Gavin is a sweet 2-year-old boy. Earlier this year, Gavin’s mother found a job as a house help and before this job, she used to do laundry for her neighbors to help support her family. Gavin’s father works as a security guard in a rental flats house. Gavin was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Gavin's family does not have National Health Insurance Fund coverage and are not able to raise the required amount for Gavin’s surgery. His parents are appealing for financial help. Fortunately, Gavin is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on May 27th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $735 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Gavin’s mother shared, “As a family, we cannot raise the money required for our son’s surgery as we both earn very little.”

Savorn is a 21-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and two siblings. In his free time, Savorn likes to listen to music on his phone and watch Khmer boxing on TV. In August 2020, Savorn was in a motor vehicle accident which caused a fracture of his left femur. After the accident, he went to a local Khmer healer, but his leg did not heal. As a result of the accident, Savorn cannot work or walk without assistance and he says that he feels poorly and is depressed. It is difficult for him to walk, and he is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help Savorn. Savorn is currently in traction to align his fracture. On March 2nd, Savorn will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will stabilize his fracture for permanent healing and will help him walk again. Savorn hopes after surgery, his left femur will be fixed, he will have no pain, and that can return to work to support his family.

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.”

Nickson is a milk vendor from Kenya. A few months ago, he married his wife and now they are expecting their firstborn baby. His wife is a housewife and they live in a mud house on a farm. Nickson was not able to go to college, so he decided to become a milk vendor so that he could provide for his young and growing family. In December 2020, Nickson was involved in a road traffic accident - he was riding a motorcycle when he collided with an oncoming lorry truck. He was rushed to the district hospital where he had a cast applied and was then discharged home. However, two weeks ago, he started having pain while he was walking. A friend referred Nickson to a local medical facility. Nickson was examined and sent for an x-ray which revealed that he had fractured his knee. Right now, Nickson has trouble standing on his right foot or flexing his knee. Fortunately, surgeons at our Medical Partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help Nickson, and they are requesting $1,016 to fund his procedure. On March 3rd, Nickson will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk more easily again. Nickson says, “My hope is to receive treatment, be well, and continue supporting my young family."

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."