Hom is a 60-year-old Cambodian rice farmer. She is a single woman and has six younger sisters and one younger brother. She manages her rice farm, and when she has time, she likes to go to the pagoda or listen to monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Hom developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her tearing, itchiness, and blurry vision. This makes it very difficult to manage her crops alone. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Hom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. Hom needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for October 12th. Hom is hopeful to feel better soon and said, "I hope I will see better and stop the irritation and I can go back to planting rice again."

Chaw is 20-year-old who lives with his parents and three younger sister in a refugee camp. Chaw's sisters go to school, his mother is a homemaker and his father and brother work as agricultural day labourers. Chaw's brother lives on his employer's land and sends the family what money he can every month. After his accident, Chaw stopped working on the same farm as his brother. In his free time, before his accident, Chaw liked to play football with his friends and visit with them. In 2020, Chaw was carrying corn to the peeling machine where he worked and he slipped and hit his left lower leg against the fan of the machine. Chaw was in a great deal of pain and was brought to the hospital. Chaw was told that his left lower leg was broken, and underwent surgery to insert a steel rod into his leg. This past January, Chaw noticed a mass on his left lower leg, where he had received surgery. The mass was very painful and felt hot to the touch. Over time, the mass increased in size until his whole lower left leg became swollen. Although he received surgery to remove the mass, Chaw's leg never fully healed. Eventually he was diagnosed with osteomyelitis and was told the steel rod in his leg would need to be replaced. Chaw is in a lot of pain and his lower left leg continues to be swollen and red. He cannot sleep well and needs crutches and assistance to move around. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Chaw will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for September 6th and BCMF is raising $1,500 to cover the cost of this life-changing procedure that will help Chaw walk free of pain. Chaw shared, “I am happy that I will receive surgery with the help of the organisation [Burma Children Medical Fund] and I am thankful to all of the donors. In the future I want to get better quickly. I will find a new job and support my family.”

Rozaleny is a 70-year-old woman from the Philippines. She lives with her husband, who is a tricycle driver. For the past few months, Rozaleny has been experiencing pain and difficulty sitting. After three months of enduring this pain and discomfort, she decided to seek medical care. She was diagnosed with external hemorrhoids and was advised to undergo surgery to prevent her condition from worsening. However, Rozaleny and her husband could not fund her needed treatment due to financial constraints. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Rozaleny receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a hemorrhoidectomy on July 30th at WSFP's care center. During this procedure, surgeons will remove her external hemorrhoids. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,137 to cover the cost of Rozaleny's procedure and care. After her recovery, she will no longer experience pain and will avoid future complications. Rozaleny's husband shares, "This free surgery will really be a big help to us. We can't afford to pay for her treatment. We're eternally grateful to Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines for all their help."

Tablut is playful a eight-year-old boy from Burma. In his free time, he enjoys playing football with his friends and hunting with a slingshot in the jungle. He lives with his parents and four sisters in a village near the border in Karen State, Burma. During the day, Tablut and his sisters go to school in the village, while his parents work as agricultural day laborers. They also grow rice for their family to eat, as well as raise chickens and pigs. Together they earn 5,000 baht (approx. 166 USD) per month. The income they earn is just enough to cover their monthly expenses and they cannot afford to pay for other costs that come up including basic health care. On April 26th, Tablut and his friends climbed up a mango tree to pick mangoes, however, Tablut slipped and fell out of the tree, fracturing his right leg. Right away his thigh looked deformed, and he experienced a lot of pain. His friends ran to get his mother who carried him on her back to a nearby clinic where he was admitted for four days. There the medic wrapped his right thigh in a bandage and gave him medication for his pain. While admitted, his pain lessened but his thigh became swollen and he began to develop a fever which caused him extensive pain and an inability to sleep. His mother was told by the medic that they would arrange transportation to take him to a hospital. On April 31st, Tablut and his mother were brought to our medical partner's care center Maharaja Nikon Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH). There, he received an x-ray confirming that his right thigh was fractured. In early May he underwent surgery to place an external fixation device onto his right thigh. Initially, after surgery his pain lessened, however as time has gone on the pain and swelling have returned and he's once again began to develop fevers at night, as well as blisters on his leg where the external fixation device is attached. Currently, he cannot shower by himself, and cannot move his right leg or walk anywhere without the help of his mother. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Tablut will undergo surgery on June 17th to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. After surgery, Tablut's pain will finally subside and he will be able to walk, play, and go back to school to be with his sisters and friends. Our medical partner is asking for $1,500 to fund Tablut's surgery and medical care. His mother said, “Now I am miserable. I want my child to receive surgery quickly so that we can go home. I worry for him and I also worry about my other children who were left behind [at home]. There is flooding in my village, and I am worried that they will go to the river to swim. Thinking about both Tablut and my other children, I can’t sleep at night nor eat. The school will reopen soon, but I have not saved any money for my children’s school fees yet. I want him to go to school when he recovers.”

