Meet Diana: a 17-year-old bright, social, and jovial girl at our partner's clinic in Voi, Kenya. Diana is the second born in a family of three children. Their family hails from Sofia village in Taita Taveta county and her single mother is a small business lady. Diana was born healthy, however, when she was seven months old, her mother noticed her condition when she started crawling. She could not stand or walk, and her left part of the body was weak. It is then that Diana's mom learned that she has a condition known as Hemiplegic CP, causing paralysis of one side of the body. Diana's left hand is greatly affected and she cannot hold things or engage in household duties like washing clothes and dishes. Her desire is to have her hand straight and functional so that she can be independent and do her own things at home and in her future. Diana's mother is unable to raise the estimated cost of $1,224 and has requested for support for her daughter's surgery. “I would like to request for support so that my hand can function well and I can help my mother at home. If my hand functioned normally, I will be happy,” Diana told us.

Bernice is an 8-month-old baby from Tanzania. She is a beautiful and cheerful baby, and the last born in a family of two children. Bernice’s mother shared that she is currently having a hard time raising her children because of misunderstandings with her husband. Bernice was born with bilateral clubfoot, something the father was not happy about. The father now does not treat the rest of the family well and he does not support them in any way. Bernice's mother and her children have moved into their living room where they sleep and do everything since the father locks the bedroom and does not want any of them going in there. This has left Bernice’s mother feeling very depressed and struggling to support her children. Bernice has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Bernice’s mother works at a local school as a teacher and uses her salary to support her children. She is not able to afford Bernice’s treatment cost. Fortunately, Bernice traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on October 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Bernice's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Bernice will be able to walk easily. Bernice’s mother says, “I am going through a very difficult time and seeing my daughter being disabled is hurting me even more. Please help my daughter so that she can have a normal walking style when she grows up.”

Johnson is an 8-month baby boy from Tanzania. Johnson, the last born child in a family of four, and already is a very active and friendly little boy. Johnson's parents are both subsistence farmers. Johnson was born in a local hospital where his parents were informed that his spine was not fully formed, thus resulting in a condition known as spinal bifida. Because Johnson's condition was not severe, they were informed that he wouldn’t need treatment and that it would close on its own. As their family continued to attend clinics they were told to wait till Johnson gets to five months old for him to have any kind of treatment. At five months they took him to hospital for the treatment but the cost was too high for them to afford and they had to return home. As time went by, Johnson's mother saw that his condition could end up complicated if he didn’t get treatment soon and end up greatly affecting Johnson later in life. She decided to seek treatment. She went to Mt Meru and was referred to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center ALMC for more help.  Johnson was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Johnson is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,015 to cover the cost of Johnson's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 7th. This procedure will hopefully spare Johnson from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Johnson’s mother says, “We are concerned if our son does not get his spine corrected, it might affect his ability to walk. Please help my son.”

Kham is a 14-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her father, paternal grandparents, four paternal uncles, an aunt-in-law, and a cousin in Kachin State. Kham is in the ninth grade and her cousin also goes to school. Her grandmother is a seamstress. Her grandfather is retired, and her father is unemployed and looks after her. All of her uncles are mechanics in an automobile repair shop, but they do not share their income with the rest of the family. During her free time, she helps her cousin with his homework, and she loves teaching. Kham was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sick and short of breath. Kham is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on August 9th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Kham's procedure and care. “I would like to become a teacher because I feel happy teaching children that I know,” Kham shared with us.

Philip is a widower from Kenya. He is a quiet man who mostly keeps to himself and rarely shares his troubles and needs. His wife passed away in 2010 and he was left with four children to look after. But Philip now lives alone in a grass-thatched house and has four sheep. He does casual jobs and the little he earns enables him to buy food for himself. Philip recently slipped and fell while he was tending to one of his sheep. He fractured his left femur and because he is in pain he cannot walk or work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 7th, Philip will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and he will be able to work again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,016 to fund this procedure. Philip shared, “I have been living a life that is not pleasing and my personal problems turned my children against me. This has been an eye-opener and I promise to make peace with my children after getting help with my broken leg.”

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."

Kha is a 60-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. She has one son, four daughters, and four grandchildren. Her husband also works with her at the construction site. After working, Kha likes to spend time with her children, cooking food, and enjoy watching news on the television. In August 2019, Kha was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture in her right tibia. She was sent to one public hospital in Phnom Penh to get an emergency treatment with a skin graft and flap. Afterwards, she was given a cast, but her tibia has not mended. It is still painful and swollen. She currently walks with crutches and is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 7th, Kha will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will stop the discharge she experiences and help her to walk again without pain. Kha said, "I worry about my leg due to my first surgery not healing. I hope that I can walk better without pain, and without crutches. Then I can continue my job with my husband to make a living."

