Beng is a 57-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married with four sons, two daughters, and has seven grandchildren. Beng likes to go to the pagoda to listen to the monks pray. She heard about CSC from a person in her village who had surgery here in the past. Beng traveled for five hours with her daughter to reach CSC for treatment. Beng developed a pterygium in each eye about five years ago. This causes her blurred vision, burning, and tearing. It is difficult for her to see things clearly, do any work, and go places on her own. It also makes her feel uncomfortable. For $148, eye surgeons at CSC will remove the pterygium in each eye to relieve her of her symptoms. "I hope I can feel comfortable and be able to do work easily and go outside. I want to be able to plant rice better than now," shares Beng. Beng's daughter says, "I hope that my mother can feel comfortable and make me not worry about her eye problems anymore."

22 year-old Sharif lives with his extended family in a village about 50km from the hospital. When he is feeling well, he contributes to the family income by working as a motorcycle mechanic, but his painful hernia has made working difficult. He has had a hernia for about three years and his pain makes it difficult to have the strength he needs to release and tighten the nuts and bolts on motorcycles. At first, the pain would come and go, and he thought it might be a boil. He tried different treatments in the village, but nothing helped. Surgery will repair the weak area in his abdominal muscles through which tissue is bulging, resolving his discomfort. “After I have surgery, I will be able to do the work I have difficulty doing now and be able to help support my family, which is important to me” says Sharif. He is also looking forward to being able to play on the village soccer team again, which he enjoys doing when he is not working. Sharif adds, "Thank you very much for helping me get back to work. May God bless you.”

Kyaw Thet is a 14-year-old boy living in Burma. He is part of a large household, which includes two older sisters, four nephews, two nieces, and his parents. He also has three brothers who live separately with their families and four sisters and one brother living in Bangkok. Kyaw Thet’s family earns money by growing and selling rice. They also keep ten cows and two pigs for food or to sell if they need extra money. Kyaw Thet was referred to our medical partner with a diagnosis of bladder trauma. The trauma occurred as a result of a motorbike accident. Kyaw Thet also suffered a broken leg, external wounds on his legs and the back of his head, and internal injuries. Kyaw Thet already had one surgery to address this condition and feels much better now, but needs another surgery - a urethrotomy - for his urethra stricture (the abnormal narrowing of the urethra, which carries urine out of the body). Currently Kyaw Thet does not feel pain during urination but he feels uncomfortable. The urethrotomy should relieve this discomfort and allow Kyaw Thet to return to a normal day to day life. He will be able to continue enjoying school and pursuing his dream of becoming a teacher.

Vy, a 26-year-old man from Cambodia, was in a moto accident one year ago and fractured his left femur. He received treatment for seven months at a private clinic where they treated his open fracture and performed surgery. Even after his surgery, Vy was still in pain and unable to walk. He then traveled three hours with his mother to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), as he could no longer afford treatment at a private clinic. Doctors at CSC found that he has a chronic infection in his left tibia that requires an additional surgical procedure. Vy farms for a living, and he enjoys watching TV and listening to music in his free time. He has two sisters and two brothers. Due to the seasonal and unpredictable nature of Vy's work and income, he needs financial assistance for the $405 treatment that will rehabilitate his leg. Surgeons at CSC will remove the plate already in place in Vy's leg and perform a debridement, or a surgical removal of the infected and dead tissue. They will then perform open reduction internal fixation surgery, during which they will realign the fractured bone and fix it in place using rods, screws, and plates. Vy will be able to walk easily again after the surgery and he will no longer be in pain.

Marie is a three-year-old girl from Haiti who likes to wear pretty dresses, clap her hands, and dance to music. Her father is a manager in a local supermarket, and her mother works at home. Marie is their only child. Marie was born with a heart condition known as complete atrioventricular canal. This condition is characterized by a large hole in the heart that connects all four of its chambers, allowing blood to flow freely without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen. This condition is especially common in children like Marie who have Down syndrome, and it leaves her feeling sickly and weak. Because of the nature of Marie's condition, a diagnostic catheterization is required to determine whether her heart can be surgically repaired. During the procedure, doctors will insert a catheter probe into Marie's heart to obtain detailed measurements. This procedure is not available anywhere in Haiti, so Marie will travel to the Dominican Republic to undergo this test. $1,500 helps to cover the costs of passports and visas for travel to the Dominican Republic, five days of room and board, and medical facility fees. "We are hoping that Marie can have heart surgery so she will grow up stronger and healthier," shares Marie's mother.

