Srey Pich is an eighth-grade student from Cambodia. She has four siblings, and enjoys, reading, singing, and playing football. When she was one year old, Srey Pich had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Srey Pich experiences discharge, itchiness, headache, and hearing loss. She cannot understand and communicate well with others, and she has difficulty focusing in school. Srey Pich traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 1st, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. "I hope that after my daughter's surgery, I will no longer have no worry about her and her condition will improve." -Srey Pich's Sister

Ashraf is a baby from Tanzania. Ashraf’s mother only had a chance to study up to class seven. She successfully completed her primary education but she couldn’t continue with her studies due to financial challenges. Her father passed away the year she was still waiting for her results so that she can join secondary. She would have loved to be a nurse if she had the chance to continue with her studies. Ashraf’s grandmother having been left with six children to look after by herself, she decided to start small business of a hair salon and selling second hand clothes. She also did small scale farming of maize and vegetables with the help of all of her children. Through this she has been able to provide for them. Ashraf’s mother has been working on their farm with her siblings ever since. Ashraf’s mother had been in a relationship with Ashraf’s father for two months when she got pregnant, she informed Ashraf’s father but he denied that the pregnancy was not his and he stopped any kind of communication with Ashraf’s mother. Through the help of his grandmother, Ashraf’s mother was able to deliver safely Ashraf has clubfoot of both his feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Ashraf traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on October 08. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Ashraf's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and wear shoes when he gets older. Ashraf’s mother says, “My family and I are unable to afford any of the surgeries my son needs please help support us to cover the treatment cost.”

Mary struggles with ambulation due to a spinal complication she is having. This has been the struggle for the past 12 months and continues to strain her daily life. Mary complained of fatigue and back pain in October of 2018 and sought treatment in a nearby hospital and was given no conclusive diagnosis. She was then referred to a more advanced facility and came to Kijabe. Mary had MRI and X-ray imaging done and was diagnosed with TB of the spine. Her surgeon recommended spinal decompression and fusion surgery to correct the condition. If not treated, Mary will continue experiencing much pain and ambulation struggles. Mary is a mother of 4 children and together, they live in her parent's house. Mary used to sell second-hand clothes but stopped in October when she could not bear the persistent fatigue and pain. Currently, her needs and those of her children are met by her relatives. She is not able to raise the full amount required for surgery.

Soklang is a mother of two from Cambodia. In her free time, she likes to watch Korean dramas on television. Three years ago, Soklang developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her irritation, itchiness, and tearing. 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. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Soklang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for a half hour seeking treatment. Soklang 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 $201. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for April 30. She says, "I hope that after surgery, I will look and feel better than before, and I will be able to see clearly."

20-month-old Rona Mae lives in a bamboo house in the Philippines. Her father is a farmer, and he has difficulty providing for the family. Rona Mae has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. She began $184 malnutrition treatment on October 20. She is being treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. "I hope she will recover from malnutrition and finish school," says Rona Mae's mother. "I hope she will be healthy and strong too."

Jonalyn is a happy, 13-year-old student who loves to study and play a game similar to kick-the-can. She lives with her parents and two siblings in the Philippines, where their one-room house has a cement floor and a thatched roof made of nipa leaves. Jonalyn noticed a mass on the right side of neck when she was 12 years old. She told her mother about it, but they did not seek help since they did not have money to spend on medical consultations or medicine. After a few months, she complained of pain when swallowing and difficulty breathing and also noticed that the mass on her neck was getting bigger. She has been unable to concentrate during her classes because of the on-and-off throbbing pain in her neck. During a church activity in May of 2015, Jonalyn felt a throbbing pain in her neck and was examined by a doctor. She was diagnosed with a goiter—an enlarged thyroid gland usually caused by a deficiency of iodine, an important element in the production of thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic for seven days and iron supplements for 10 days and referred Jonalyn to another care facility to undergo tests to determine the type of goiter. Unfortunately, the family was unable to seek further care for Jonalyn until now. She was screened by a health trainer in one of our sponsored communities, consultation was facilitated, and she was advised to undergo a thyroidectomy to remove the thyroid gland. Jonalyn's mother is a housewife, and her father raises pigs. They cannot pay for surgery for Jonalyn because their income is barely enough to sustain the family's daily needs. $1,500 covers the cost of Jonalyn's surgery, transportation to and from the hospital, 10 days of hospital care—including medicine, imaging, and blood tests—and medicine to take after she goes home. The surgery will lessen Jonalyn's discomfort due to her condition. "I am very thankful to you for helping people like me in my condition, especially those who are not financially capable in terms of health treatment," shares Jonalyn. "I was truly blessed because I was given an opportunity to be treated. After the surgery, I plan to continue my schooling to reach my dreams and help my family someday."

23-month-old Kervens was born with two holes in his heart: one between the two upper chambers, the other between the two lower chambers. Blood leaks through these holes without first passing through the lungs to get oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. Because of the nature of his condition, the only way to know whether surgery is possible for Kervens is to first do a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, in which a catheter probe is inserted into his heart in order to take detailed measurements. The results of this test will determine whether he is operable, and if he is, his doctors will then go on to arrange surgery. This procedure is not available in Haiti, so he must travel to the Dominican Republic to undergo the test. Kervens is a very calm and happy child who likes to be carried and to meet new people. Kervens lives in northern Haiti with his mother, aunt, and an older sister. His mother is currently unemployed and looking for work, and so the cost of the diagnostic test that her son urgently needs is beyond her financial means. "My family is all praying that the test will go well and Kervens will be able to have his surgery," Kervens’ mother shares.

