19-month-old Jose is from rural Guatemala. He has a history of malnutrition, and his mother recently brought him to our clinic because he has still not spoken a word. He seems to follow only the simplest of commands, but it is unclear if he can hear or if he just follows others' gestures. His mother is worried that if he does not receive a workup and therapy he will not be able to ever speak or attend school. Jose lives with his parents and two older siblings. His parents work as farmers, harvesting bananas on a plantation. Jose's favorite food is beans, and he loves to play with his one toy, which is a ball. His parents work hard to give Jose the best, and fight to make sure he eats well, but his mother is worried that he will never learn to talk because they can't afford expensive medical care to diagnose him and give him the opportunity to go to therapy to learn to speak. Treatment will provide Jose with a full diagnostic workup to determine the extent of his inability to hear. He will receive transportation, and lodging so they can receive care in the capital, which is many hours away from the rural coastal community in which they live. This will help Jose's mother feel more confident that her son can attend school on day, and be a good student. "Thanks for the collaboration of all the people that will help my son move forward," Jose's mother said. "I hope he can study and be a good man when he is bigger."

Gabriela is an 18-month-old baby, living with her parents in Tanzania. She is the second born out of two children. Gabriela’s parents are small scale farmers, and her father also is a religious teacher. Gabriela likes playing catch with the other children, and also scribbling things on paper. Ever since birth, Gabriela has had stuffy nose. She has trouble breathing especially at night when sleeping. When she was five months old, her mother took her to the hospital, where she was prescribed some medications. They did not seem to help, and a few months later, she took Gabriela to a different hospital for a more thorough medical examination. Gabriela was then diagnosed with enlarged adenoids. Adenoids, along with tonsils, are masses of tissue that trap contaminants as they pass through the nose and mouth, as well as produce antibodies to fight infections. Sometimes they will become inflamed and infected, and the swelling will compromise breathing. When this happens frequently, it is often better to have the tissues surgically removed. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, tells us that for $488, Gabriela can have her adenoidectomy procedure. The total cost covers the procedure itself, supplies, medications, and inpatient care for three days. Following her recovery, Gabriela will no longer have difficulty breathing with exercise or while sleeping. “My hope is that my daughter will be able to breath without any problems, and continue with normal growth,” Gabriela’s mother shares.

Meet Panha, a 16-month-old boy from Cambodia. “Both his hands were burned by hot water when he was one year old,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). According to CSC, “The second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers were burnt on his right hand and the third, fourth, and fifth fingers were burnt on his left hand. The burns resulted in skin contractures,” or the tightening of the skin around the burn sites, preventing Panha from moving his hands properly. Panha and his mother traveled three hours to reach CSC and seek treatment for his contractures. For $280, he will undergo a skin graft and contracture release surgery, during which doctors will transplant some of Panha’s healthy skin to his burn sites in order to increase his range of motion. “After a release and skin graft surgery at CSC, Panha will regain use of his fingers,” says CSC. Panha’s mother shares, “After surgery I hope my son can use his fingers normally.” Let’s help her fund this important procedure for her son!

Two-month-old Gregorio lives with his parents and older sibling in Guatemala. “Gregorio is acutely malnourished due to his mother's lack of breast milk,” our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us. “His mother is not able to produce enough breast milk for him to survive, meaning that he weighs even less than when he was born.” While Gregorio’s mother takes care of the children during the day, his father leaves their home early every morning to chop wood on the mountain and sell it in town. Despite the long hours of hard work, his father earns very little money and can afford only very basic foods like tortillas. As a result, the family is unable to buy formula for Gregorio. “Gregorio’s mother has been supplementing the little milk she makes with water, which depletes Gregorio’s electrolytes and puts him at risk of seizures and permanent brain damage,” WK continues. The inability to produce breast milk—known as lactational failure—is a serious condition for a newborn baby without access to formula. Fortunately, treatment for Gregorio is possible. “Formula will give Gregorio the nutrients, calories, and protein he needs to grow,” WK explains, “His mother will receive one-on-one motivational nutrition education to prepare her to give him solid foods and teach her how to prevent future malnutrition.” $1,016 pays for a one year’s supply of formula and six months of micronutrient support for Gregorio. Funding also covers the cost of a case manager and a nutritionist to help Gregorio’s mother coordinate his care, plan his meals, and monitor his progress. With treatment, “Gregorio's immune system will grow stronger, saving his life and helping his family to be much less stressed economically,” says WK.

