Asheli is a four-year-old boy from Tanzania and is the first born child in his family. Known for his charming personality and high energy, he loves interacting with people and exploring the world around him. Asheli’s father works as a boda boda (motorbike taxi) driver, while his mother engages in farming. Together, they work hard to provide for their family, but their income is limited, making access to specialized medical care difficult. Asheli was diagnosed with bilateral varus. his legs bow outward so that they don't touch. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $810 to fund treatment for Asheli. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 10th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Asheli's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Asheli's mother says, "We are glad Asheli is about to have treatment, and we are hopeful that his legs will be okay, and he will be able to continue school."

Sam Ol is a 19-year-old young man from Kampong Spueu province in Cambodia. He lives with his parents and they all work in nearby rice fields. In his free time, Sam Ol enjoys having conversations with his neighbors in the village, and browsing the social media. In February 2023, Sam Ol was involved in an accident between a motorcycle and a tractor, and he sustained a closed fracture of his right shinbone. The injury also resulted in tendon damage, causing a shortening of muscles in his foot. This has caused muscle stiffness and contracture, and the nerve injury is a high risk for muscle paralysis. He went to a local hospital for treatment, but he has still been finding it difficult to walk due to chronic pain. Since his injury, Sam Ol hasn't been working very often, and the family's income is significantly reduced. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, can help. On May 2nd, Sam Ol will undergo a tendon transfer procedure at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, which will improve the function and mobility of his leg. Sam Ol and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $472 more to fund the cost of the surgery and post-op care. Sam Ol says: "I am eager to return to work and contribute to supporting my family again."

Ruhama is a beautiful two month old baby girl, who lives with her parents in Ethiopia. Both of her parents are quite young, and due to their having left school early, both work as day laborers, earning limited wages. Ruhama was born with an anorectal malformation, which is a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate her bowel dysfunction and help her grow up healthy. Ruhama is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on February 1st, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Ruhama's procedure and care. After her recovery, Ruhama will no longer experience bowel dysfunction, or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Ruhama's mother said: “I will leave her at the hands of God. I can’t say she will heal or not, but it’s all God’s will."

Sarah is a 47-year-old woman from Kenya. She is married and has seven children. Three of her children have finished school, two are in secondary school, and two are in primary school. Sarah's husband is a farmer who plants and sells maize to support his family. In the past, they had livestock as well, but they sold all of them to raise school fees for their children. About two years ago, Sarah started to experience neck pain, neck swelling, and fatigue affecting her ability to work. She visited a nearby health facility where she received pain medication, but her symptoms persisted. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), was hosting a clinic in Sarah's town. Sarah visited the clinic and AMH doctors diagnosed her with a non-toxic multinodular goiter, a disease impacting the thyroid gland. Sarah then traveled to AMH's care center, where she will receive surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. However, Sarah does not have active medical insurance and needs help to pay for her surgery. Sarah is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 22nd at AMH's care center. During the procedure, surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. Now, AMH is requesting $936 to cover the cost of Sarah's surgery. Sarah says, "I feel bad when I see my family members working tirelessly on the farm without my help. Please help me so that I may be strong and be able to offer help to them."

Aung, who is 25 years old, lives with his mother, brother and two sisters in Burma. His mother is retired, and his brother is a security guard. One of his sisters works at a bicycle factory, while the other one works for a local company. Aung is currently unemployed because of his poor health. In October 2022, Aung fell ill and developed a persistent cough. He went to a charity hospital, where he was told that he had a heart infection. After he was treated with injected antibiotics, the doctor told him that he needed an echocardiogram, because he might have a heart condition due to the infection. After the echo was completed, he was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation, and he was referred to a cardiologist in Yangon. Aung went to see the cardiologist, who told him that he would need surgery, which he could not afford. On December 25, 2022, both of Aung's legs and his arms became swollen, and he was unable to sleep. He went to a private hospital, where it was determined that he would need surgery as soon as possible. Currently, Aung feels extremely fatigued, experiences chest pains, and has difficulty breathing. Sometimes, his legs and his arms become swollen, and he cannot sleep well at night. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for the mitral valve replacement surgery that Aung needs. The procedure is currently scheduled to take place on April 2nd, at Pun Hlaing Hospital. "In the future, I want to work as a taxi driver, because I believe that I could easily earn money doing this [in the city]," said Aung.

San Htay is a 45-year-old woman from Thailand and a mom to two sons. While she normally cares for their home, she has been unable to work since she became ill. Her husband and oldest son work as day laborers, and their youngest is too young to attend school. Her husband also makes and sells charcoal, and the family raises chickens. In her free time, San Htay enjoys gardening and growing vegetables, her favorite being cabbage and chilies. In October 2022, San Htay visited the hospital when she began to experience pain in her lower back. Through funding from Watsi donors, she underwent a CT scan and was diagnosed with cervical cancer and a left ovarian tumor. Currently, San Htay experiences headaches, fatigue, decreased appetite, pain, and other worrisome symptoms. The doctors referred her to our medical partner's care center where, on February 19th, she will undergo mass removal surgery. Our medical partner, Burma Children's Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of San Htay's procedure and care. San Htay said: "I am so happy that BCMF has agreed to continue to support the cost of my treatment. I never knew that cancer could be treated. My children can now live longer with their parents."

