Nwe is a 44-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband, and they both work as migrant school teachers. During her free time, Nwe enjoys watching movies on her phone. Nwe was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Valves control the flow of blood between the chambers of the heart, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long term damage to the heart and lungs. Nwe experiences rapid heartbeat, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. This prevents her from engaging in physical activities. Nwe is scheduled to undergo a valve replacement surgery on December 13th. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. Once completed, Nwe will be able to live more comfortably. Nwe said, "I can’t sleep at night because I am worried about paying for my surgery because I don't have enough money. I feel very sad because I cannot help my husband with the household chores, and I can’t teach my students since my condition has worsened. However, I'm very happy and I feel relieved now. I would love to say thank you to BCMF and donors for giving me a chance to recover."

Naw Aye is a 28-year-old woman who lives with her husband, son, sister-in-law, brother, two nephews, and two nieces in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Originally from across the Burmese border in a conflict-area called Karen State, she fled to the refugee camp with her family in February 2023 due to airstrikes on her village. Her husband and her brother are unemployed, while her son, nieces, and nephews go to school. She and her sister-in-law are homemakers. During her free time, she loves to play with her son and enjoys planting vegetables in her small garden. She is currently expecting her second child. Her doctors recommended that she deliver via cesarean section because In January 2020, when Naw Aye was pregnant with her first child, her water broke prematurely which put her baby's life at risk. She was brought to a hospital in Burma, where she gave birth to her son through a caesarean section (C-section). In February, after they had fled to the refugee camp, Naw Aye became pregnant. She went to the hospital in the refugee camp regularly for antenatal care. She was told during one of her visits that although her pregnancy was going well, she would need to give birth through a C-section to ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, will help ensure a safe C-section on November 3rd. This procedure costs $1500, and Naw Aye needs your support. “I want to sell sacks or Mohinga (Burmese soup) for extra income soon. But I don’t have enough cash to start doing that, and I am pregnant. I hope I can do that after I give birth,” Naw Aye said.

Mai is a 46-year-old mother from Thailand. She resides with her husband, and son in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. She works as a seamstress, her husband sells snacks and her son is a tutor. Mai has been unwell since 2015 and doctors advise her to undergo a hysterectomy. If left untreated, Mai's pain and symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Mai said, "I felt very happy when I found out that Watsi would support my treatment. Thank you so much for your assistance. It means a lot to me and my family.”

Saw Htoo is an 11-year-old boy from Burma who lives with his parents, 4 brothers and a sister in a refugee camp, in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. His parents fled to the camp from Karen State, Burma, due to the civil war in 2010. Saw Htoo is in grade 4 and his favorite subject is English. His father used to work as a day laborer before travel restrictions were imposed on camp residents after the outbreak of covid-19. Since then, both of Saw Htoo’s parents are homemakers. Although they receive a small monthly cash card to purchase food in the camp, as well as free basic health care and education, they struggle to make ends meet. For the past 5 years, Saw Htoo has been brought frequently to the hospital in the camp due to having urine in his blood. He has also experienced pain while going to the bathroom, developed a fever and pain in his bladder area. He received an ultrasound, an x-ray of his kidney, ureter and bladder (KUB) and an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) and was diagnosed with a renal stone in his right renal pelvis. At a follow-up appointment in August 2023, he received another IVP which indicated that the stone was increasing in size and doctors recommended Saw Htoo have surgery to remove the stone. Saw Htoo has been experiencing pain in his back, and he often needs to take leave from school because of the pain. Fortunately, our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) can help. Saw Htoo is scheduled for surgery on September 8th, and BCMF is asking for help to raise $1,500 to fund the procedure. Saw Htoo said, “I want to become a football player [in the future] because I love to play football.”

Siek Meng is a 15-year-old who resides in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents make a living as rice farmers, and when Siek Meng returns home from school, she helps care for her siblings. During her free time, she enjoys learning English by watching English-language films and television shows. She aspires to pursue higher education in the capital of Phnom Penh and study medicine in the future. Around the age of 6, Siek Meng and her parents noticed something concerning about her back. However, they postponed seeking treatment until two years later due to the high cost of treatment and not considering it essential at that time. Unfortunately, the condition has since deteriorated, and she has been diagnosed with scoliosis, a deformity of the spine. In the past year, Siek Meng has experienced increased difficulty breathing as her rib cage presses on her lungs. Additionally, she occasionally feels numbness in her legs caused by her vertebrae compressing nerves. Thankfully, Siek Meng and her father undertook a challenging journey of two and a half hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), seeking assistance for her disability. The medical team at CSC plans to perform a spinal fusion with implants on August 2nd, which requires financial support as the operation costs $1500. This amount will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-operative physiotherapy care. CSC is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure for Siek Meng. Siek Meng shared, "I am feeling embarrassed about my back and I want to not have chest pain anymore. I hope after surgery I can go back to school and be able to walk around my village more easily."

