Marlon is a three-month-old boy from Guatemala. His mother is having trouble producing breastmilk. For this reason, Marlon is not receiving adequate amounts of protein, calories, or nutrients. When he cries from hunger, his mother gives him sugar water or asks neighbors to breastfeed him. Without adequate nutrition, Marlon is at risk of developmental delays. Fortunately, he began nutritional treatment on December 22. Marlon lives with his family in a one-room adobe house. His father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops on a local plantation. His mother takes care of Marlon and his sisters and weaves traditional Mayan textiles. Despite wanting the best for their son, Marlon's parents cannot afford the expensive formula he needs. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is requesting $1,107 to fund his treatment. Marlon's treatment will be simple and effective. He will receive formula, which will give him the protein, calories, and nutrients he needs to grow and develop. His mother will receive in-home nutrition education, so she will learn low-cost ways to prevent future cases of malnutrition. Marlon's immune system will strengthen, and he will grow up to be a healthy, energetic baby.

“May God bless the people that are donating to my hospital bills and care,” Jolly says. “Getting this surgery is giving me an opportunity to live again.” 62-year-old Jolly has been living with a cystocele, an uncomfortable gynecological condition. As a result, she has dealt with discomfort and pain for two years. This discomfort poses a challenge to Jolly’s work and social life in Uganda. She and her husband grow bananas and coffee and raise cattle to support their eight children and their grandchildren. However, manual labor is difficult for Jolly when she is in pain. Furthermore, she loves attending church, but being in public can be stressful because of her symptoms. In order to reduce her discomfort and to avoid further complications, Jolly underwent a hysterectomy on November 24. She raised $8 to pay for this procedure. With Watsi’s help, she hopes to raise $321 more to fully cover these expenses. Jolly hopes that after she is relieved of her pain, she will be able to comfortably farm and listen to sermons at church.

Mai is eight years old and in the first grade. He has two brothers and one sister. He likes to play around his home with his cousins and watch animated films on TV. In September of 2013, a two-wheel tractor ran over Mai's right foot. He went to a hospital in Phnom Penh for treatment, but his symptoms did not improve. It became difficult for Mai to walk, and he was in pain. Over time, Mai's foot enlarged due to hyperplasia, which means the reproduction rate of the cells in his foot increased. The foot also became deformed, making him unable to walk comfortably. Mai was embarrassed by his foot, so he did not want to go to school. Mai's parents brought him to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Unfortunately, his foot was beyond repair. On December 23, surgeons at CSC amputated Mai's foot to allow him to feel comfortable again. CSC is requesting $446 to fund this procedure.

Marvious is a six-year-old girl from Uganda who has been diagnosed with malnutrition. Her diet does not provide her with sufficient nutrients and calories. Marvious is the oldest child of three. She was enrolled in school, but her symptoms have recently stopped her from attending. When she is feeling well, Marvious enjoys playing with other children in her community. Left untreated, malnutrition can lead to reduced growth and development. Fortunately, Marvious began malnutrition treatment on November 26. This treatment is provided by our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation. Marvious's parents, Ruth and Ben, work as farmers. They own a small piece of land, on which they grow food for the family. However, they cannot afford their daughter's treatment. Though they contributed $4, our medical partner is requesting another $316 in funding. Once Marvious has recovered, Ruth hopes to send her daughter back to school. "I wish to thank everyone that is contributing towards the care of my daughter," she says. "To have support from Watsi is a relief to me. May God bless the donors."

El-el is a three-year-old boy who lives with his parents in a small house made of scrap materials. His father does not have a stable job and cannot provide for his family's basic needs. El-el, who cannot walk or swallow properly, is severely malnourished. He weighs much less than other children his age. One out of five children under five years of age in communities served by our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), 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 increase the risk of potentially fatal childhood diseases. Fortunately, El-el began ICM's malnutrition treatment program on October 17, 2016. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the additional food to gain weight and achieve optimal physical and mental development. After identifying a malnourished child, ICM staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor the child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, professional staff members educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. $289 pays for El-el to participate in the Home-Based Feeding program and receive the nutritional supplementation that he needs to grow up healthy and strong. "We really hope that El-el will be able to see the world someday, somehow," his parents say.

Ma Kyi is a shy, 14-year-old girl from Hpa-an, Burma. She lives with her parents, aunt, and three of her four siblings. Ma Kyi was born with a mass between her eyes. Her parents did not seek treatment because the mass did not cause Ma Kyi any health problems; she had no pain and no issues with her vision or breathing. The parents hoped that the mass might disappear by itself and a person in their village told them that surgery could make Ma Kyi lose her vision. The parents had also never been to a city before and believed they did not have enough money for surgery. Despite the lack of physical symptoms, Ma Kyi’s condition has significantly impacted her life; she felt so self-conscious about her appearance that she stopped attending school four years ago in grade four. Since she has been out of school, she has tried to help her parents around the house as much as possible. She needs a CT scan to confirm what her condition is - though it is suspected to be an encephalocele, or a neural tube defect. Should this be the case, she will be able to receive subsequent surgery to ensure the mass does not grow larger or impact her vision and development in the future. "I hope that Ma Kyi will receive treatment and go back to school," shares her mother.

