Meet Melvin, a one-year-old from Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), shares, “Melvin is the youngest of four children (the oldest is five years old), and lives with his mother and grandmother.” WK adds, “Melvin likes to play with his sister Petrona, and when his mom is busy around the house she has noticed that they enjoy pushing a plastic ball back and forth and using empty cans to make music.” Melvin is acutely malnourished, as his height and weight are far below the average for children his age. “Although he currently does not suffer from any one illness, his immune system is weak and his mother reports that she is worried that without help his health will continue to decline.” Untreated, Melvin risks many of the effects of malnutrition, from delayed development to chronic illness that could affect his schooling and job opportunities. When Melvin’s mother noticed her son was not well, she visited a local health center but was turned away. According to WK, “Melvin’s father was kicked out of their house recently, so now his mother is trying to support herself, her mother, and her four children alone,” WK explains. Given this situation, “Melvin’s mother has to work twice as hard to care for him and her other children, but worries constantly that it will not be enough.” Melvin’s mother is now seeking assistance from WK’s recuperative nutrition program, which lasts one to four months and provides intensive intervention in the home. With $535 in Watsi funding, Melvin will undergo this treatment and be provided with antibiotics, micronutrient supplementation, food, and a nutritionist who will make weekly visits to monitor Melvin’s health and educate his mother. “This treatment will give Melvin’s mother the education and support she needs to help Melvin avoid the permanent effects of malnutrition,” WK explains. He will be able to strengthen his immune system and reach his full physical and mental potential. Melvin’s mother remarks, “I want to fight for my children, I want to raise them to be successful people.”

Meet Leang, a 63-year-old woman from Cambodia. “Leang is married with four kids and eight grandchildren and she likes listening to monks pray,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Leang has had cataracts in both of her eyes for two years. Cataracts are common with old age, and occur when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Left untreated, cataracts can lead to a decrease in vision, or oftentimes blindness. “Leang can’t see the faces of her relatives and has trouble doing things like eating and walking,” CSC reports. “She requires the help of her husband, who then can’t do as much work on the farm as he would like.” Leang needs cataract surgery for both of her eyes. This procedure costs a total of $225 and consists of removing Leang’s cloudy lenses and replacing them with clear implants. The surgery will allow Leang to regain her vision. CSC tells us, “After surgery Leang looks forward to helping her family around the house, eating and walking normally, and not bothering other people to help her anymore.”

Meet Anderson, an adorable one-year-old boy from Haiti and younger sibling to his six-year-old brother. According to our medical partner, Project Medishare (PM), “Anderson was normally born but after three months his head started getting abnormally large.” This was followed by symptoms of fever and the flu, prompting Anderson’s family to take him to the nearby hospital for a CT scan. “The results revealed excess fluid in his brain,” shares PM. Anderson was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where cerebrospinal fluid pathways in the brain become blocked, causing increased pressure. If left untreated, Anderson could experience seizures and premature death. This diagnosis was particularly difficult for Anderson’s 26-year-old mother, who “stopped going to school when she became pregnant for the first time” and currently has no source of income, PM shares. Anderson's father is handicapped and cannot provide support for the treatment. Anderson's mother has lost her appetite and become frail since learning of her son's diagnosis, having no means of supporting his treatment. With $1,260, we can help Anderson and his family and fund surgical care to drain the excess fluid from Anderson’s brain. He will be able to grow up healthy, attend school and continue bringing joy to his family. Anderson’s mother is also excited to return to school once her son recovers.

"I and my wife are working very hard so that our children can have a bright future," says Geoffrey. Meet Geoffrey, a 38-year-old husband and father from Kenya. Geoffrey is married and a father of six. His oldest son has just joined high school and his youngest child is two and a half. Geoffrey and his wife work on a tea farm and make a limited income to support their family, says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). The family rents a small one-room house near their work. “Geoffrey has had wounds on his legs for several years now,” AMHF explains. “He always visits a local hospital [for] cleaning and dressing. But over that the past few months, the infection has made it difficult for the wounds to dry. He was referred to our hospital for care.” AMHF continues, “He is not able to work well because he cannot walk or stand for a long duration of time before the wounds start bleeding. The wounds are itchy and painful.” Given Geoffrey’s financial circumstance, he has not been able to raise the money he needs for treatment. For $940, Geoffrey will receive surgery to address his infection and have the opportunity to live a more normal and pain-free life. “We expect that after treatment and recovery, Geoffrey will be able to work again and the risk of amputation would be reduced,” AMHF tells us. Let’s work together and see to it that Geoffrey receives this life-changing treatment.

Meet Jane, a 50-year-old joyful and loving mother to three children. For almost five years, Jane has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and bleeding as a result of small, benign tumors in the uterus called fibroids. Jane's condition has made normal housework, farming, and socializing difficult. If left untreated, Jane will continue to be in pain and bleed, which puts her at risk for anemia. “Jane is a single lady with three children,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), reports. “Due to her low socio-economic status, she was not able to educate her children to secondary school. Therefore, Jane's children have limited opportunities to help themselves or their mother. Jane's children work as casual laborers with little irregular income. Jane really needs support for this important surgery.” For $790 Jane will undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove the fibroids. Jane is expected to recover fully and “will be free from pain, bleeding, and the risk of anemia," adds AMHF. "My children have no one else to look to," shares Jane. "I need to be well to continue guiding them in life. I hope Watsi will support me to have this surgery."