Kennedy is a 28-year-old young man from Muchatha, Kimabu County in Kenya. He is the first born in a family of three children. His single mother has her own small business selling groceries. Kennedy just completed college and started working by riding a motorbike to earn money for his bus fare and to assist his mother in caring for the family. Unfortunately, on June 26th, as he was riding the motorcycle to pick up a customer, he was involved in a road traffic accident; he was hit by a vehicle and was hit on the right leg. He was brought to Nazareth Hospital and an x-ray showed an open fracture of the tibia on his right leg. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. On June 29th, Kennedy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation so that he will be able resume his job of driving a motorcycle. Kennedy is able to contribute $148 to the surgery, and he needs help raising $1,049 to fully fund the procedure. Kennedy says, "This is not the way I thought of my life. I kindly plead for help so that I can undergo this treatment. I can’t wait to see myself able to work again and support my mom."

Kaung is a 2-year-old baby boy who lives in Burma with his grandmother, uncle, aunt, and five-month-old cousin. His grandmother is retired, his uncle is a motorbike taxi driver and his aunt is a homemaker. Kaung was born with a condition called Congenital Hydrocephalus. Congenital Hydrocephalus is caused by a brain malformation or birth condition that causes excessive cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in brain cavities. Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear, colorless liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, protecting them from injury. It carries nutrients to the brain and spinal cord and takes away waste. In a healthy person, the amount of this fluid produced by the brain is absorbed by the body. In hydrocephalus, the fluid fails to drain and accumulates, leading to pressure on the brain. Kaung's symptoms include intensifying nasal congestion and coughing with mucus. Additionally, his head is gradually increasing in size as the fluid continues to put pressure on his brain. The condition is most often treated by inserting a shunt. The shunt diverts excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain to another part of the body where the fluid can be reabsorbed. Kaung's family visited a doctor when he was born to address the issue. At the time, the doctor advised the family to seek further treatment. However, Kaung was never brought to a hospital or clinic due to the financial difficulties of the family. Fortunately, Kaung was able to meet with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). With the help of BCMF and Watsi, Kaung received a CT scan at Mae Sot General Hospital. The doctor was able to diagnose his condition and scheduled Kaung to undergo surgery immediately. Kaung is scheduled for surgery on May 26th. Kaung's aunt said, "My nephew becomes cuter by the day, and he is always smiling. I tried to save money to treat him, but I could not. But now, we are so happy to have met you all at BCMF. We are happy to know that Kaung will have the opportunity to get treated because of your support.”

Savong is a 28-year-old hairdresser from Kampong Thom province in Cambodia, where she lives with her husband and their two daughters and son. Savong's husband works on a nearby rice farm while Savong works in the local market at a hairdressing stall. Her favorite hobby is cooking for her family. Fifteen years ago, Savong had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. As a result, Savong experiences hearing loss, ear pain, and discharge. Savong traveled to seek help from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On April 27th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her right ear at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. During this procedure, surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma, restoring Savong's hearing, and ridding her of the distressing discharge she has been living with. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. The money raised will cover the cost of medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Savong shared: "I hope I can help my hearing and be able to do my job and care for my kids better."

Wedstanley, who is 10 months old, lives in a small village in northern Haiti, with his parents and three older siblings. Both of his parents are farmers. Wedstanley was born with a condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which blood leaks between two major blood vessels next to his heart. As a result of this condition, Wedstanley is weak and short of breath. Surgical intervention is required in order to restore him to good health. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund Wedstanley's interventional heart catheterization. The procedure, during which surgeons will close the leak in his heart - allowing for normal blood flow - is scheduled for April 17th, at Clinica Corominas. Wedstanley's mother said: "Our family is praying that this surgery will go well and that our son will be normal and healthy!"