Abdela is a 23-month-old boy from Ethiopia. He is a strong boy who loves to tease, run, and play with others. He is an only child, and his mother lost her husband in a car accident when she was eight months pregnant. Abdela's mother was a housewife and when her husband passed, his friend bought her a Tuk Tuk. She stays at home and she raises Abdela with the income she gets from the Tuk Tuk. The family lives in a rented house. Abdela was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Abdela is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. His mom shared, “after the treatment, I hope my boy will heal. I am sure he will be smart and reach a big position. His mind is very quick and he is smart.”

Jue is a 25-year-old woman who lives with her family in a village in Hmawbi Township, Yangon Division, Burma. Her parents are housekeepers, and her youngest brother is a first-year university student who has been seeking work. Jue used to run a beauty salon, but had to stop working four months ago when her health deteriorated. In her free time, Jue likes to watch the news and videos relating to her work at the beauty salon. She also likes to read books and wants to write a book of her own someday. In August 2020, Jue felt pains in her stomach and chest. She would also experience difficulty breathing sometimes, and she would feel tired when she walked for a longer period of time. Jue went to the clinic in her village, where she received oral medication, but she did not feel better after taking it. She returned to the clinic several times over the course of two months, but her condition continued to worsen – the chest pain, difficulty breathing and feeling of fatigue happened more often. Jue decided to go to another clinic in North Okkala Township in Yangon in November 2020. At the clinic, the doctor listened to her heart with a stethoscope, and informed her that she has a congenital heart condition. The doctor recommended she receive a blood test, an echocardiogram (echo) and an electrocardiogram (ecg) at a hospital. After visiting a hospital to receive those tests, the doctor there told her that she was born with a hole in her heart and that she might need to receive surgery at the general hospital. However, the cost of surgery was too high. Luckily, Jue crossed paths with another former patient and was referred to Watsi's Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) to seek assistance with accessing treatment. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 24th, U Win will undergo an atrial septal defect closure procedure. Once recovered, her quality of life will significantly improve and she will be able to return to working at her beauty salon. Now, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Jue shared, “I want to get better as quickly as possible and go back to work. I’m worried about my younger brother. He doesn’t have a job, and he needs to graduate from university. I’m also worried about Covid-19 because nobody has a job right now.”

Yusuph is a young boy from Tanzania. He is three years old and the last born child in a family of six children. Yusuph is very playful and already very social with his friends. Currently, Yusuph experiences pain when he walks for a long-distance or after a long day of play. He was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, also known as bowleggedness. The condition causes his legs to bow inward so that his knees touch. Genu varus is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Yusuph. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 5th. Treatment will hopefully restore Yusuph's mobility, decrease his risk of future complications, and improve his quality of life. Yusuph’s mother shared, "Please help my son. He is struggling a lot and the cost of treatment is too high for us to afford."

Yar is a 18-year-old girl from Thailand. She lives with her parents, three younger sisters and three younger brothers in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. Yar and her parents are all too ill to work and are homemakers, while her siblings are students. Her family relies on the monthly food allowance they receive from an organization to get by. They also grow vegetables for themselves to supplement this income. Yar completed grade nine, but felt too ill to return to school this year. In her free time, she likes to weave traditional Karen bags for her siblings and help her mother with household chores. One day in early January 2020, Yar started to experience neck pain, fevers, and chills. When she went to the refugee camp’s hospital, run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), she was diagnosed with tonsillitis and was given oral paink medication and antibiotics. During her follow-up appointment, the medic gave her more of the same medications. After her follow-up appointment, Yar felt a small growth with her tongue inside her bottom left jaw behind her front teeth. She told the medic about this at her next appointment, but it was not checked out and she received more oral medication each week until the beginning of June 2020. During this time, the mass increased in size. In June, she was referred to Umphang Hospital, which then referred her to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for surgery. IRC brought Yar to MSH, where she received a physical examination, a CT-scan, and a biopsy of the mass. The CT result indicated that the mass was benign. In July, when she went back to MSH for her follow-up appointment, the doctor removed the mass in her mouth as well as five of her lower front teeth during surgery. Since the surgery, Yar has experienced swelling where the mass was removed. Daily, she experiences an achy pain in her lower left jaw, her neck and her back. The mass has also returned and is increasing in size. IRC referred Yar to Watsi's Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund for assistance accessing treatment in Chiang Mai Hospital. After reviewing a CT scan to confirm her diagnosis, the doctor in Chiang Mai recommended she move forward with surgery to remove the tumor. Now, she is scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on December 3rd. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Yar shared, "I am scared to receive surgery but I believe that I will be recovered after that so I am happy."

