Cheng is a 73-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has three sons, two daughters, and six grandchildren. Cheng's wife is also a farmer. When he is not farming, Cheng share that he likes to exercise, do housework, take care of his grandchildren, and spend time with his friends. Cheng was in an accident and his left knee was dislocated. He first went to a provincial hospital where a cast was applied and he stayed for one week. His knee is still destabilized so his neighbor advised him to come to Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). He arrived at the hospital with a dislocated, swollen, and painful left knee. He cannot walk and uses a wheelchair to get around. When Cheng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for eight hours seeking treatment. On November 18th, surgeons at CSC will perform a knee fusion procedure so he will be able to walk again without pain. Now, Cheng needs help to fund this $518 procedure. Cheng said, "I hope after this surgery my knee will be fixed and I can walk again like before."

Derick is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania and an only child to his parents. Derick is a friendly boy who likes playing and listening to stories from his mother. Derick’s parents depend on small scale farming to make ends meet for their small family. Derick was diagnosed with genu valgus. His legs bow inward so that her 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, as he continued to grow his leg condition worsened, making it more and more painful for him to walk. He no longer wants to stand or walk on his own so his mother carries him most of the time. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Derick. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 4th. Treatment will hopefully restore Derick's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Derick’s mother says: “Please help my son get this treatment, I am scared that he may lose his ability to walk.”

Eustase is a 40-year-old man from Kenya. He is married and has three children aged 16, 10, and 5 years of age. All of his children are currently in school. Eustase was involved in a tragic road accident while on a boda-boda (motocycle taxi) drive. Rushing to pick up a client, Eustase was sandwiched between a lorry and a matatu (public service van) on a highway a few kilometres from his home town. The driver was trying to pass Eustase when the lorry hit him. He sustained serious injuries that rendered him unconscious. Well-wishers rushed him to a nearby hospital for first aid and review and later to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Kijabe Hospital. After several tests and an x-ray, he was diagnosed with a right tibia fracture. Doctors recommended a series of surgeries by both orthopaedic and plastic surgery teams. So far, Eustase has gone through three surgeries. Unless he undergoes the complete series of surgeries scheduled, he is at risk of not being able to walk or work. Eustase has already undergone right femur IM nailing and tibia ex-fix; debridement of his wounds and skin grafting; and 1st stage bone transport surgeries in an attempt to normalize his life. Currently, he is able to walk with crutches, and has been under close review by the plastic and orthopaedic teams. Next, Eustase is scheduled to undergo a second stage bone transport to enable his bones to heal normally and allow him to gain strength to walk. However, these procedures are very costly for Eustase and his family. He runs a boda-boda business to make a living and feed his family, but his daily wage is low and he does not have enough to pay for the surgeries. Their family depends on this sole source of income for survival. He has not been able to work since his motorbike was destroyed during the accident. Eustase has been relying on his national health insurance medical coverage, but has depleted his funding allocation and is therefore unable to get additional help. His friends and relatives have helped supplement his rising medical costs. Eustase requests for assistance to meet the cost of his planned surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund Eustase's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to regain his ability to walk and significantly improve his quality of life. Eustace shared, “This procedure will help me be able to get back to normal and even walk again. My family depends on me, and with this fracture, I am not able to work or even take care of them.“

Edwin is a fifteen year old boy from Kenya. He was brought by his mother to a medical camp organized by our partner hospital, Cure International. He is in the eighth grade and very bright. His mother is a housewife while the father is a mason. Edwin was born with a condition known as hemiplegia, a weakness that results from damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. This damage may occur before, during or shortly after birth. Therefore, the entire left side of his body is weak and he cannot see with his left eye. He is currently not able to walk and he keeps falling. The condition is worsening and lowering his self-esteem which is affecting his schoolwork. He is an aspiring engineer but is worried that the condition will hinder him from achieving his goals. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. They are now requesting your help to fund this $1,224 surgery that will repair a congenital foot deformity. “My prayer is for my son to receive help, undergo the surgery, and continue with his life like other children. I would love to see him healthy and able to pursue his dream. I would greatly appreciate any kind of help,” Edwin’s mother shared.

Morch is a 60-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has two sons, two daughters, and two grandchildren. When she is not busy at home caring for her family, she enjoys spending time with her friends at the local church. Two years ago, Morch developed a cataract in each eye, causing her pain, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Morch learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for eight hours seeking treatment. On February 26th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $425 procedure. "I hope that I can get better after my surgery and that I will be be able to see clearly and go places on my own again," she shared.

Soeun is 37-year-old government worker from Cambodia. He and his wife have a 10-year-old daughter who is in second grade. His wife sells rice at a local market. In his free time he loves to read the news or discovers new topics and books on the internet. In April 2020, Soeun was in motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture to his left femur and a traumatic injury to his left arm. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He received treatment to his femur, but his left arm remains numb and he cannot move it. Soeun traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On August 4th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will regain feeling in his shoulder and arm, and will be able to return to work and do all of his daily tasks easily again. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $696 to fund this procedure. Soeun said, "I have been very worried about the numbness in my arm, but I am hopeful that after this surgery I will move it again and get my strength back."

