Tor is a 58-year-old rice farmer with one daughter, three sons, and five grandchildren. Tor lives with his wife who is also a rice farmer and their youngest daughter who is a garment worker. He likes to listen to the news on the radio. Two years ago, Tor developed a cataract in his left eye. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, and this affects his ability to do his daily work, such as planting rice. When Tor learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On May 10th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and implant an intra-ocular lens in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Tor says, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better so I can go outside and plant rice more easily."

Zainab is a charming and beautiful 19-month-old girl. She and her two older siblings are being raised by their single mother after they separated from their father. Zainab's mother works as a fruit seller so that she can put food on the table for her children. Zainab was diagnosed with Bilateral Varus, a condition that causes her legs to be bowed outward. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. It also leads to knee pain and osteoarthritis. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Zainab. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 22nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Zainab's mobility and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Zainab’s mother says, “Her legs keep widening I can’t even dress her in trousers because people stare at her legs.”

Shee is a bright and caring 12-year-old girl from Thailand who likes to play the piano, listen to music, and help her caregiver garden with her friends. She lives with 30 students, including her younger brother, in the dormitory of Has Thoo Lei Learning Centre. She is currently in fifth grade, and her brother is in third grade. Both her and her brother's dormitory fees, including food and accommodations, are funded by a Christian nonprofit organization called Compassion Thailand. Both of her parents currently live in Burma and work as subsistence farmers. Her father also works as a day laborer. Shee's parents support her and her brother with their school fees and pocket money. For the past two years, Shee has dealt with femoral hernias. As a result of her condition, she experiences pain in her right groin, as well as pain and discomfort when she sits for a long period of time. When she plays with her friends or is active, the bulge increases in size. Her condition has progressively worsened, and she has had to miss school frequently as a result. Fortunately, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Shee's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 22nd. Once completed, she will hopefully be able to live more comfortably. Shee says, “I want to become a nurse when I grow up one day and help people in my community who are sick and need my help.”

Jean Pierre is a 45-year-old father from Haiti who lives with his wife and daughter. To help support his family, he works at the local city hall. His daughter was a previous Watsi patient and received life-changing surgery with the help of amazing donors. When bringing his daughter in a few months ago for a post-op checkup, he mentioned that he has been experiencing the same symptoms as his daughter for many years. After further examination, doctors found that Jean Pierre has the same life-threatening condition as his daughter and has somehow survived to his age! He was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, a condition in which blood leaks through a hole between two large blood vessels near the heart. After years of feeling weak and experiencing poor health, Jean Pierre's heart condition will finally be treated. On July 14th, doctors will use a catheter to insert a device into the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is raising $1,500 to pay for Jean Pierre's life-saving procedure. Jean Pierre shares, "My family and I are very grateful that so many people are making it possible for me to have this surgery!"

Caleb is a sweet one-month-old baby boy. Immediately after his birth, the doctors noticed a small growth on his back, which they attempted to prick. This only made the growth increase in size, and to begin leaking fluid. Recognizing that they could not treat Caleb, the local doctors referred the family to our medical partner BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. A neighbor provided the family with the funds to travel to BethanyKids. Caleb was diagnosed with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect, in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without surgery, Caleb is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delay. As the family has very little income and no national health care insurance, they cannot cover the costs of Caleb's surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, can help. Caleb is scheduled to undergo spina bifida closure surgery on June 16th at BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. Their family needs $1,151 to fund this life saving procedure, which, it is hoped, will spare Caleb from the risks associated with his condition, allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Caleb’s mother says: “I was very worried about my son’s condition but now I am happy that I know that he can be treated.”

Ma Ei is a 37-year-old woman who lives with and financially supports her parents and son in a village in Burma. Over the last year, Ma El has suffered from a debilitating uterine mass, which causes her severe pain and weakness. She was given medications for six months to try to help, but she did not feel any better. In January, Ma Ei went to Karen Baptist Convention (KBC) Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a myoma. Doctors shared that to heal she would need surgery to remove her uterus. She is now raising $1,207 to fund her surgery and care, which is scheduled for May 18th. Ma Ei says, “I am worried that I cannot support and care for my family. When I recover from surgery, I will go back to work in the garment factory. I need to support my parents and pay for my son’s education."

