Irina is a little girl from Bolivia. She lives in the eastern part of Bolivia with her mother, who is a homemaker; her father, who is a baker; and her older sister. Irina's parents noticed she was always tired when breastfeeding and could not sleep well because had a hard time breathing. They took her to a doctor who informed them that she needed urgent surgery. Irina has a cardiac condition called Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return. This is a congenital heart condition where the pulmonary veins do not connect to the left atrium as they should. It leads to low oxygen levels in the body, typically requiring surgical intervention shortly after birth. She also has a hole between the two upper chambers of her heart. On March 5th, Irina will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will connect the pulmonary veins to the left upper heart chamber. They will also close the hole between the upper heart chambers. Irina's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to help cover the costs of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Irina's mother shared, "I was looking everywhere for help. I am glad we are finally here so my little daughter can have her surgery! I'm so grateful to all the people who are helping me and my daughter."

Naw Kar is a 26-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her parents and five siblings. Her parents are farmers who grow beans and rice, and raise chickens for the household. Naw Kar used to be a domestic worker but had to stop because of her condition. In late 2022, Naw Kar noticed that a hard mass beside her right ear. The mass grew bigger over time. At a local hospital, a scan revealed an acute lymphadenitis of right face, head and neck, benign neoplasm of parotid gland and the doctor told her that she needs to have surgery. However, her family could not afford the cost of the surgery. Naw Kar traveled to our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital, in Thailand. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on February 6th. Our medical partner, Burma Children's Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for Naw Kar's procedure and care. Naw Kar said, “Without your help, I would not do the surgery because I don’t have the money for it. Thank you for helping and I wish I could get the surgery successfully.” She added, “I hope I can find a job in Thailand after my treatment is finished.”

Eimy is an 11-month-old baby girl from Bolivia. She lives east of Bolivia with her mom, who used to sell cosmetics from home, and her dad, who works driving a motorcycle taxi. Eimy has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect where a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through the hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. On November 13th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in her heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Eimy's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to fund cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical fees, follow-up care, and medications. Eimy's mother shared, "Eimy is making many friends at the hospital. She misses her sister, but the children here are friendly. We await her surgery patiently."

Rachelle is a 35-year-old woman from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she lives with her husband. Although she is not currently employed, she hopes to resume her career as an accountant in the future. Rachelle has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. This condition resulted from an infection earlier in her life that severely damaged one of the four valves in her heart. The damaged valve is unable to pump blood effectively through her body, leaving her weak and struggling with shortness of breath. Rachelle will be traveling to the United States for life-saving treatment. On December 6th, she is scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery at Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, where surgeons will implant an artificial valve to replace her damaged one. Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital is contributing $28,000 to cover the cost of the surgery. However, her family also needs support to cover additional costs associated with surgery preparation. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund lab tests, medications, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. This amount also helps with securing travel documents for Rachelle’s family and covers travel expenses for social workers who will accompany her family overseas. Rachelle shares, “I am very thankful to everyone who is making the surgery possible for me. I could never manage to have surgery without you!”

Lester is a 62-year-old woman from Malawi, living in Ntcheu. A widow since 2006, she has dedicated her life to caring for her five children, four of whom are married with their own children, while one child continues to live with her. Lester finds joy in chatting with her grandchildren and savoring nsima served with beans. For the past ten years, Lester has been struggling with troubling symptoms, which began with a swelling in her neck, that led her to seek traditional medicine. Unfortunately, she saw no improvement and chose to stay at home. As the swelling continued to grow, she endured neck heaviness, difficulty walking long distances, frequent coughing, and increasing weakness. These challenges have greatly impacted her daily life and farming, reducing her income. Early October, Lester visited the hospital for the first time. There, she learned that she has a goiter, a condition affecting her thyroid gland, which is crucial for many bodily functions. Now, she urgently needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening and to regain her strength Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lester receive treatment. On October 16th, she is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising the treatment funds. Lester says, "Please help me regain my normal appearance after surgery. I hope for a healthier life free from these symptoms and the questions from my children. I long to recover and return to my life as a caring mother and grandmother to my 13 grandchildren."

Setta is a 17-year-old student from Cambodia who lives with her mother, who works as a hairdresser from home. Setta is in the 11th grade and wants to be a teacher when she gets older. When she is at home, she enjoys eating bitter melon fried with rice, and often helps her mother with housework. Setta was born with idiopathic scoliosis, or an abnormal sideways "S" curvature of the spine. Her mom brought her to a public hospital, where she underwent a number of treatments for her condition. However, over the past five years, she has experienced back pain when walking for more than 20 minutes and the pain makes it difficult for her to sit comfortably in class. More recently, she has noticed difficulty breathing due to her rib cage pressing on her lungs. She also occasionally feels numbness in her legs from her vertebrae pressing on nerves. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Setta receive treatment. On September 3rd, specialty surgeons at CSC will perform a scoliosis spinal fusion surgery to correct Setta's spinal curvature and improve her health and quality of life. This surgery will relieve her chronic pain and allow her to breathe better, walk, sit, and study at school comfortably. Setta's mother can afford to contribute $100 toward her daughter's care. Now, she and her mother need help raising the remaining $1,400 to fund the surgery, hospitalization, implants, medication, and physiotherapy. Setta shared, "I hope after my operation, my spine will be straight. I want to walk with my friends and not have a hard time breathing, work to support myself when I am done with school, and not be ashamed of my back."