Sophaiyath is a 9-year-old girl who lives with her family in Kratie Province. She has one brother who is only one-year-old. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up, so she studies very hard at school. She loves to eat mangoes, play jump rope, and take care of her little brother. One year ago, Sophaiyath's father began to see that she was walking abnormally. They brought her to a local hospital and found that she had developed Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP) disease. This disease is a rare childhood disease in which blood flow to part of the hip socket is cutoff, and the bone begins to die. Now Sophaiyath experiences pain and stiffness, and cannot walk normally. She has missed school due to the condition, and her parents are worried that she will have permanent mobility issues. Luckily, the doctors at CSC can perform an osteotomy to repair Sophaiyath's hip. Once she recovers, she will no longer experience pain and will regain her mobility. She will also have increased confidence in her physical abilities. Sophaiyath's mother shared, "I want to see my daughter run and enjoy playing with the other children, so I hope this surgery is successful and finally fixes her hip."

Horn and his wife have been married for forty years, and have three daughters together. His wife works with him in the fields, while his daughters are all still in high school. He spends free time with his friends raising livestock for sale. Four months ago, Horn started feeling pain in his left hip. He had one previous surgery there, but no trauma. His pain reached the point where he can no longer walk unaided, and he had to stop working. On recommendation from one of his friends, he traveled for nearly ten hours to come to Watsi's Medical Partner CSC to receive treatment. Doctors at CSC will perform a girdlestone procedure in order to alleviate his pain. Once he recovers, he will no longer experience any pain in his hip, but his mobility will be reduced and he will use a cane. He will be able to continue working and doing the same activities he enjoyed before. Horn said, "I am glad my pain will finally be gone after my surgery. I cannot walk or do anything right now, so I am excited for the day I can finally go back to working and supporting my family."

Kelvin is a 13-year-old student and the fourth born in a family of six children. The family hails from Karangia village in Nyeri County of Kenya. He is a class 3 student at Karangi Primary School. His mother is a peasant farmer while his father passed away six years ago after a long illness. According to his teacher, Kelvin is a bright boy and performs well in class however she has noted that his self-esteem has been very low. “Kelvin likes playing with other kids but he cannot, he falls every time as his feet knock each other.” Kelvin has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Kelvin traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Kelvin's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. “I am appealing to the people of goodwill to support my son for surgery so that he can live a better life free from struggles/hardships and also progress well in his studies,” Ann, Kelvin’s mother shared with us.

We met with eleven-year-old Ian in the hospital ward as he was admitted for a skin traction after he fell from a tree and broke his left hand. His mother sat beside him helplessly while she watched her only son in pain. It took me time for his mother to talk as she was feeling very disturbed and stressed because of her son's condition. She was trying to help him sit up but he couldn’t because of his fractured hand. Ian was brought to the hospital accompanied by his parents. They walked for hours to get the nearest health facility where he was referred to our hospital for surgical review. On arrival, he had an x-ray done which showed that Ian had fractured his left supracondylar. Ian is the third born child in a family of five. He is the eldest son of Christine and Isaac. They are a humble family who is struggling financially and often lack food for their children. Ian's father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. They live in a two-roomed mud house in upcountry of Kenya. Ian's father, who is a maize farmer says that his farming is not doing well due to poor rains in the area and he has not been getting good yields in recent years. Medical examination shows that Ian needs urgent surgical intervention for his hand, but his family is unable to raise money for their son’s surgery apart from $30 that they collected from friends and family. His family is requesting our prayers and financial support for Ian’s treatment enable him use his hand. Christine, Ian’s mother says, “It is painful to see my son cry in pain. I hope he will receive treatment soon. All I want is to see him happy.”

Soti is a farmer from Kenya. Soti is a widow and mother of four with many grandchildren. Her husband died 28 years ago while she was still in her early 40’s. She became a strong woman for her children and took care of them. Ten years ago, Soti developed blurred vision in her eyes which is related to muscular degeneration. On February 27th she fell on her left hip while she was walking to the farm due to her poor vision. She is not able to walk and is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 4th, Soti will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help her heal and walk again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. Soti says, “I want to get out of bed and walk again, please pray for me and support my surgery.”

Naw Htee is a 30-year-old woman from Thailand. In 2006, Naw Htee and her family fled from Karen State, Burma to Thailand because there were conflicts between the armed groups and the country's military in their village. She now lives in a refugee camp with her family. In 2010, Naw Htee felt a severe toothache while she and her parents were visiting her village in Burma. She went to the nearest local clinic, where she had her molar teeth extracted. After the procedure, Naw Htee was in extreme pain; she could not even open her mouth as she used to. She was told that pain after tooth extraction is normal and that the pain will be diminished if she takes painkillers. Naw Htee tolerated the pain and hoped for the pain to be gone. Since then, Naw Htee could barely open her mouth. Naw Htee was too afraid to tell about her condition to anyone. She carried this burden for almost 9 years, until she decided to seek help. She then visited the clinic in the refugee camp. After trying oral medication and since her condition remained the same, she was referred to Mae Sariang General Hospital (MSGH) in July 2019. There, she received an x-ray, and the doctor diagnosed her with Ankylosis of the Temporamandibular joint [TMJ], stiffness of a joint due to abnormal adhesion and rigidity of the bones of the joint of jaw. She was then referred on to Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH) as MSGH does not have capacity to treat her condition. Once at CMH, the doctor told Naw Htee that she needs to undergo a special x-ray prior to receiving treatment. Doctors want Naw Htee to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $469 to cover the cost of Naw Htee's CT scan and care, scheduled for February 5th. Naw Htee mentioned, “I wanted to be a healthy, strong and supportive mother, even without the support of their father.”