“In order to reach the closest healthcare facility to get Chai examined, the family walked for six hours, took a five hour boat ride, followed by a five hour car ride,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). Chai is a three-month-old baby girl from Burma where she lives with her three siblings and parents. "When Chai was born, her parents were immediately concerned for her health due to her congenital growth between her eyes. Chair struggles with sleeplessness, is restless and fitful as a result," explains BBP. BBP diagnosed Chai with encephalocele, a neural tube defect where portions of the brain protrude out from a hole in the skull. Chai’s parents worry about their daughter’s condition and how they can manage her longterm treatment while also looking after their three young children and their farm. "Her mother hopes treatment will allow her daughter to live a happy and healthy life. When they return home, her mother anticipates her daughter will attend school when she is older," says BBP. Chai needs a surgery to remove the herniated sac and repair the opening in the skull, a $1.500 treatment. “The immediate impact of treatment includes a happier, healthier, and more rested Chai. This will allow her parents to return to their normal lives and work, with less worry about the future,” explains BBP. Let’s help Chai have a healthy infancy and send her on her way to a great life with her loving family!

“I thank God that I came to this hospital and you have given me hope. Thank you," says Consolata. Consolata is 47-years-old and lives in Kenya, where she runs a small shop. She's been experiencing pain due to uterine fibroids. Our medical partners at the African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) explain, "Consolata suffers from very heavy menstrual flow, lower back and leg pain and fatigue. She cannot focus fully on growing her small shop because of this condition." "She now fully depends on the little her shop makes for her rent and sustenance. Consolata is not able to raise the monies needed for her treatment," AMHF says. For only $800, Consolata will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy that will provide great pain relief and reduce her chances of becoming anemic. After this surgery, AMHF says “Consolata will be able to focus on her shop and she will have a better life ahead. She will no longer be fatigued nor suffer back and leg pains.”

"I don't have the money to buy medications or to be evaluated by a doctor, but thanks to you all I am sure I will get better," says Maria, a 44-year-old woman from Guatemala. "Maria came to see us a few weeks ago," Wuqu' Kawoq (WK) tells us. "She had just been diagnosed at the public clinic with severe diabetes. She has extremely high blood sugars, and is suffering from blurred vision, dizziness, and fainting spells." "Maria is very worried because she has four other family members who have [had] or have died from diabetes and she's seen the bad effects of not being able to control the illness." But with $435 -- and the expertise and skill of the WK team -- we can help. "With intensive medical management, we'll be able to control Maria's diabetes symptoms," WK writes. "[We] will provide her with in-home counseling on diet and medication use. We expect that her symptoms will totally resolve and that she'll be able to get back to farming and taking care of her children. After this acute phase is over, we will enroll her in our long term diabetes program to make sure that she continues to do well." Let's make sure Maria's efforts to navigate her diabetes care are successful!

“Christina is a Kaqchikel-speaking Mayan woman from central Guatemala,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq. “She enjoys weaving and hanging out at home with friends and extended family. She is looking forward to feeling better so that she can continue to do the things she loves and to take care of her children.” “Christina has been having severe seizures for several months now,” explains Wuku’ Kawoq. “They are a great source of fear for her and they are limiting her ability to take care of her family, to engage in productive economic activities (like weaving, which she is very good at), and to enjoy life with her husband and friends. Christina and her family are very grateful for Watsi donors for their help.” Christina’s surgery costs $745 and will allow her to live the rest of her life without seizures. Let's make it happen!

"Eng has been battling mature cataracts for two years now, and it is getting to the point where she will have to stop working soon," Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us about this 68-year-old woman from Cambodia. "No power of eyeglass lens will allow her to see objects that are more than five feet away." "Eng has six grandchildren, and she desperately wants to be able to care for them and see them grow up, but it is very hard for her to do so now with her cataracts," CSC continues. With $150 clinicians will be able to perform cataract removal surgery and restore Eng's vision. "After surgery, Eng is most excited to go and visit friends and relatives by herself, and also to go the pagoda without anyone's assistance," CSC writes. What are we waiting for? Let's fund this procedure.

Meet Brenda, a two-year-old girl living in Kenya with her parents and three siblings. Brenda has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, "Brenda's sickness began a couple of weeks ago and [her health] has significantly deteriorated. Brenda is unable to walk and suffers from severe headaches." Without craniotomy surgery, "Brenda is likely to suffer brain damage and/or death," her doctors explain. Brenda's father works on a tea plantation and her mother does small scale farming on a piece of land inherited from her parents. Raising funds for Brenda's surgical care has been quite a challenge for her family but they are determined to get her access to the care she needs. Her mother says, "Watching Brenda battle this illness has been very painful, and I pray that she gets treatment immediately, so that she lives a healthy life." For $1,260 we can give Brenda the treatment she needs to grow up healthily and happily. Our medical partners say that with surgery, they expect that Brenda "will be able to attend school and have a normal life when she grows up." Let's help give Brenda a bright future!

Nehemie is a two-year-old boy living in Haiti with his three older siblings and parents. “Nehemie is a little boy affected by cleft lip and palate disease,” our medical partners, at Project Medishare, share with us. “He does not have the capacity to eat normally and when he drinks, sometimes he almost chokes on the food that he is eating…this condition prevents the little boy to feel comfortable and he is not well nourished. In a recent group of plastic surgeons that came to the hospital, Nehemie had the chance to have surgery to fix his cleft lip and that was a success; now he needs surgery to fix his cleft palate in order to finish with the treatment.” It will cost $960 to fund the final surgery to treat Nehemie’s palate, but his family does not have the means to cover that cost. Nehemie’s father tell us, “I am very confident, I have seen already what has been done and I am waiting for the last surgery to finish with everything and take my son home.”