"It is impossible for us to send Joyce to a hospital because we are poor," shares the mother of four-year-old Joyce. "We want her to become healthy and walk if possible." Joyce and her seven siblings live in a house in the Philippines with their parents. Her father is tricycle driver, and his income is just enough to meet the family's basic needs. Her mother cannot work because of Joyce's health. Joyce has cerebral palsy and a heart problem, and she cannot walk or speak clearly. Despite these difficulties, she is always smiling. Joyce is also severely acutely malnourished. One out of five children under five in communities served by our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), 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. Fortunately, on October 18, 2016, Joyce began ICM's malnutrition treatment program. 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 the 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. Joyce's family needs our help to pay for this $268 treatment.

10-month-old Obadia has just started crawling. He is the fourth child in his family and lives with his mother in a small mountain village near the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. His mother, Evas, is a subsistence farmer. She grows beans, cassava, tea, and sorghum to feed her family. Evas enjoys playing with her children and going to church on Sundays. Obadia's father, Francis, works away from home in lumbering. Obadia is suffering from severe malnutrition, accompanied by diarrhea and muscle and fat loss. Chronic malnutrition may lead to poor brain development and growth. However, with a $316 month-long treatment program from Watsi medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, Obadia can regain his health.

"I hope my son will finish his studies and achieve his dreams someday," says Biejay's mother. Biejay is a three-year-old boy from the Philippines. He lives with his parents and one sibling, and he loves playing toy cars with his neighbors. Biejay's father is a laborer and doesn't make enough money to fulfill all of his son's nutritional needs. Because of this, Biejay suffers from moderate acute malnutrition––a health condition that affects one out of five children under the age of five in communities served by Watsi's medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). Biejay is at risk for permanent mental and physical disabilities ranging from Attention Deficit Disorder and underdeveloped social skills to stunted growth and heart issues. Fortunately, Biejay began $184 treatment through ICM's home-based feeding program on October 17, 2016. He will be given nutrient-enriched food packs to help him regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. In addition, ICM staff and community volunteers will make weekly visits to monitor his progress in the program. To help sustain Biejay's long-term health, ICM's staff will educate his parents about proper nutrition, organic vegetable gardening, sanitation, and hygiene. Biejay's mother shares, "I hope my son will finish his studies and achieve his dreams someday."

Swe Swe is a 44-year-old Burmese woman living in Mae Sot, Thailand. Swe Swe moved to Mae Sot with her husband and three sons in search of better job opportunities. Last year, Swe Swe began to experience uncomfortable symptoms in a sensitive area. She visited a local hospital and began to take medication in an effort to combat these symptoms. After a year, medication had not relieved Swe Swe's symptoms––instead, she began to feel back and abdominal pain. Worries about her health were preventing her from eating or sleeping well. Swe Swe's condition also inhibited her from helping around the house. Her husband was kept very busy doing all the housework in addition to working full-time. Finally, an ultrasound performed at a local clinic showed that Swe Swe had a mass in her uterus. She needed a hysterectomy surgery. Fortunately, Swe Swe received surgery at our medical partner's hospital, Mae Sot General Hospital, on October 19, 2016. Both Swe Swe's husband and oldest son work, but their combined income is not enough to pay for her healthcare. They need help to fund this $1,500 treatment. “I really want to be healthy again so I can find a good job and save money for my sons," says Swe Swe. "I am especially sad about my oldest son. He had to stop school early so he could help to support our family. I want to make enough money to send him back to school and to send all of them to university.”

18-year-old Luis lives in rural Guatemala with his mother. He has been living with epilepsy since he was two years old. Luis was a healthy child until he contracted a fever that left him unable to walk or get up from bed. The illness confined him to a wheelchair and resulted in seizures that still occur three to six times a week. Since then, Luis has tried many medications and treatment strategies with little success. On October 14, 2016, Luis began a series of diagnostic tests––including labs and an MRI––with physicians at our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK), to determine the cause of his seizures. The WK medical team will develop a personalized treatment plan to reduce the frequency and length of his seizures. Hopefully, this plan will improve Luis's quality of life. Now, Luis's mother needs help to pay for this $1044 treatment. “I dream my son will get better," she shares.

Meet Koy, a 46-year-old rice farmer and father of one from Cambodia. He enjoys listening to music and news on the radio and watching boxing on television. Koy developed a cataract in each eye two years ago, which causes him blurred vision and tearing. To seek treatment for his condition, Koy traveled four hours with his wife to reach Watsi's medical partner in Cambodia, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Doctors at CSC will perform a phacoemulsification procedure, breaking apart Koy's clouded lenses and replacing them with clear, intraocular lens implants. Koy's income is reliant on his farm work, which is often unpredictable. He therefore requires financial support to afford this $292 surgery that will allow him to see clearly again. Let's help Koy receive the care he needs to regain clear vision and return to supporting his family.