Margaret is a university student in her second year of studies. However, since 2018, she has not been to school after suffering a road accident in the capital, Nairobi. She was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road, fracturing her right femur and suffering body lacerations. She spent a lengthy stay in a national hospital and received surgery. She required physiotherapy sessions which she could not start due to financial constraints. Last July, she noted an open wound on her surgical site which was painful and septic. Since then, she had been cleaning it with salty water. Margaret was brought by her friend to Watsi's partner Kijabe Hospital and diagnosed with chronic osteomyelitis, a bone infection. Doctors recommend she have a sequestrectomy and hardware removal surgery to treat her condition. Successful surgery will allow Margaret to be able to ambulate with ease and less pain. Margaret is the firstborn child in her family. Her two siblings and parents live in a three-roomed rental house in the city’s outskirts. Her father is a construction site laborer while her mother relies on casual jobs such as laundry in the estate. The family is not able to pay the required hospital bill of $1,500. Margaret says, “My hope is to go back to school once treated so that I can help my younger siblings.”

Hasani is five-year-old boy and the first born child in a family of three children in Tanzania. Hasani has always been a hard working boy according to his father. He would help graze the cattle and look after his siblings when his parents were out working in their small farm where they grow maize and vegetables for their living. Hasani has been burnt severely after being involved in a fire accident that has left him with very severe burns on the face. One fateful Sunday, Hasani woke up complaining of a headache so his father gave him pain relief medication and asked him to rest and not go out to graze the cattle while his father took the cattle out for grazing. His mother prepared breakfast for them and left the fire place with a few charcoal burning and went for church leaving Hasani and his siblings at home. His father returned at around one in the afternoon only to find Hasani with facial burns. His father says it took him time to realize it was really Hasani due to how severely he had been burned. No one knows how it happened, but Hasani’s grandfather says he just heard someone crying in the hut and went in to check only to find Hasani hiding in a dark corner crying in pain. He is in pain and at risk of infection. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Hasani receive treatment. On March 9th, surgeons will perform a skin graft procedure to help him heal and prevent infection. Now, Hasani needs help to fund this $711 procedure. Hasani’s father says, “Please help my son get this treatment which will help close up his wound and help him heal.”

Htay is a 31-year-old woman from Burma. She and her husband own a small farm, where they grow rice. She has a six-year-old daughter who currently is studying in kindergarten. In 2014, Htay started to experience difficulty breathing, tiredness and dizziness when she was about to give birth. She went to a local hospital but was advised to go to a larger hospital because they suspected she had a heart condition. They then went to Hmone Ywar Hospital and although the doctor was concerned about her heart problem, she was able to deliver her baby successfully. After she gave birth, the doctor put her on oral medication to stabilize her heart. Since then, she has visited the hospital for her heart condition and received on-going medication. After a few hospital visits, Htay received an echocardiogram to confirm her heart diagnosis. Because she could not afford the cost of the surgery, Htay has just relied on medication. Fortunately, when she went to a clinic in Yangon in December 2019, the doctor connected her with a former patient of Watsi Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) after she expressed that she could not afford the needed surgery. Htay said, “I was really shocked and stressed by my health condition and cost of the required treatment. I felt hopeless and just wanted to go home. However, I was in an ineffable joy when I heard about possible supporters and that they would help me pay for my treatment."

Tam is an 18-year-old student from Cambodia. He has seven brothers, four sisters, and enjoys reading books and helping his father with his work in his free time. When he was a child, Tam had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in both ears to perforate. For this reason, Tam experiences discharge, itchiness, hearing loss, and tinnitus. He is unable to hear clearly and does not communicate well with others. Tam traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On January 6th, he 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. "I hope that after my surgery, my ear discharge will stop and I will be able to hear clearly again," Tam said.

Khin is 38-year-old woman in Thailand. Originally from Mon State, Burma, Khin went to one of the refugee camps in Thailand to visit her cousins and search for job opportunities four years ago. However, Khin met her husband there and ended up moving in with her parents-in-law, four brothers-in-law and a nephew in the camp. Since 2016, Khin has been experiencing abnormal bleeding, pain in her back and suprapubic area which increases whenever she walks long distances. She has been diagnosed with uterine myoma. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Khin's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Khin is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, and is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience pain or discomfort and will be able to return to work full-time.