Veneranda is an 80-year-old widow from Uganda. She lives with her grandson and grows crops for their consumption. Veneranda also has a small plot of land dedicated to tea plants, the leaves of which provide a small income. When she is not farming, Veneranda enjoys keeping busy by weaving mats and baskets from local grasses. Veneranda enjoys visiting with family members who live nearby, especially her children and grandchildren. Recently, Veneranda has experienced a great deal of pain. After seeking help, physicians discovered a cervical sebaceous cyst. The cyst prevents her from sitting and moving comfortably. Her doctors have recommended a cyst removal procedure. Our medical partner, The Kellerman Foundation, has requested $196 to fund her surgery, which is scheduled for April 1. The surgery should relieve her pain. She is excited and thankful to be receiving the surgery. “I thank the donors for supporting me," she says. "May God bless them.”

Zaw is an 11-year-old boy from Burma who has an abnormal growth in his nostrils. He lives with his parents and two younger brothers. Zaw has completed fourth grade, but he stopped attending fifth grade earlier this year due to his nasal condition. Both of Zaw's siblings are currently in school. When he was nine years old, Zaw's mother noticed that he had a nasal problem, but she could not see the abnormal growth inside his nostrils. His condition would worsen at night, when Zaw found it difficult to breathe. Finally, they visited a clinic, where Zaw's mother was informed that Zaw had nasal polyps in both of his nostrils. These polyps are benign growths that form on the lining of the nose or sinuses. Several months after his visit to the clinic, the nasal polyps became visible. Unfortunately, Zaw's family could not afford to pay for more treatment. Both of Zaw's parents work. His mother sells watermelon in town, and his father cuts bamboo and works as a day laborer on construction sites. Most months, the family income is not sufficient to cover basic costs. Zaw's mother borrowed money from a neighbor to make the trip to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), where the office of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is based. After a CT scan, our medical partner's doctors scheduled Zaw for surgery. Currently, Zaw’s condition is poor. He cannot breathe well, and he often feels fatigued and dizzy. Zaw is scheduled to undergo sinus surgery on February 19. Burma Children Medical Fund is requesting $1,500 for the procedure. Zaw's mother hopes that her son will recover quickly so that he can go back to his studies. “I want him to be a medical doctor because he often dreams of being one," she says. “If I am fully recovered, I will go back to school,” Zaw adds.

Zhyrine is a two-year-old girl who lives with her grandmother. She loves to play with other kids from the neighborhood. Zhyrine has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens her growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, she will begin $184 malnutrition treatment on February 20. Zhyrine will be 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 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. Her grandmother says, "I hope she will recover fast from malnutrition and can finish her studies someday."

Sorphorn is a 33-year-old waitress from Cambodia who has three brothers and five sisters. She likes to play games and interact with friends on Facebook. About three years ago, Sorphorn developed a pterygium in each eye. A pterygium is a wing-shaped growth of tissue that appears as a membrane on the surface of the eye. The growth extends into the center of the eye and is typically noticed when it begins to cover the iris. Common symptoms include burning and tearing, as Sorphorn is experiencing. Because of her condition, Sorphorn feels uncomfortable when she works and travels. Sorphorn traveled with her brother for one hour to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. On December 26, surgeons at CSC will surgically remove the pterygium from each of Sorphorn's eyes. CSC is requesting $148 to pay for two days of hospital care, eye ointments, medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection, and one consultation with the eye doctor. "I hope my eyes look better so that I don't feel shy around everyone anymore," shares Sorphorn. "I want to feel comfortable when I work and go anywhere outside."

Paul is a four-year-old boy from Kenya. He has a twin brother. Paul lives with his family in a rental house in Nairobi. Paul was diagnosed with hypospadias, a condition that causes uncomfortable urinary symptoms. Without treatment, Paul risked infertility or social stigma. Fortunately, he visited our medical partner's hospital and underwent a repair surgery on December 28. Paul's parents are unable to pay for his treatment. His mother is a greengrocer, while his father works at a milk bar. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $700 to fund Paul's treatment. "I try to give my children the best," says Paul's mother. "I’ll appreciate any support."

Milvia was born only a week ago--but was premature. Milvia is also a twin--a surprise her parents got when they were born! Unfortunately her and her sister Yolanda are both underweight, and her mother is having trouble producing breastmilk--leaving both babies with dangerous weight loss and failure to grow. Without sufficient breastmilk during this delicate time, Milvia's brain development could be permanently affected, she could be at risk of seizures because of hormonal imbalances due to her mother giving her sugar water, and if she gets sick now, it could be life-threatening. Milvia and her sister are constantly crying because they are hungry--making her whole family distressed and feeling powerless to help their daughters. Milvia lives with her 6 brothers and sisters and her parents in a humble home made of adobe with a tin roof. Millie's mother weaves typical Mayan textiles to make money at home while taking care of her children. Her father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops for long hours. Between the two of them, they bring in only a couple dollars per day for the whole family--nowhere near enough to purchase the life-saving formula she and her sister need. Despite being dangerous, this condition is incredibly easy to treat. Milvia will be enrolled on November 16 to receive formula and her parents will receive nutritional education, giving Milvia the treatment she needs now to grow big and strong, and giving her family the tools to recognize and prevent future cases of malnutrition. Her mother said, "I hope that my daughters grow big and healthy without health problems. I want to see my daughters grow to be healthy, intelligent, and in the long term be able to study."