Olivious is a 34-year-old single mother from Uganda. She lost her husband four years ago to a road accident, leaving her the only breadwinner of the family. She is a farmer and together with her two children, lives in their two-roomed mud-built house. Her income is quite limited, which frustrates her efforts to provide a quality life for her children. Olivious has had lower abdominal pain, backaches and fatigue for sometime. She has not been able to work as well as she needs, due to this pain. When she visited Nyakibale Hospital, she was diagnosed with a large pelvic mass and a curative laparotomy surgery was recommended to heal her condition. She is not able to raise the $242 needed, and thus appeals for help. Olivious says, “I am not able to work well in the farms. Please fund my surgery so that I can be treated and resume my duties with ease."

Bizuayehu is a beautiful and cheerful girl from Ethiopia who loves to talk and play with her mother. She asks a lot of questions and she is eager to learn about things. She especially loves dolls. Her mother washes clothes and makes injera (a traditional Ethiopian food) for a living. Bizuayehu's father abandoned her mother when she was pregnant. She shared that there was a time when she couldn’t pay for her rent and was out in the streets for several months. This led to malnutrition for both of them but they were able to recover with help from the hospital's nutrition program. She is now living on her very limited income from making injera and washing people’s clothes in the neighborhood, and with support from another organization. Since birth, Bizuayehu has had a bilateral inguinal hernia. The bulge is usually visible when she cries, coughs or strains. She also gets irritable and has reduced appetite. Fortunately there is a cure and on October 6th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $591 to fund Bizuayehu's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. Bizuayehu's mother says, “Once my child gets better and cured she can join a daycare and I can do a better job to earn a better income. And I hope she will do well at school. I would like to thank BKMCM for all the support I got. I would also like also to thank our donors for this surgery. I don’t know what I could do if it was not for you and all the people at different times who supported me and encouraged me. I have been supported and gone through so many challenges, but I have had people by my side. I am thankful to God for this blessing.”

Solomon is a 17-year-old from Tanzania. He is the secondborn in a family of five children. He enjoys going to school and has studied up to form 2. To support their family, his father works in the mines, and his mother is a kindergarten teacher. They share that their income is only enough to cover their basic day-to-day needs. Solomon has been diagnosed with genu valgus, a condition which causes his legs to bows inward and his knees to touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result of his condition, he is unable to walk and has stopped attending school. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Solomon. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 4th. Treatment will hopefully restore Solomon's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Solomon's mother shares that she is happy knowing her son will be able to live a healthy life.

Ian is a caring seven year old and is the second born in a family of two boys. Ian and his brother are under the care of their grandmother, because their mother has left the family, while their father sustained brain damage after a motorcycle accident, leaving him unable to provide for his children. Ian's grandmother works at a hospital, while his grandfather is a farmer. Ian discovered his condition with the help of his elder brother, and as the result of the new system of education in Kenya, where children are taught how to examine and better understand their bodies. After telling their grandmother, she brought Ian to the local hospital, where he was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, or undescended testicles. The doctor recommended an orchidopexy, to treat Ian's condition. If Ian does not undergo this procedure, he will live with an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Ian's grandmother is not in a position to fund his treatment, and therefore, she requests your support. Thanks to the assistance of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Ian is scheduled for surgery on September 19th, at Nazareth Hospital. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is seeking $483 to cover the cost of Ian's surgery and care. Ian’s grandmother says: “These are my grandchildren and I love them. I plead for help so that Ian can get treatment and be able to grow in a normal way like other boys.”

Devid is an active 18-year-old from Cambodia who is in 12th grade. He lives with both his mother, who works as a tailor, and his grandmother in Cambodia. During his free time, he enjoys learning more about fitness via the internet, as well as exercising with friends. He shares that his best subject in school is Khmer literature, and he aspires to become a teacher in the future. At the end of 2019, Devid was in a motorcycle accident that caused injuries to his right arm. Although he had his wounds treated after the accident, both his right shoulder and elbow currently have no movement, and he has no wrist flexion or extension. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner's care center can help. They will perform a functional free muscle transfer gracilis of his right arm so he can regain movement. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is requesting $991 to fund Devid's repair surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to restore mobility and continue his daily activities with less difficulty. Devid says, "I am grateful that I can return to school and regain my strength after this surgery."

Dorn is a 37-year-old farmer from an agricultural region in southern Cambodia. Dorn and his wife have two daughters, a 10-year-old and 3-year-old. Dorn's wife is a garment factory worker in Phnom Penh. In his free time, Dorn enjoys playing with his daughters and meeting friends for coffee. Since he was a child, Dorn has had problems with his left elbow. Dorn has been treated by Khmer traditional healers, but his pain has increased over the last year. Dorn suffers from numbness in his left arm and experiences ulnar nerve palsy. As a result, Dorn cannot work at all with his left hand. This makes it very difficult to farm and feed his cattle. A neighbor suggested Dorn visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for diagnosis and treatment. Dorn was diagnosed with a transposition of his nerves and specialty surgeons plan to do an ulnar nerve exploration on June 6th to help him finally heal. CSC is raising $572 to cover Dorn's procedure. Dorn shared, "After surgery, I hope my left hand can get better, with no more numbness, and I can work without pain. This treatment will help me in the future to return to work."