Mu Lar is a 16-year-old girl from Thailand. She works as a farmer alongside her two older sisters and her parents. Mu Lar's family also raises pigs and sells them for income. During her free time, Mu Lar enjoys playing games on her phone, listening to music, and talking to her mother. In November 2023, Mu Lar started to experience headaches and dizziness accompanied by occasional vomiting. There was also a yellow discharge from her right ear. Mu Lar has been diagnosed with chronic otomastoiditis, an inflammation of the middle ear, and the mastoid process of the temporal bone. The doctor planned to perform a right-modified radical mastoidectomy, a procedure to remove mastoid air cells, the eardrum, most of the middle ear structures, and the ear canal. Mu Lar sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, and is scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on September 5th. Mu Lar is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Mu Lar said, "Fellow villagers told me that I might not be able to speak afterward, which worried me. However, the doctor said it was incorrect. Thank you, Watsi, for helping me get surgery. After I recover, I want to continue helping my family on the farm."

Dar is a six-year-old girl from Thailand. She lives with her parents and attends pre-school at a Thai public school. Her father works at a cattle farm, and her mother is a homemaker. Dar enjoys playing with her cats and toys and spending time on the phone during her free time. Dar has been diagnosed with a congenital cataract in her left eye. She experiences blurred vision in her left eye, which makes her rely on her right eye for reading and seeing. Additionally, there is a noticeable misalignment in her left eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Dar receive treatment. On August 6th, doctors will perform a lens replacement surgery during which they will remove Dar's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, Dar's family needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Dar’s mother says, “I feel very grateful to Watsi. We could not afford my daughter’s surgery, which made me feel sad and worried for her. Now, she is about to get her surgery soon. I am very happy. After recovery, I hope she thrives in school and pursues her education successfully."

Kwangu is a farmer and a single mother of three adult children. She enjoys taking care of her grandchild and eating maize porridge with vegetables prepared with groundnut flour. Kwangu was diagnosed with a goiter, which was affecting her movement, daily activities, and health. She was referred to Partners in Hope Medical Center where she was told she needed a thyroidectomy, a procedure where surgeons remove a part or all of the thyroid glands. She is scheduled for surgery on February 27th and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,015 for the procedure. Kwangu believes that the surgical operation will help her get back home and be with her children. She looks forward to getting better after surgery so she can continue her farm work and support her family as a single parent.

Daw Khin is a 64 year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and her daughter in Yangon, Burma. She is a homemaker and her husband is retired. Daw Khin and her husband rely on their daughter for their daily needs. Daw Khin was born with a heart condition called patent ductus arteriosis (PDA). PDA is a persistent opening between two major blood vessels leading from the heart. When a baby is growing in the womb the opening is necessary to provide adequate blood and oxygen, but this typically closes after birth. When it remains open, it can weaken the heart and cause other complications. because of this condition, Daw Khin experiences shortness of breath, palpitations, and chest pain. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a surgery that will close off the patent ductus arteriosis for Daw Khin. The treatment is scheduled to take place at Pun Hlaing Hospital on May 18th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Daw Khin said, “I am very thankful to BCMF for helping my surgery. I wish the operation would be successful and I want to recover soon. When I am healthy again, I would like to go to the monastery daily.”

Rosemary is a mother of five children. She lives with her husband, their two youngest children, and 6 grandchildren. Rosemary enjoys chatting with her grandchildren and eating nsima, a porridge made from maize flour and served with local chicken and vegetables. Five years ago, Rosemary started experiencing swelling near her abdomen After visits to different hospitals and clinics, she was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia and was recommended to have surgery. Her symptoms worsened as she delayed treatment and was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, a condition that occurs when part of the stomach protrudes up into the chest through the diaphragm because of the weakening of surrounding tissues. Rosemary could no longer walk long distances and was experiencing frequent vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, heartburn, discomfort, and pain in her chest and abdomen. Rosemary can hardly do anything at home due to worsening pains during activities that add more pressure to the painful area. Rosemary was later taken to Partners in Hope Medical Center and doctors explained the need for a surgical intervention called Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication, a surgery that treats Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD). In GORD, acid from the stomach leaks up into the esophagus (gullet) due to the weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter which leads to failure to close properly. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On May 7th, Rosemary will undergo surgery that will help relieve her of her symptoms and improve her quality of life. AMH is requesting $1,244 to fund this procedure. Rosemary said, “I can now smile again and look forward to a successful surgery, for me to be well again.”

Mercy is a determined young lady, a sixth born in a family of nine children. Her father is a small scale farmer and her mother a homemaker. She goes to secondary school in Meru County, but is currently behind on her studies due to delays caused by a condition impacting both legs. Mercy was born with a condition known as bilateral genu varum (sometimes referred to as bowlegs), which causes her legs to curve outward at the knees. The condition has greatly affected her mobility. She finds it difficult to walk long distances, she gets tired quickly, and is unable to fully engage in activities with friends. Her self-esteem has been dramatically impacted by constant teasing from her peers, who find her way of walking different. Fortunately, Mercy is scheduled to undergo a surgery called bilateral Proximal Tibial Osteotomy (PTO) at our medical partner's care center AIC CURE International Hospital. The treatment will heal her legs, allow her to walk easily and support her to engage better both in school and with friends. Mercy hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon in order to help other children in the future. “I am looking forward to see my legs being corrected, to live more actively and continue with my education. God bless you for the support,” Mercy told us.