Edson is a six-month-old baby who lives in Guatemala. His best friend is his twin brother. For the first two months of their lives, their mother was able to breastfeed them. However, when she was diagnosed with a virus, she could no longer safely breastfeed her sons. Edson's mother bought the twins an initial supply of formula, but it is too expensive for her to continue buying it. Edson's limited diet has led to malnutrition. To stabilize his condition, Edson was given a preliminary supply of formula at our medical partner's care center, Clinic Miller. Now, the clinic's nutritionist is creating a formal nutritional treatment plan for Edson. Edson will begin malnutrition treatment on January 17. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $1,107 in funds to provide Edson with nutritious formula. The funds will also cover the cost of health education for Edson's mother. One-on-one motivational education will teach her how to identify signs of malnutrition and how to create a nutritious, inexpensive diet for Edson. “I hope my son recuperates and attains a normal height and weight,” says Edson's mother. With the formula, Edson’s immune system will strengthen, and he will grow to be a healthy, energetic baby!

Nkhamanga is a 60-year-old maize farmer. He and his wife live in a small village in rural Malawi, and they have seven children and thirteen grandchildren One year ago, Nkhamanga began to develop difficulty urinating. His condition worsened over time, to the point that he now has to be catheterized to go to the restroom. This severely impairs his ability to farm and provide for his family. Upon arrival at our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, Nkhamanga was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as an enlarged prostate. Nkhamanga is scheduled to receive treatment on January 19. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $726 to cover the cost of the operation and post-op care. After surgery, Nkhamanga is expected to make a full recovery and return to daily life without the discomfort he has been experiencing this last year. "I needed this surgery very much," Nkhamanga says. "This is a bad problem. Now, I will be fine!"

Angelo, a 9-year-old boy, is the fifth of eight siblings. He enjoys playing with his younger sister. Angelo was born with an abnormal condition in a sensitive area. He underwent surgery when he was seven days old, but his family's financial limitations prevented doctors from completing treatment. For this reason, his activities are limited, and he often experiences indigestion and weight loss. Though Angelo finished preschool, his condition has prevented him from enrolling in first grade because school is too far from home. Angelo flew from his rural home to the city of Bacolod to receive treatment. On November 24, Angelo underwent corrective surgery. He will be monitored for two weeks and will undergo a followup surgery several months from now. Angelo's father works as a tenant on a farm, and his mother is a housewife. They cannot afford this $1,500 procedure, and they need our help. "I am so thankful for this opportunity that has come to us," says Angelo's mother. "I never thought that Angelo would be treated because of our financial situation...This has given us hope for Angelo and for his future. I am looking forward to Angelo being fully well, going to school, and fulfilling whatever dreams he has. I know he will have a better future."

Meet Gloria, two-year-old girl from Kenya. Gloria is the youngest child in her family, with two older siblings. Her mother is a farmer, while her father is a laborer at a Nairobi-based food company. Gloria lives with her mother in a rural village. When Gloria was learning to walk, she was accidentally burned by hot water. She has already undergone a contracture release procedure on her body and a scalp reconstruction procedure on her head. Still, Gloria is unable to fully utilize her left hand. Without treatment, she would be at risk of permanent disability. Fortunately, Gloria underwent a contracture release procedure on November 9, 2016. Now, Gloria's family needs help to pay for this $1,176 procedure. Gloria’s mother says, “I want my child to be treated and be able to say my parents assisted me at my hour of need when she grows up."

James is a four-year-old boy from the Philippines. He lives with his parents in a bamboo house. James loves to draw cartoon characters. James' father is a tricycle driver, but he does not earn enough to support the family. His mother stays home to take care of the family. Without nutritious meals, James is living with moderately acute malnutrition. James began $184 malnutrition treatment on October 19, 2016. James 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. James's parents hope that he becomes a police officer.

B. Kuma, a beautiful and adorable six-month-old girl, lives about 500 kilometers from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Her parents are poor farmers and their income is not enough to feed the family well. Thus far, B. Kuma has been fed exclusively on breast milk. B. Kuma was born with an anorectal malformation called imperforate anus, which means she has no opening where the anus usually should be. As a result, she cannot pass stool in a normal way. Due to her condition, B. Kuma developed a bowel obstruction and had to have an emergency colostomy. A colostomy is a surgical procedure in which a piece of the colon is redirected to an alternative opening in the abdominal wall so that waste material can exit the body. However, B. Kuma has had numerous issues with the colostomy, including complications such as leakage and irritation. Her family has suffered throughout this process. They went to a number of hospitals in search of treatment, and they are very worried about their daughter's condition. Children born with birth defects-- and indeed, their parents too-- often fall victim to social stigmas and discrimination. For these reasons, B. Kuma and her parents risk social and psychological problems if she cannot be treated. "I can't pay for my child's medical bill and that worries me for the past six months," says B. Kuma's father. "I did not know what to do. But we heard from another hospital that our child can get the treatment for free at Bethany Kids (a facility run by Watsi's medical partner), and we came here hoping for help." Fortunately, we can help fund B. Kuma's $1,500 procedure, during which doctors will surgically repair her malformation. After her surgery, B. Kuma should be able to pass stool normally, eliminating the risk of future health complications and social barriers.