Than Dar is a 27-year-old woman who lives in Burma with her parents, her eight-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, and her two sisters. She enjoys listening to music in her free time. Than Dar has been healthy her entire life. However, a month ago she began experiencing abdominal pain and excessive bleeding that prompted her to visit several clinics. Than Dar received a blood test and ultrasound, which she paid for herself, and these exams revealed a uterine mass. After her examinations in April, Than Dar was referred for further care, where another ultrasound confirmed previous reports of the presence of a mass close to the ovary. As a result of her mass, Than Dar is experiencing pain in her lower abdomen and back, tenderness upon pressing the area, and excessive bleeding. She hasn't been able to work for a month but she can help her mother with light household chores. Than Dar is scheduled for surgery to remove her mass, but she requires financial assistance to cover the $1,500 procedure that will eliminate her pain and rid her of future risks associated with the growth. She has been living and working as a shop vendor in Thailand for the past two years. Her work enables her to send money home to support her children and other family members. The family's total income is sufficient for their day-to-day needs and they can pay for minor medical expenses; however, they are unable to put any money away for savings. Than Dar hopes to get back to work to support her children after her surgery. "I want my children to go to school and become educated," she says. "I only completed third grade and I want them to do better. Whatever they decide to do with their lives is fine, as I only want them to be happy with their lives."

This is Felix, a two-month-old boy from Kenya. At birth, Felix was diagnosed with spina bifida. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us this condition causes "a mass swelling on the lower backbone area. If he is not treated, Felix is at a risk of developing a tethered cord that can lead to scolisis or kyphosis." Felix's father is a construction site laborer often depending on availability of work while his mother used to be a casual laborer washing clothes for pay but since she delivered Felix, she has not been able to work. With these financial restraints, Felix's family struggles to afford the treatment Felix requires for his congenital spina bifida. With $805, a surgeon will perform a procedure where a shunt will be implanted in his abdomen, allowing fluid to be drained from Felix's body with little to no harm. The funds will also cover medications as well as physical and behavioral therapy. After this surgery, AMHF asserts that "Felix will have reduced risk of infection, developing tethered cord, or paralysis on his lower limbs." Felix's mother shares, "I want my child to be well and lead a comfortable life." With our help, Felix will receive the treatment that he needs to get healthy.

30-year-old Savann lives in Cambodia with her son and daughter. "Savann began having ear discharge when she was 10 years old from an ear infection," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) reports. Her condition, cholesteatoma, has continued to cause her to experience daily ear discharge, pain, and hearing loss in her left ear over the past 20 years. As a factory worker, she often is unable to go to work due to her ear pain. She then spends her time working around the home and listening to the radio. She's hopeful that after being treated her hearing will improve so she can go back to work. After a fellow villager told her about CSC, she traveled with her father for two hours to reach the centre. In order to treat cholesteatoma, Savann will undergo a mastoidectomy surgery on her left ear. The surgery will remove the diseased mastoid air cells, which are behind the ear in a hollow section of the skull. The procedure will cost $809. After treatment, Savann's hearing is expected to improve, and her ear discharge and pain will stop. Her father shared in their pre-operative interview: "I hope that after the operation is done, my daughter will have better hearing and health."

“I am a sports enthusiast,” shares Lokendra. “I love playing football and volleyball the most. In my village, my friends and I have made a team, and we play every evening.” Lokendra is a 14-year-old boy living in Nepal with his mother, younger brother, and younger sister. Lokendra’s father resides and works in a restaurant in India. According to our medical partner, Possible, “Lokendra helps cook the evening meal, graze the cattle, and collects fodder for the livestock.” “Lokendra was climbing a tree on his way to school when he lost his balance,” Possible explains. “He then fractured a bone in his left forearm.” His injury is so painful, Possible continues, that Lokendra needs help doing daily tasks and "cannot go to school anymore because of the injury." It also prevents him from spending time with his friends playing sports. $579 covers the cost of an orthopedic repair for Lokendra’s fracture. "Lokendra's fractured bones will be aligned and secured with the help of pins," Possible details. "The area of injury will then be plastered to prevent the movement of bones." Treatment and proper recovery will allow Lokendra to move about and return to all of the activities that he could do before his injury.

