Maria is a 50-year-old woman from Guatemala. She has had diabetes for eight years, but she only began treatment five years ago. Her diabetes has advanced, and she has been experiencing blurry vision and dizziness, which prevent her from working. She needs insulin to manage her blood sugar and prevent serious complications, such as kidney failure, high blood pressure, and cataracts. Fortunately, she began treatment on November 28. Maria is a single mother to two sons. She lives with them in an adobe house with a tin roof, and she supports her family by selling fruits and vegetables in a large market. Maria leaves for the market at 4 am every day, and she often stays until dark. Despite her hard work, she cannot afford this $1,500 treatment. This treatment will protect Maria from the effects of uncontrolled diabetes. She will receive the insulin, blood pressure medications, and education she needs to adequately manage her diabetes for years to come. Once her glucose levels normalize, she will no longer be at risk of dangerous blood sugar highs. She will have renewed energy to return to work, and her quality of life will improve.

Tha Zin is an 18-year-old student from Mogok Township, Kachin State, Burma (near Mandalay Division). She lives with her mother, father, and her three sisters. Tha Zin's father supports the family. His job is to cut and polish gemstones and he earns approximately 300,000 kyat (approximately 300 USD) per month. This income is usually enough to support the family's daily expenses and they have even been able to save money. However, since Tha Zin became ill the family has spent all their savings on her medical care and now her older sister is unable to return to university because the funds saved for her university fees have been spent also. Tha Zin first started to experience painful headaches in February 2015. Her father took her to many hospitals with several admissions but she was not diagnosed properly. In September 2015 she was admitted to Mogok hospital because she was losing her memory and could not walk or talk. The doctor there suggested Tha Zin's father take her to medical partner Mandalay Hospital for a CT scan. Tha Zin and her father travelled to Mandalay where she was diagnosed with multiple brain abscesses. Tha Zin's family was so worried that nothing further could be done. Tha Zin felt sad, lost hope and became depressed. She stayed at home, mainly lying in bed. Her family has given up hope about finding further treatment because they have spent all their money on medical and associated costs and they were already in debt. Tha Zin's father recently accompanied his younger daughter, Tha Zin's sister, to a doctor's appointment at the Mogok clinic. At this time the monk from the Ananda Myitta Clinic (AMC) was visiting to meet with the doctor and heard the story of Tha Zin's medical condition from her father. The monk encouraged Tha Zin's father to travel with her to Mae Sot, Thailand to BCMF. Tha Zin said, "I feel hopeless and thought I will die soon. My family has spent a lot of money on hospital and medical costs. I feel like a burden and trouble for my family. My sisters are also so worried for me all the time. If I have a future I want to study and live with my family for a long time." She added, "I want to be well soon. I would like to go to university and then become a teacher and help my community." With the support from Watsi, Tha Zin underwent a CT scan on October 11. The result showed mass-like growths which needed to be removed very quickly. Tha Zin had this growth removal surgery on October 22.

Vinz is an eight-month-old boy from the Philippines who lives with his family in a small bamboo house. He is a happy little boy and smiles at everyone, including strangers. Vinz's father is a fisherman, and his mother sells the fish at the market. They do not make enough money to support Vinz, who has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. Vinz's malnutrition potentially threatens his life, and could also lead to heart problems and mental development issues. Fortunately, Vinz is receiving the care he needs from Watsi's medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). Vinz began ICM's $268 home-based feeding program, which provides nutrient-enriched food packs to malnourished children, on October 19. This will help Vinz regain a normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. In order to monitor Vinz's progress in the program, ICM staff and volunteers will make weekly visits to check up on him. They will also educate his parents about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening to ensure that Vinz's health can be sustained in the future. "I hope Vinz will finish his studies and get a good job," says his mother. Let's help to fund her son's care!

Gerly is a 16-month-old girl from who lives with her family in her grandparent's home and loves to play with other kids. Gerly has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Her mother enrolled her in International Care Ministries (ICM)'s home-based feeding program in hopes it will help her daughter reach a normal weight. "I hope she recovers from malnutrition and to go to school someday," her mother said. One out of five children under five in the communities ICM serves 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. Gerly was scheduled to begin treatment for malnutrition on October 19th, 2016. As part of her treatment, she will receive nutrient enriched food packs to ensure she gets additional food to regain normal weight, and achieve optimum physical and mental development. ICM's staff and community volunteers will make weekly visits to monitor her progress. And to help sustain her health, ICM's professional staff will educate her family about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening.