Purity is a playful and jovial 21-month-old girl who lives with her parents and sibling in a one-room house in Kenya. Purity was born healthy, and this was a great joy to her parents. At three months of age, Purity began to exhibit some irritability, but her parents had no idea what could be wrong. A visit to the nearest local clinic found her to be fine. However, over time, her parents noticed that her head was growing really fast compared to her body. They took Purity to another hospital and learned that she has hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain as a result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect. Too much fluid can increase pressure on the brain and inside the skull, leading to an enlarged head and developmental issues. To support the family, Purity's father works casually at a car wash while her mother stays at home. The family has saved some money to pay for Purity's care, but they require more funds. On the advice of a friend, Purity's parents took her to BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital for evaluation and treatment. For $615, Purity will undergo surgery to place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from her brain and transport it to her abdomen, where it can be resorbed by the body. Funding also covers the costs of five days of hospital care, imaging, blood work, and medicine. Purity's family is contributing $52 from their savings to cover additional costs associated with her care. “I believe it is not too late and, with surgery, we can keep Purity's head from getting any bigger," shares her mother. "I appreciate any sort of help toward my daughter’s treatment."

Elvis, an 18-year-old boy from Guatemala, started to get seizures when he was eight years old. Now he gets about one seizure every week, and they are often severe--he has had to be hospitalized following many of his seizures. He has not been able to study because of his mother's fear of him having a seizure during class, and also because his mother cannot afford to pay for both his treatment and his education, forcing her to choose to pay for his medications. Elvis is the youngest of three children. He was raised by a single mother who is incredibly hard working and strong, and who wakes up at dawn every morning to wash the neighbors' clothes, helping her to earn a few dollars per day. Elvis and his mother have tried to seek out treatment in Guatemala City, but since they live in a rural, mountainous community that is far away from the city, they have not been able to afford to continue traveling several hours for each appointment, and have run out of money to pay for medications. Elvis loves to sing along to Christian ballads on the radio, and his faith has helped him stay strong through his health problems. For $967, treatment will be possible for Elvis. This treatment will give him access to the medications he needs to get his seizures under control. He will undergo comprehensive diagnostic work to determine the cause of his seizures and see if he has any other related conditions. His mother will not have to live in fear of her son having a seizure, and she will no longer have to choose between sending him to school and paying for treatment. This will give Elvis the chance to be a normal teenager, go back to school, and his mother will be able to feel secure that his condition is more stable. "I want my son to stop suffering. Every time he has a seizure he suffers, and I suffer with him. I want him to study and become a great professional," shares Elvis's mother.

Guerline is 12 years old, and lives in central Haiti with her mother, father, and three brothers. She likes to go to school but she has not been able to attend for three years due to her heart condition. She likes going to church and helping her mother at home. Guerline has a condition called rheumatic mitral valve regurgitation, in which one of the valves of her heart does not adequately pump blood because it has been damaged by a fever. As a result, blood backs up into her heart, leading to heart failure. She requires open-heart surgery to implant an artificial valve in her heart. $1,500 will help fund this surgery, as well as all travel and transportation costs. Health City Cayman Islands is also contributing $10,000 toward Guerline's care. “I am hoping that the problem with my heart can be fixed so I can go back to school,” Guerline shares.

Nicholaus is the second child to his mother who has two children. At the beginning of the year, his father was killed in an accident. Since then, his mother moved the small family back to her parents home in Tanzania to live. Since birth, Nicholaus has had noisy breathing especially while he sleeps. This has been diagnosed as enlarged adenoids, and the condition requires surgical removal which costs $488. Not only do the enlarged adenoids affect Nicholaus' breathing, but he has difficulty eating as well. It is expected this surgery and care will be successful and his mother will be able to take him home soon after. The family are subsistence farmers in a village about 45 minutes from the Plaster House, the treatment center Nicholaus will receive care at. Nicholaus' mother would like her son to grow up to become a nurse or teacher. "Thank you for helping my child," Nicholaus' mother shares.

Dah Htoo is a 2-year-old boy who lives in Burma near the Thai border. He lives with his parents, uncle, grandmother, and newborn younger brother. Dah Htoo is a sociable little boy who loves watching cartoons and playing with his father. His father is a subsistence farmer who earns approximately 429 USD from his yearly crop. As this is not enough to cover the family’s expenses, his father sometimes works as a agricultural day laborer to earn extra money. Doing this he earns about 5 USD per day. When Dah Htoo was one-year-old, he was crawling in the kitchen, close to where his mother was cooking hot soup. Dah Htoo accidentally slipped and knocked over the boiling soup, spilling it over his arm. His parents took him straight to the village clinic where the medics bandaged his arm and hand. Initially, his arm was straight and he was able to hold out his hand. Gradually, the contracture has become worse over time and now he cannot straighten out his hand. Dah Htoo’s hand is no longer painful, but it is very inconvenient for him as he cannot use his right hand at all. This problem will get worse over time if he is unable to receive treatment. His arm is itchy and his parents are very anxious that he will be able to receive treatment. The quality of Dan Htoo's life will significantly improve with surgery. Surgery to treat Dah Htoo's burns costs $1,500. "When he is old enough, I would like my son to be able to go to school and get an education, so he will be able to lead a better life than we do now," Dah Htoo's father shares.

"It's difficult for me to see Susmita in so much pain. I wish for her treatment to happen as early as possible so that she is free of pain," her father tells our medical partner, Possible. Susmita is a nine-year-old girl who lives in Nepal with her parents and 11 siblings. Recently, an incident caused a fracture in her left hand. "Susmita was grazing her cattle when a dog chased after her. While running from the dog, she slipped and broke her left hand. Her hand has swollen and it's been painful since," Possible says. Susmita is usually a great help to her family, but lately she has "needed assistance to do basic day to day chores like bathing, dressing, and so on; she's been missing school and cannot help with chores." For $579, Susmita will undergo surgery to have her fractured bone surgically reset so that her hand can heal properly. This operation will ensure that she will regain full use of her hand, and once again be able to take care of herself and return to school.