. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to fund a full cardiac assessment, which includes physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital for Diogenes. The funding also covers the cost of medications and social support for Diogenes and his family. Diogenes's surgical care is being subsidized by Gift of Life International for $7,000. "I am excited for my surgery so that I can play soccer with my friends without getting tired!" says Diogenes.

Asiimwe is a 16-year-old young woman from Uganda. In her free time, she enjoys listening to gospel music and visiting her friends. Asiimwe visited our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital, when she was pregnant with her first child. Her doctors considered her pregnancy high-risk, so they recommended that she undergo a C-section delivery. On December 5, Asiimwe checked into the hospital to await delivery. $241 covers all of Asiimwe's medical expenses, including four antenatal visits, three nights in the hospital, and one postpartum visit. Asiimwe and Victor are subsistence farmers who grow potatoes, cassava, millet, beans, and maize. They are co-paying $8 to help cover the costs. Asiimwe is looking forward to nursing and caring for her baby. She hopes to continue farming to support her child’s needs and education. “May God bless the donors who are supporting my safe delivery," shares Asiimwe. "I am looking forward to going back home with a healthy baby.”

Aye Than is a 45-year-old Burmese woman. She lives with her mother and siblings in a village close to the Thai-Burma border. At the age of 40, Aye Than started experiencing frequent headaches and a stiff neck. For five years, she treated her symptoms with medication from a local pharmacy. Recently, Aye Than was picking up a bucket of rainwater when she started to feel dizzy and could no longer stand. She sat down to rest, but she found she could no longer open her left eye. After several visits to different hospitals, she was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Through BCMF, Aye Than was transferred to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. She underwent several diagnostic tests, including two CT scans––[one](https://watsi.org/profile/17128140c65d-aye-than) of which was funded by Watsi donors. The results of her tests showed an arteriovenous malformation with a proximal flow-related aneurysm and a fistula. In simpler terms, there was an aneurysm in Aye Than's brain. With this finding, her doctor performed an embolisation procedure on December 14. During this procedure, blood vessels were selectively blocked to treat her condition. Now, BCMF is requesting $1,500 in funding. “I am looking forward to getting better, so I can continue to work with my mother and resume my Buddhist practices: meditation, going to the monastery on full moon days, and maintaining the alter in my home," says Aye Than. She continues, "Without the donors, there was no chance for me to be treated properly. Thank you very much for your help."

Srey Ing is 16 years old and in the tenth grade. She has two sisters and two brothers. She likes to watch movies on TV and draw pictures of flowers. In 2013, Srey Ing was in a motorbike accident that caused a fracture in her left jaw and the humerus of her left arm. She was treated in a hospital in Phnom Penh, but her symptoms did not improve. Srey Ing first visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), in 2015. She was diagnosed with temporomandibular joint ankylosis, a condition in which her jaw bone is fused by bony tissues. This condition made it difficult for her to open her mouth to eat and speak. At CSC, she underwent an osteotomy procedure and completed physiotherapy. Though her symptoms improved, she still had difficulty opening her mouth. On November 29, surgeons at CSC performed another osteotomy procedure to heal Srey Ing's fracture and alleviate her pain. This procedure will allow her to use her mouth easily again. Now, she needs help to pay her $411 medical bill.

21-month-old John lives with his family in a bamboo house without electricity or a water supply. He loves to play basketball with other children. His father works as a laborer at a sugarcane plantation. John has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. He began $268 malnutrition treatment on October 21. He is being treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. "I hope that he can recover from malnutrition," says John's mother, "so that he will become strong and healthy."

Sombo is a 49-year-old woman living in Cambodia with her husband, one son and one daughter. Her family farms rice plants to earn a living. She enjoys listening to radio news and watching Thai dramas on TV. Three years ago, Sombo developed blurred vision and irritation in both eyes. She has also been uncomfortable with the appearance of her eyes. She and her sister traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for further evaluation, and she was found with a pterygium in each eye. 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. The growth can cause discomfort and obstruct vision. There is a higher prevalence for pterygiums along the equator, where there is more sun exposure. Sombo needs a surgical procedure to scrape and remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface, and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The CSC tells us that for $148, Sombo can have the procedure she needs. The total cost covers the procedure, supplies, and two days of inpatient care. After her pterygium excision surgery, Sombo's discomfort will be relieved and her vision will improve.

Kenley lives in far northeastern Haiti with his mother, however they have been staying in Port-au-Prince to have better access to medical care. Kenley is two years old, and has three older siblings who have all graduated from college and are working. At present, his siblings support the family, but his mother hopes to find employment once Kenley is healthier. Kenley was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a large hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood passes through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. Kenley also has Down syndrome. $1,500 in Watsi funding, and an additional $10,000 subsidy from Have a Heart Cayman Islands, will fund the life-saving heart surgery that Kenley needs to grow up healthy. "I am so glad that there is a way to fix Kenley's heart problem," his mother shared. "He can be healthier and have more energy."