Sofhie is a little girl, only twenty months old. She lives with her parents and four siblings in a small house made of bamboo and nipa leaves, similar to palm leaves. They live near the coastal area of the Philippines where her father works as a fisherman. Sofhie loves to play with her siblings. One out of every five children under the age of 5-years in International Care Ministries (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. Sofhie was enrolled into the Home-Based Feeding program on October 19. Now, Sofhie needs help to fund this $184 treatment. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the additional food to regain normal weight, and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child being 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 my daughter recovers from malnutrition to become healthy and strong. I pray also that she can finish her schooling someday and have a stable job and can help our family," says Sofhie's parents.

Ally is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania who loves playing with balloons. He is the youngest child in a family of five. Ally's mother brought him to the hospital after a persistent problem with his feet. He had swollen legs and often fell down. After an X-ray, he was diagnosed with bilateral genu varum, or bowleggedness. On November 8, 2016, surgery was performed to correct the deformity. Ally's father is a taxi driver, and his mother a caterer. They have only raised $50 to pay for his treatment, and they need help to fund the remaining $940.

Catezelle, or "Cate," is a three-year-old girl from the Philippines who loves to dance and play with her friends. She lives in a bamboo house with her family. Cate's mother is a laborer on a farm, but she doesn't make enough money to adequately feed her family. As a result, Cate is severely acutely malnourished. In communities served by Watsi's medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), one out of five children under the age of five 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, lack of clean water and unsanitary environments increase the risk of potentially fatal childhood diseases. Cate's malnutrition must be addressed in order to prevent further physical and mental developmental delays. On October 19, she began a $268 home-based feeding program. This program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure that Cate returns to a normal weight for her age. In addition to the food packs, Cate will receive weekly visits from ICM staff and community volunteers to monitor her progress in the program. To help sustain her health in the long term, ICM's professional staff will educate Cate's family members about proper nutrition, organic vegetable gardening, sanitation, and hygiene.

Bosco is a two-year-old boy from Tanzania. At six months of age, his mother noticed his head increasing in size. He became irritable, vomited regularly, and had difficulty sleeping at night. Medication provided by local hospitals did nothing to alleviate Bosco's symptoms. Finally, his mother traveled for two days to visit our medical partner's hospital, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. Bosco was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. On November 7, doctors performed a shunt insertion to drain the fluid and reduce the pressure on his brain. Bosco's mother, a single mother, farms to make a living. She works hard to feed and clothe her children and to send them to school, but she is unable to cover the cost of healthcare. She needs help to fund this $775 procedure. "God will bless you for helping my child get treatment," she says.

This is Princess, a two-year-old girl from the Philippines. Princess loves to play with her siblings. They live in a simple house made of bamboo. Princess's father, Isagani, works in a coco lumber shop. Princess has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. She began $268 malnutrition treatment on October 18, 2016. Princess 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.

Kyalisiima is a 24-year-old married mother of two. She is a housewife who cultivates food for home consumption on their plot in the backyard of their house. Sometimes, they rent an extra piece of land for cultivating food because their plot is too small. Her husband sells used children’s clothes on market days. His income is small and is primarily used to pay for the education of their first child, and sometimes for renting pieces of land and buying food. Kyalisiima had her first child and second child in 2010 and 2014 respectively by C-section because she couldn’t get contractions. Both children are alive. Kyalisiima is now pregnant with her third baby. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) shares, "She will not be allowed to push this baby because she has had two previous C-sections. Due to the pregnancy, she has back pain and sometimes she feels abdominal pains." Kyalisiima's doctors recommend an elective C-Section, to avoid the risk of uterine rapture. The surgery, medicine, and inpatient care cost $280. Kyalisiima's family needs assistance to pay for the procedure. After the surgery, Kyalisiima hopes to work hard to raise her children and she plans to start a retail shop in future when she gets capital.

Shem is a ten-year-old student from Kenya who aspires to be an engineer. Since his mother left for Dubai in search of work, he and his younger sister have been living with his grandparents. Shem's father is unknown, and left their family several years ago. For about three years, Shem has been experiencing abdominal pain. Sometimes pain relievers are able to help, but he has developed a bent posture to cope with the pain. While giving him a bath, his grandmother noticed that both of Shem's testis were missing in the scrotal sac. Doctors at the local hospital confirmed that he has undescended testis, which is causing him the abdominal pain. He needs surgery to move his undescended testis to their correct place, otherwise he may develop a hernia or even testicular cancer. Shem’s mother is not yet settled in Dubai, and therefore she is not able to raise the funds required for his surgical care. His grandparents are subsistence farmers with no external income. $570 will pay for Shem's surgery, as well as his medical supplies and hospital stay. His family needs assistance to cover these costs. After his procedure, Shem will be able to return home to his family and lead a normal happy childhood. "If I had not heard of the willingness of Watsi to help and love, I would have lost hope for having my nephew treated," says Shem's aunt. "Luckily, Watsi has come to our aid and I am touched."