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."

Maria Jean is a loving mother of three from the Philippines. Maria Jean and her husband, Armando, have three children who are all studying. Armando works as a technician and earns around 216 USD a month. Maria Jean tutors other children to help with the family's expenses. She also takes care of all her children while suffering from a condition that physically limits her. Last year, Maria Jean began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain and itching, difficulty using the restroom, and blood in her stool. She was diagnosed with severe external hemorrhoids. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Maria Jean receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a hemorrhoidectomy on November 25th at WSFP's care center. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,285 to cover the cost of Maria Jean's procedure and care. Maria Jean shared: "This surgery will give me a second life. I will forever be grateful and indebted to the donors and people who will make this possible for me and my family."

Remedan is a baby from Ethiopia. He is a sweet baby boy who is the fourth child to his parents, and he loves to play with balloons and squeeze toys. He has started weaning, and he loves Plumpy Nut, a nutrition supplement donated by the Ethiopian government for underweight and malnourished children. Since he got the donation, his weight has improved and is now in an expected range which is a relief for his parents. Remedan's dad is a small-scale farmer and dropped out of school in grade seven. He had to sell his land when he went to the city for treatment for his son. Remedan's mom, who is a homemaker, heard about our medical partner BKMCM from a neighbor who lived nearby and who got her child treatment at BKMCM. She traveled all the way to the hospital from her home town with her dad and they now stay in the Missionaries of Charity for accommodation since they can’t afford hotels and transport costs. Remedan developed a bowel obstruction and had an emergency colostomy. He has had multiple issues with his colostomy and associated complications. His family shared that they have suffered throughout the entire process but are hopeful that things will improve. Remedan's condition means he cannot make a stool. His mom and dad are very sad and worried about their son. Remedan still requires additional surgery to complete his treatment; his family is appealing for financial support. Remedan's surgery is scheduled for October 31st and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of Remedan's procedure and care. After his recovery, Remedan will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. His mom said, "I hope my child will get treatment, and I hope he will heal well after the treatment."

Witneyla is an 11 month old infant from Haiti. She is cared for by her single mother, who loves her very much. She has no brothers or sisters. Witneyla has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Witneyla has been experiencing increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Witneyla will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the surgery for Witneyla at Hospital Bernard Mevs, which will treat her hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled for September 18th. This critical treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Witneyla's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Witneyla will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Her mother is hopeful that this surgery will allow her child to grow up healthy.

Godlove is a 2-week-old baby boy and the youngest of 4 children. Godlove’s father, who works diligently as a car mechanic, is the main breadwinner for their family. Despite his efforts, his income is insufficient to cover all their expenses. In response to this financial gap, Godlove’s mother has established a small charcoal-selling business within their community to contribute to their family’s financial stability. Godlove was born with clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This will cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes as he grows. Fortunately, Godlove's family traveled to visit our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) and The Plaster House NGO where he is scheduled to undergo clubfoot treatment on August 11th. After treatment, he eventually will walk independently and comfortably, even allowing him to wear regular shoes. His legs will not be a hindrance to his participation in everyday activities as he matures. AMH is requesting $935 to fund Godlove's clubfoot repair. Godlove’s mother said, “I wish for my son’s legs to be okay. I hope this won’t be a problem in his future.”

Ruth is an 11-year-old girl from the Eastern region of Kenya. She is in Grade 5 and is the youngest of three children. Her father is a local farmer and her mother mother is a homemaker. They live in a traditional mud house. She is a jovial and social young girl who aspires to become a doctor in the future so that she can help children in need of different treatments. When Ruth was 7 years old, her mother began to notice an unusual knee deformity which greatly affected her mobility. Her walking style is characterized by limping, and she cannot walk long distances. This has greatly affected her studies, as she is unable to attend school which is quite a distance away. Ruth is scheduled for a knee repair surgery with our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) on July 17th. Ruth and her family are requesting $1,224 to fully fund the procedure. This surgery will enable her to walk without pain and to attend school. It will also greatly boost her self-esteem and enable her to interact with her friends at school. Ruth’s mother said, “I am pleading for support for my daughter to undergo surgery and continue with her normal life like other children.”

Thaw is a 5-year-old boy who lives with a large family in Burma. His whole family works as agricultural day labourers. He has not yet started his schooling because he is young and because of his health condition. Thaw enjoys playing with other children in their neighborhood. He also enjoys practicing writing the Burmese alphabet, which his brother has taught him. Thaw was born with a congenital condition affecting his lower digestive tract. He underwent surgery a few days after he was born and again when he was two years old. Now the doctor wants to perform a reverse colostomy, an operation to improve the function of his lower digestive tract. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Thaw's surgery scheduled for June 12th. Thaw's father said, "Both us [my wife and I], have to watch him constantly because we are worried that he will get an infection... Currently, half of our income goes towards his medical expenses, which makes it difficult for our family to survive."

Maylin, who is 14 months old, lives with her parents and two older siblings in the mountains of central Bolivia. Her father is a truck driver, while her mother is a farmer and a homemaker. Maylin was born with Down syndrome and a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Maylin will need surgery to correct her cardiac defect. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to fund Maylin's surgery, which is scheduled to take place on May 16th at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. This surgery will enable Maylin to lead a healthy and happy life. Maylin's mother said: "Our family would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping our daughter get better!"

55-year-old Leonida lives with her partner and her son in the Philippines. She is a vegetable vendor, while her partner works as a part-time tricycle driver. In 2022, Leonida began to experience troubling symptoms, including easy fatigability and abdominal pain. Despite the discomfort of living with these symptoms, she was reluctant to seek medical attention due to financial constraints. However, as her symptoms worsened, she was compelled to consult a doctor. After undergoing some tests, she was diagnosed with chronic calculous cholecystitis- an inflamed gallbladder, complicated by gallstones. Leonida has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If her condition is left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Leonida is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on April 18th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, but Leonida and her family need help to raise the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Leonida's surgery and care. Leonida said: "Whenever the pain attacks, it would last for a week, and I had nothing else to do but to put up with it since we're poor and can't afford the treatment. This free surgery is truly helpful to me. To WATSI and World Surgical Foundation Philippines, I can't thank you enough for your generosity. May you continue helping people like me."