Verena is a small-scale farmer and a mother to eight children. Verena happily shared that all of her children are in school and that she and her husband work as farmers to help pay for their school fees. They also built a 4-room home for their family through their work selling their farm produce. Ten years ago, Verena began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling on her neck. Although initially painless, the swelling increased over time. Recently, Verena's airway is becoming obstructed, making it especially challenging for her to sleep, and she also becomes easily fatigued. She visited Rushoroza Hospital, our medical partner's facility, for review. The doctors diagnosed her condition as a non-toxic nodular goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. Verena needs to undergo surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Verena receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 14hth at AMH's care center. During this procedure, surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMH is requesting $333 to fund the cost of this surgery. Verena says, "I hope to live a normal and free life again through the surgery. My family and I cannot afford the surgery currently due to many unavoidable family activities that require funding, especially school fees. I will continue with farming after recovering completely."

Saveth is a 60-year-old retired rice farmer with two sons, two daughters, and five grandchildren. She lives with her son who is a garment worker. At home, when not helping to care for grandchildren, she likes to listen to the news and monks praying on the radio. A month ago, Saveth developed a chalazion in her left eye, causing her pain, itchiness and swelling. A chalazion is an inflamed cyst in a patient's tear gland. It is difficult for her to see clearly, and she is ashamed of how her eye looks. Saveth traveled to seek treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On May 2nd, surgeons will remove the cyst through a chalazion excision procedure. After recovery, Saveth's symptoms should improve. She needs help raising $210 to fund this procedure. Saveth says, "I hope after surgery my eye gets well. I want to take care of my grandchildren, and I hope my eye will feel and look better."

Alex is a student and is a very ambitious and active teenager from Kiambu, Kenya. He is the only child of a single mother, who is a hawker of different items. He is in high school and his mother shared that he has a passion for football and running. After schools were closed in March, Alex decided to go and visit his aunt who lives near Nazareth Hospital. Being playful as he is, he took a bicycle from his aunts’ house and decided to have a ride on last Saturday. Unfortunately, while riding, he tried to avoid a collision and he fell. He sustained an injury to his left hand. Now Alex is in pain, unable to use his hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 12th, Alex will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. Alex's fracture will heal, he will be able to use his hand and also resume school. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. “I am feeling for my son, and hope he could receive the sponsorship so that he can be well before the school opens,” said Alex’s mother.

Collins is seventh grade student and is looking forward to finishing his primary school studies. He is the second born in a family of three children. His father is a motorbike taxi driver but was involved in an accident and broke his hand and is now unable to work. Their family now relies on Collins' mother who does laundry work and house chores to earn a living for their family. Collins is a happy and talkative boy. When he was young, his parents noticed his health condition took him to a nearby hospital for treatment. There he was examined but was not able to receive care at that time. His parents were not satisfied and went to another hospital where they recommended surgery. His family has not been able to cover the cost and Collins has not yet been treated. Fortunately, their church pastor heard about Collins’ condition and referred them to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Hospital. Collins was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Collins has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Collins will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 12th. AMH is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Collins’ mother says, “I used to feel bad about myself previously as I could not afford to cater for my son’s treatment. Now I’m happy with the progress and what God is doing in Collins’ life. We hope for the best with the surgery.”

Eliya is a charming, happy, and friendly six-year-old. He's is the last born child in a family of five children. Eliya is a lover of football but it’s been a while since he could play. His parents are small-scale farmers who depend entirely on what they farm for food and a living. Eliya was diagnosed with genu valgus. His leg is bowed so that his knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Eliya has had difficulty walking for the past two years, which has impacted his ability to play and carrying out daily activities. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Eliya. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 18th. Treatment will hopefully restore Eliya's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications.

Zara is a bright and creative 3-year-old from Haiti. She lives with her parents and two older sisters, and she loves going to preschool. One of her favorite ways to spend her time is by exploring her creativity and doing arts and crafts projects. Zara was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which blood leaks through a hole between two major blood vessels next to her heart. This causes her to experience weakness and shortness of breath. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. During the procedure, doctors will use a catheter to plug the hole so blood can properly flow through her body. This will allow Zara to breath with ease. Zara's mother said, "Our family is very hopeful that after this surgery our daughter will become healthier and stronger."