Two-month-old Noemi is acutely malnourished. She lives with her mother in Guatemala, and her mother is currently unable to produce breastmilk. "Her mother cannot afford formula, so she has been giving her daughter water with sugar or corn mush when she is hungry," explains our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "Unfortunately, this has given Noemi stomach problems, put her at increased of diarrhea, and has increased her risk of seizure due to the electrolyte imbalance that consuming non-breastmilk liquids causes in small infants." Noemi is dangerously underweight for her age. Her mother visited different local healers for herbal remedies to increase her milk production, but nothing worked. "Although she wants to help her daughter, she lacks the money to buy her daughter the formula she needs," says WK. With $1016, Noemi will receive the formula she needs. "This will save Noemi's life, giving her the calories, nutrients, and protein she needs to be a healthy baby," WK explains. "Her immune system will grow stronger with the treatment, and she will no longer be at risk of seizures." This funding will also provide her mother with "motivational nutrition education, giving her the tools she needs to help her daughter overcome her malnutrition and help her prevent future malnutrition and illness." "I hope that my daughter reaches a good weight and height," her mother said.

Mary is a confident, 12-year-old girl who likes to run and skip rope. She is the youngest in a family of eight children in Tanzania. She cannot remember when exactly her left leg became weak and gradually bent outwards. Mary was born with bilateral genu varus, commonly known as knocked knees. As a result of her condition, Mary frequently has pain when running. If her condition is untreated she could develop early osteoarthritis. Her parents are not able to afford surgery, as they are small-scale farmers and only earn enough to support Mary and her siblings' basic needs. For $940, Mary's legs will be surgically aligned to prevent them from hitting one another when she walks and runs. With this operation, Mary will be more mobile and free from pain so that she can concentrate in school. She will be able to more easily fulfill her dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher.

Enderson has been suffering from seizures since he was six or seven months old. He has tried to seek out care through other outlets, but his family has been unable to afford expensive imaging--leaving the cause of his recurring seizures a mystery. Enderson is 10 years old, and from a rural community in Guatemala. He likes to spend his free time cooking, doing crafts, arranging flowers, and playing soccer with his brothers. He likes to listen to instrumental music, and eat grapes. He and his family are very involved in their church, which they go to every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. His parents both work hard, but they cannot afford to buy food for the family as well as Enderson's expensive medical care. He has been having constant headache for the past two months, and has been having nausea and vomiting almost every day. This has caused him to stay home from school, hurting his ability to graduate on time and fulfill his dreams. Treatment will give Enderson high-quality medical imaging, labs, and medication which will provide him with a more fine-tuned diagnosis and allow him to manage his symptoms. Once he feels better, he will be able to go back to school, and he will be able to pursue his dreams as a chef.

Kilion is a two-year-old boy who lives in a remote village in Kenya. In his home area, he does not have access to healthcare facilities, which is why his parents have brought him to Bethany Kids (a Watsi partner hospital) seeking specialized treatment for their son. Kilion has been having abdominal pain, but previously he was too young for his parents to know exactly what was wrong. They took his occasional cries to be normal for a child. But when the cries intensified and Kilion would cry clutching at his stomach, his parents decided to take him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with undescended testes. The family of nine children, five of whom are from Kilion's father's first wife who passed away, live in a two roomed house. Kilion’s father works as a casual driver while his mother does minimal farming. With the many needs of the family, Kilion's parents are not able to raise funds needed for his surgical care. If not treated, Kilion is at risk of developing testicular cancer or a hernia, and he will be at risk of infertility in the future. Kilion needs surgery to move the undescended testicles into the scrotum and permanently fix them there. The treatment cost is $570. “The pain is too much for my son and it is heartbreaking to see him go through this experience. I will be happy if Kilion gets help and becomes as normal as all his siblings,” said Kilion’s father.