“I hope to become a primary school teacher when I grow up,” says Lucy, a 17-year-old student from Tanzania who is the sixth of seven children in her family. At school, Lucy works hard in her classes and enjoys playing netball, and at home, she helps her mother with the evening chores. “Lucy has a mass on her left radial bone which became visible when she was nine years old,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “Very slowly, the mass has been increasing in size, and it is now painful when she goes about her activities such as lifting a bucket of water or washing clothes.” Treatment for Lucy entails surgery to remove the mass to prevent further growth and relieve the pain that she experiences with activity. “If not treated,” AMHF explains, “the mass may become cancerous as it continues to grow.” Lucy’s father owns a small shop where he sells spare parts for bicycles and motorcycles, and her mother makes soap to sell. They also maintain a small farm to raise food to feed their family. Despite their hard work, they are unable to afford the surgery that Lucy needs. For $920, Lucy will undergo surgery to remove the mass on her arm. Funding also covers the costs of pre and post-operative consultations, six days of hospital care, lab work, imaging, medicine, and six weeks of accommodations at the Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation. After surgery, “The pain and swelling on the radial bone will be gone, allowing Lucy to perform various activities comfortably,” says AMHF.

38-year-old Dah lives in Burma with her husband, her 18-year-old niece, and her three children. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), says that both Dah’s niece and 13-year-old daughter are in school. To support the family, Dah’s son earns a modest income working as a hunter. This past August, Dah felt a palpable mass in her abdomen caused by ovarian cysts. When her symptoms persisted, Dah initially sought medical care locally, but her condition was misdiagnosed and left untreated. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled masses that develop within the uterus. BBP explains that without treatment, “Dah's abdomen is growing bigger everyday and she suffers from back pain. She did not want to seek treatment for her condition in Burma, because she knows that she would not be able to afford the medical costs.” For $1,500, Dah will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy--removing her uterus, cervix, and painful masses during a single operation. This treatment will alleviate Dah’s immediate symptoms and prevent her condition from recurring in the future. “Following surgery for ovarian cysts, Dah will no longer have bloating of her stomach and back pain,” BBP states. “After recovering, she will be able to commence looking for work in a local clinic.” Burma Children's Medical Fund, an organization that facilitates the transportation and treatment of Burmese people at Thai hospitals, is subsidizing this surgery by $1,421. "I want to get surgery for my condition so I don’t have to worry about that anymore," Dah shares. "When I have recovered from that, I would like to start working in a clinic and helping people. My first priority now is to get healthy and feel better. Then, I can continue with my dreams.”

Linda is a three-year-old girl from Guatemala. A few years ago, Linda's older sister passed away from symptoms consistent with Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmenal disorder resulting in delayed development. However, she was never properly diagnosed, as her family could not afford diagnostic tests. Linda is now showing the same symptoms as her sister. Linda was born a seemingly healthy child, however, “Around the age of 2 1/2 she started to lose development milestones—she used to be able to talk and walk and slowly that dissolved,” says our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "Now, she has lost the ability to walk, talk or communicate in any way. She has muscle contraction in her hands and legs and has difficulty controlling her movements." WK suspects that Linda has a metabolic disorder such as Tay-Sachs disease or Rett syndrome. Given Linda’s sister’s early death and her mother’s pregnancy history, Rett syndrome is a possible diagnosis. A confirmed diagnosis is needed to help Linda and her family plan how to best care for her. With $1385, Linda will receive a full workup screening for conditions associated with developmental delays, receive routine physical therapy, and receive anti-epileptic medication to decrease muscle convulsions and allow her more comfort. “I will take her anywhere, wherever she needs to go to get care,” says Linda’s mother. “If it’s for her I want to fight."