Try is a 70-year-old moto taxi driver from Cambodia. He is married with three sons, four daughters, and nine grandchildren. He enjoys watching Khmer dramas on TV. One year ago, Try developed a cataract in each eye. This causes him blurred vision and cloudy lenses. He can't see clearly or do his work well. For $292, Try will undergo cataract surgery in both eyes. After the surgeries in each eye, Try will be able to see clearly again.

"We dream that our son can be a great teacher,” shares the mother of 12-month-old Edwin. Edwin is the youngest of five children. He lives with his family in a one-room cinderblock house in Guatemala. His favorite thing to do is to race his toy cars with his siblings. His mother works cooking, cleaning, and taking care of him and his siblings, as well as helping Edwin’s father maintain and harvest the small plot of land they rent where they grow beans and corn. His father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops on a large plantation. Although Edwin’s parents want the best for their son, they do not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to be able to overcome malnutrition. Edwin's mother has noticed that her son has almost no appetite. This is because Edwin has malnutrition, a condition that results from having a diet that lacks protein, calories, and nutrients. This has made him fail to reach normal growth and developmental indicators, and made his immune system too weak to fight off common illnesses such as coughs and diarrhea. If he does not receive treatment, Edwin could face the consequences of malnutrition for the rest of his life—he could have a low IQ, trouble focusing in school, and a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension as an adult. All these consequences make it less likely he will have a well-paying job as an adult, meaning the cycle of poverty and malnutrition would continue if he decides to have kids. Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Edwin recover from malnutrition. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to gain motor skills and learn new words instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. Edwin's mother will receive the support she need to feel empowered to give Edwin the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will give Edwin the chance to live a healthy and productive life and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.

Ann is a middle aged woman from Nakuru, Kenya. She is a mother to two children. Her husband has hip problems and has not been able to work since 2013. The family relies on help from neighbors, and they live in a four roomed house, which is incomplete as the husband got sick before its completion. He was the sole provider of the family. Ann used to sell cakes to supplement her family income. She has since stopped as she is not able to walk with ease. In 2013 September, Ann complained of back pains and made several visits to the hospital. She was given pain management drugs. She needed an x-ray which she took after several months due to financial burdens. The images indicated swollen veins and muscle on her back and legs. In 2015, after several clinical visits, she had an MRI done which indicated that Ann had arthritis. Ann is not able to walk or move with ease and has thus stopped working. She has to rely on friends to assist her as her husband is bedridden. If not treated, Ann will continue having a lot of pain and numbness. She risks having permanent disability. Surgery was recommended but she has not been able to raise the amount needed. A spinal fusion will cost $1500, and is expected to significantly improve Ann's condition. “I want to be well to work and provide for my family," Ann shared.

Chantha is 31-years-old, and married with one son and one daughter. She works selling vegetables at the market and enjoys staying at home and looking after her children. Chantha fell down stairs on March 31, 2016 and fractured her left forearm. She is in pain and can't use her left arm. She received Khmer traditional medicine treatment for three months, but her fracture has not healed. She traveled three hours with her brother to reach Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. For $405, surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) procedure to realign the fractured bones in her forearm. After the surgery, she will regain the ability to move her arm. "When I am better, I will go home and continue to work at my business," shares Chantha.

Meet Korng, a seven-year-old boy from Cambodia. Korng is in the third grade and has one older sister. He enjoys playing games with his friends. He traveled one hour with his father to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Korng developed uveitis, inflammation of the middle eye layer, in his right eye, from trauma and he now has a cataract in that eye. He is partially blind, his eye lens has become cloudy, and he is now afraid of sunshine. He can't see everyone clearly or play with his friends comfortably. Korng will receive surgery to remove his cloudy eye lens and replace it with a clear lens implant. After the surgery, he will be able to properly see again. Let's restore Korng's vision and help him resume the activities he enjoys!

Edna is a mother of seven from Haiti. Four years ago, she lost her husband and now raises their children alone. Until recently, she managed a small business selling clothes on the street. Two years ago, Edna noticed a lump in her breast but did not seek treatment for some time. Recently, she visited our medical partner, Project Medishare, and was diagnosed with breast cancer. “She is scared of the cancer diagnosis and can’t wait to have the treatment,” they share. The cancer made her ill to the point she could no longer work, and now has no income for her family and the treatment. “She has significant physical limitations as a result of the cancer,” explains Project Medishare. “Her children are in school and cannot help her with everything and she is unable to afford her treatment.” With our support of $1,500, Edna will undergo a mastectomy to remove the cancer in her breast and chemotherapy to ensure that it does not come back. These funds will cover the necessary pre-operative care, surgical costs, chemotherapy drugs, and hospital stay. “She hopes to get back to work selling clothes and to get back to caring for her children,” Project Medishare shares. “Since her husband died, she is their sole caretaker.” Let’s help Edna get well and return to enjoying time with her family.