David is a 2-year-old baby boy from Kenya. David is a very happy and active child. He is an only child to his single-parent mother, and they live with his mother's parents. David's mother runs a small tea kiosk to earn a living and shared that she did not complete her college education when she had David. On October 17th, while David was playing, he slipped and fell and fractured his hand. He is in pain and cannot move his hand freely. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On November 3rd, David will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him heal well and he will be able to use this hand without pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. David's mother shared, “I am very worried because of my baby. My parents and I are not able to pay for the operation he requires. I am pleading for support so that he can be well and continue playing and growing normally. God bless you.”

Naikulo is a smiley seven-year-old boy from Tanzania and one of almost 40 children in his family. They shared with us that his father is polygamous and has eight wives. Naikulo's father is an older man who depends on livestock keeping to be able to care for and support his family. Naikulo has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Naikulo has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Naikulo acquired hydrocephalus in 2012 and was able to have treatment through funding that helped relieve him of the pressure build-up which was putting him in danger of brain damage. However, Naikulo's shunt has failed and he needs another surgery to help relieve him from the pain he is going through because of the pressure build-up that has resulted due to the malfunctioning of the shunt. Without treatment, Naikulo will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $765 to cover the cost of surgery for Naikulo that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 28th and will drain the excess fluid from Naikulo's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Naikulo will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Naikulo’s older brother says, “My parents are not able to come up with the money needed to treat my young brother, please help him he is suffering.”

Liam is a toddler and only child from Kenya. Liam’s parents grow vegetables in their small farm and later sell the vegetables in order to provide for their family. Since April this year, Liam has had an inguinal hernia. This causes him pain and his parents share that this causes him to cry a lot. Fortunately, on September 1st, he will undergo repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $444 to fund Liam's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Liam’s father shared: “With no other place to find extra money, any help offered will be highly appreciated.”

Monica is a greengrocer from Kenya. She is a mother of four aged between three and eight. She separated with his husband and now she lives with her four children in a single room rental house. Monica depends mostly on her daily work for food and saves a little to pay bills at the end of the month. Her low socioeconomic status and her family struggles have limited her options of getting treatment. On June 26th 2020, Monica went to the hospital because she fell on wet ground while she was heading home carrying a bundle of firewood on her back. On arrival at the hospital, an X-Ray was done which confirmed a fracture in her left ankle. She cannot walk on her own and is in a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 3rd, Monica will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help her heal well and be able to walk and work without pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $809 to fund this procedure. Monica shared, “I want to receive treatment, get healed and continue supporting my children. I am worried about my ability to help them now that I can’t perform any of my duties at home."

Ching is a 22-month-old girl from Cambodia. She is the youngest of two siblings, with one brother and one sister. Her siblings go to school and her parents are farmers. Ching likes playing with her siblings, painting, and looking at picture books. Three months ago, Ching fell down while she was walking. She seemed to be injured, and when her parents took her to a local clinic, they found that her left hip was dislocated, making one leg shorter than the other. Due to this condition, Ching cannot walk easily, and overtime her condition will worsen. When Ching learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three-and-a-half hours seeking treatment. On July 1st, surgeons at CSC will perform a joint stabilization procedure to change position of hip and allow it to develop normally. Once the proper position of her hip has been restored, Ching will be able to walk easily. Now, Ching needs help to fund this $518 procedure. Ching's mother said, "I hope that my daughter will be better, have no pain, and walk easily."

Neang is a 4-year-old child from Cambodia. She is the youngest child in a family of five. Her father is a farmer, while her mother sells goods at the local market. Neang has not yet started school, but when she is at home, she likes to paint pictures in watercolor and play with her brother. When she was two years old, Neang had a serious ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in both ears to perforate. For this reason, Neang experiences hearing loss, severe ear pain, and a persistent discharge from both ears. Her infections have been recurring and resistant to medicine. Her hearing loss has prevented her from communicating effectively with others, and the pain causes her distress. Neang's mother has had to spend more time caring for her, resulting in a loss of income for the family. Neang traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 2nd, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in both ears. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforations. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $913 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Her father said, "I am sad when I think about the pain she feels in both her ears, and I want her to be able to talk normally and clearly with us, and do the things she likes as a child."