Vorn is a 73-year-old grandmother and widow, whose husband passed away 15 years ago. She has one son, two daughters, and eleven grandchildren, and lives in Kompong Chhnang province. Currently, she lives with her youngest daughter who is a construction worker. At home, she likes to join ceremonies at her local pagoda and take care of her grandchildren. Five years ago, Vorn developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision and light sensitivity. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Vorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and half hours seeking treatment. On January 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant a new lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Vorn shared: "I hope my vision improves so I can do housework, and get around easily by myself. I want to walk to the pagoda by myself."

Rosette is a mother of two children and the sole breadwinner of her family. She shared that she and her husband separated due to family conflicts. Her children are still in high school. Together they all live with Rosette's parents, but she hopes to build her own house when she gets sufficient money. Rosette runs a small retail shop and does farming on the side to meet her family's basic needs. For two years, Rosette has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and bleeding. She has been diagnosed with multiple uterine myomas. In November, she was admitted to a hospital due to anemia and had to undergo a blood transfusion. She had surgery recommended but could not raise the money needed. She came to Nyakibale Hospital where she met our medical partner who can now help her access the surgery she needs. Doctors recommend she undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Rosette's surgery. On December 8th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Rosette will be able to resume her daily activities, finally free of pain and with new strength. Rosette says: “The only hope I am left with for a complete recovery is to undergo surgery. Please support my request."

Emmanuel is a 17-year-old student from Haiti who hopes to become a doctor. He lives with his aunt and uncle in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince so that he can more easily attend school, as his parents live in the countryside. Emmanuel has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation, which means one of his heart valves was severely damaged from an infection he experienced in early childhood. In 2017, Emmanuel underwent heart surgery to repair his existing valve. This surgery stabilized his heart for several years, but the valve remains unable to pump blood adequately throughout his body. Emmanuel needs to undergo a second surgery to replace the valve with a prosthetic heart valve. Emmanuel will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment, as this surgery is unavailable in Haiti. On November 10th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove the damaged heart valve and implant a replacement valve. An organization called Mitral Foundation is contributing $8,000 to pay for help pay for surgery. Emmanuel's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Emmanuel's family overseas. Emmanuel shared, "I am looking forward to growing stronger and having much more energy after my surgery!"

Vireak is a 26-year-old garment worker who has been married for one year. His wife also works in a garment factory. In his free time, Vireak enjoys playing football, snooker, listening to music, and meeting with his friends. Vireak was in a traffic accident in October 2019 and fractured his left femur. Doctors fixated a nail in his left leg to treat the fracture. Now, the bone is healed and the nail needs to be removed to prevent future complications and infections. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 2nd, Vireak will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. This procedure will allow him to be full recovered from his accident. Vireak says, "I hope my leg is without pain and I recover quickly so I can return to working and supporting my family."

Nop is a caring grandmother from Cambodia. She has two sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren. Her husband unfortunately passed away, so she now lives with her eldest daughter, who is a farmer. Nop enjoys spending her free time going to the mosque. Two years ago, Nop developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience eye tearing and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Nop learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for five and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 18th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Nop says, "I hope my eye can see well enough that I can help my daughter do housework, take care of my grandchildren, and visit the mosque on my own."

Tola is a 34-year-old with a younger brother and a younger sister. Tola's father works as a tuk tuk driver, and his mother sells vegetables at the market. In his free time, Tola enjoys playing football, drinking coffee with his friends, and reading the news. Tola was in a traffic accident last February that caused fractures to his right arm. He underwent fracture repair surgery at a local hospital, but even after the wound healed, he still cannot move his right wrist. He visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for help. Fortunately, on June 7th, surgeons at CSC will perform a tendon transfer procedure so he can regain use of his right arm. CSC is requesting $572 to fund this procedure. Tola was able to gather $100 to contribute to his medical care. Tola says, "I hope I can move my arm again after surgery, so I can return to work and support myself."

Monicah is a shy four year old girl who loves being with her grandmother. She is the first born in a family of two. She hails from a village in Machakos county, Kenya. Monicah was diagnosed to have hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition that paralyses one side of the body. She also has clubfoot of her right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Monicah's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on October 25th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Monicah's clubfoot repair. The surgery will be impactful to her since she will be able to walk without pain and finally she will be able to step on the ground with her right foot. “I am pleading support for my daughter to undergo surgery. I would love to see her stepping on the ground confidently,” Monicah’s mother told us.

Vun is a 40-year-old construction worker who is married and has two daughters—a 13 year old and a 3 year old. Vun's wife works in a garment factory. In his free time, Vun enjoys listening to the radio, spending time with his daughters, and watching TV. In January, Vun was electrocuted in a workplace accident. His family took him to a hospital to have his wound dressed, and for a partial amputation of his left arm. These treatments cost the family $5,000. They shared with us that Vun had to leave the hospital when they ran out of money, even though he still needed additional care. After visiting a Khmer traditional healer, Vun sought treatment at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, where he underwent a partial amputation of his right arm. His right arm was also modified, to enable Vun to be able to use it in his daily activities. The wound on his right arm remains open, however, and a skin graft is required in order for it to heal properly. Children's Surgical Centre is seeking $487 to fund the skin graft procedure, which is scheduled for May 12th. Vun says: "I hope after surgery my wound will heal and I can gain back some function of my right arm."

Lhory, a 30-year-old woman from the Philippines, experienced severe right-side abdominal pain starting in January. She went to the closest hospital and was advised to undergo a whole abdominal ultrasound. The test showed that she has gallstones that need to be surgically removed. With her husband’s limited income as an Air Conditioner Technician, they’re unable to cover the cost of her treatment. Fortunately, she was able to reach out to our medical partner, the World Surgical Foundation Philippines. Lhory is now scheduled on May 3rd to undergo surgery to treat her condition. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,253 to cover the total cost of Lhory’s procedure and care. After her recovery, Lhory will no longer experience severe abdominal pain or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. “My current condition hinders me from doing my usual day-to-day chores. My condition makes it hard for me to bend, sit or lift objects," Lhory shared. "We don’t have the capacity to finance my surgery. So, I’d like to thank the World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi for helping me. I hope that after this surgery, I can fully take care of my family again,” says Lhory.