Mobimba is the oldest in a family of seven children from Tanzania. He was born in 2001, and is 15 years old. Mobimba has severe bilateral clubfoot -- he is walking by using the lateral aspect of his feet, and he is unable to wear shoes. His condition has severely affected his gait. Due to the condition of his feet, Mobimba has not been able to go to school like his siblings. The school is too far away and when he walks for a long time, he feels pain on his legs. Despite his condition, Mobimba enjoys playing soccer. He also herds a few of his father’s goats. Mobimba’s parents are small scale farmers, and they also keep a few goats. With a large family to look after, children to take to school; coming up with the funds to cover the cost of Mobimba’s operation has been difficult. $1160 will fund the treatment Mobimba needs, including surgery, casting, and long-term rehabilitation. Treatment will allow him to return to school, and walk normally for the first time. “I will be happy to go to school like my friends,” Mobimba said.

Hann is a 11-year-old boy from Cambodia, currently in grade two. He has two older brothers and enjoys doing his homework, drawing pictures, and watching cartoons. Hann began having ear discharge and tinnitus in both ears when he was one-year-old. His tympanic membrane is perforated on each side, which causes him hearing loss and headaches. "I am unhappy when I have ear pain and I can not hear my teacher clearly at school," shared Hann in his pre-operative interview at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Hann traveled two hours with his mother to arrive at CSC for treatment. ENT surgeons at CSC will perform a myringoplasty on the left side. This will stop the discharge and improve his hearing. He will no longer need to worry about pain or discomfort, and will be able to participate in school without worrying about hearing his teacher.

Dominic is a young man, who currently walks with the aid of a broken walking stick. Dominic is a father of one and relies on the little he earns from informal tutoring of pupils. Dominic is 25 years old, and comes from a poor family of a widowed mother and seven siblings. He was the main provider for his young family before he was involved in a car accident a few years ago, where he fractured his tibia. His wife is a casual laborer who washes clothes for people to earn a living. Dominic's first surgery was funded by well-wishers. He needed a second surgery but due to lack of funds, it has been delayed for over one year. Due to financial constraints, he has not been able to get medical crutches to aid in walking. Dominic needs help to have the surgery done and restore back his health. Dominic's current symptoms include pain and strain while walking. Since the accident, Dominic can no longer work at construction sites, which was his means to earn a living. If not treated, Dominic may continue experiencing pain on his leg and difficulties in walking. He may also suffer severe infection which could result in amputation. $1,410 will fund the surgery and casting he needs to get healthy, and regain the use of his leg. “I would like to be a providing father and supportive son to my widowed mum; it pains me to have to rely on my wife for everything,” said Dominic. Our medical partner adds: "We expect that after the surgery, Dominic will heal well and he will be able to walk on his own again. Eventually he will be able to work and support his family."

“I want what is best for Maxwell,” shares his mother. “I long to see him walk and talk just like his peers.” She and two-year-old Maxwell live alone in a one-room apartment in Kenya, and have gotten by as a family of two since Maxwell’s father left. When Maxwell turned ten months old, “his mother noticed that his head was increasing drastically in size,” reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). He also displayed “delayed development, lagging behind his peers in many activities, such as walking.” Maxwell was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the cavities of the brain. This disorder has not only given Maxwell’s head an abnormal size and shape, but also causes him discomfort as his expanding brain presses unnaturally hard against his cranium. This has changed his personality, making him more irritable than before. And if his hydrocephalus goes untreated, “Maxwell is likely to suffer brain damage and lose his sight,” says AMHF. Fortunately, there is a surgical procedure that can help Maxwell. Doctors will insert a shunt into his brain that will remove the extra fluid from his brain and redistribute it to another part of his body, where it can be safely absorbed. “With a daily average income of $2 Maxwell’s mother is not able to raise funds to enable him get a shunt insertion,” explains AMHF. However, we can help. $615 will cover the cost of Maxwell’s surgery, as well as the medications, tests, and five-day hospital stay that he will need to recover from the operation. Let’s give Maxwell’s mother the chance to see her only child grow up healthy and strong.

Five-month-old Tsehay lives in rural Ethiopia with her parents. She was born with a birth defect called an anorectal malformation. She developed bowel obstruction because of the condition and an emergency colostomy surgery was performed. While a colostomy works temporarily, it will not permanently treat Tsehay's condition. She needs an anorectoplasty, followed by a colostomy closure 2-3 months later, to pass stool on her own. If left untreated, the colostomy could cause infection, irritation, and blockage. Tsehay would also never be able to pass stool on her own. "We expect that after anorectoplasty followed by a colostomy closure in a few months Tsehay will be able to pass stool on her own," her doctor shares. "She will no longer be at risk of infection and other colostomy related complications." "Tsehay's parents are farmers and she is the third child in the family," explains our medical partner. "Tsehay's father has low financial status to manage the household, and as a result the family is struggling. For this reason they can’t pay for their child's medical bill and this worries them very much." $1,500 will cover the cost of Tsehay's treatment, which will take place over the next few months. "We haven’t money to cover our child's bill," her mother said. "My husband has three wives and it is even difficult to manage the household daily needs. And that worried us so much. When we heard about this sponsorship program (Watsi funding) we came. Now we hope Tsehay will get treatment and get better."