Rehiwilzahra is a sweet toddler from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her mother, father, and three older siblings. Rehiwilzahra likes watching cartoons and playing with her older siblings. Rehiwilzahra has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This heart condition involves several related heart defects including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects prevent blood from circulating properly through the lungs leaving Rehiwilzahra weak and short of breath. The surgery Rehiwilzahra needs to heal is not available in Haiti, so she will need to fly to the Dominican Republic to undergo cardiac surgery to close the hole in her heart with a patch and remove the blockage from her valve. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance is helping Rehiwilzahra's family raise $1,500 to cover the cost of labs, medicines, and follow-up appointments. This amount also supports passport obtainment and the social workers to accompany Rehiwilzahra's family overseas. Rehiwilzahra's mother shared, "We have been praying for a long time for a solution to our daughter's heart problem. We are very thankful to everyone who is helping her!"

Thein is a 56-year-old man who lives with his family in a refugee camp. Two of his daughters and his son-in-law work as seasonal workers outside of the camp, while Thein and his wife look after their three grandchildren, send them to school, and care for the household chores. In January, Thein was diagnosed with a cataract in his right eye and an early cataract in his left eye. Currently, he cannot see with his right eye, as his vision is blurry, and the vision in his left eye is also beginning to blur. As a result, Thein cannot walk easily and relies on a bamboo staff to help stabilize him as he tries to avoid tripping on any objects in his path. He shared that he feels discomforted and like he is living in darkness. Fortunately, Thein was able to visit our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), and they can help him heal. On March 8th, doctors will perform a lens replacement. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Thein shared, “When I recover from surgery, I will help my family plant and water vegetables around the house. It can save us money from buying the vegetables. I can help send my grandchildren to school and pick them up in the evening. I will also be able to visit my friend.”

Naw Pyar is a 65-year-old woman living in Thailand. She lives with her son, daughter, and grandson in a refugee camp in the border area near Burma. Her daughter works for women’s organisation in the refugee camp while Naw Pyar and her son are unemployed as they are not able to leave the refugee camp for work due to COVID-19 measures. Her grandson is too young to attend school. Every month, her household receives 1,170 baht (approx. $39 USD) on a cash card from an organisation called The Border Consortium and their monthly income is just enough to pay for their basic needs. Doctor have diagnosed Naw Pyar with a traumatic cataract with phacomorphic glaucoma in her left eye. Currently Naw Pyar’s left eye is itchy and watery. Her left eye is sensitive to light, and she can only perceive light and darkness. Since she is taking medication for the pain, her eye no longer hurts but it is still red. A small white spot now covers her left pupil. Sometimes, she experiences headaches and her appetite has decreased. She shared that without her health, she feels stressed and worried about her family. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Naw Pyar. On February 17th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Naw Pyar's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Naw Pyar said, “I want to receive surgery quickly and have my vision restored. Since I lost vision in my eye, my family faces financial problems. Only my daughter has work and she takes care of everything for our family. It makes me feel so sad. I feel happy and excited to get my vision back.”

Heavenlight is a 14-year-old girl and the second-born child in a family of seven children. Heavenlight was going to join advance grades in school this January, but she had to stop attending school because she is having difficulty walking to and from school every day. Heavenlight loves biology, physics, and chemistry and wishes to be a doctor when she grows up. She is worried this dream might be lost if she does not have her leg treated. Heavenlight was diagnosed with genu valgus. This condition causes her legs to 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, Heavenlight has difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Heavenlight. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 13th. Treatment will hopefully restore Heavenlight's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Heavenlight shared, “I am ready to miss a few months of class just to have my leg corrected because it is painful and I struggle a lot walking to school."

Eldriyan is a 10-month-old baby boy from the Philippines. His father works as a coconut farmer, and his mother is a housewife. Eldriyan was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. When Eldriyan's family learned about our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, they traveled for nine hours to receive treatment. On December 10th, Eldriyan will undergo surgery to correct his condition. After his recovery, he will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Now, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,279 to cover the total cost of Eldriyan's procedure and care. Eldriyan's mother shared, "thank you for the chance towards a better life for Eldriyan."

Joy is the first born child in her family. She is two weeks old. Their young family is feeling privileged and happy to welcome their firstborn baby, however, they are saddened by the fact that their baby needs medical care for her foot. Her condition has caused Joy’s parents a lot of worry about their daughter’s future. Joy’s mother is a housewife who completed secondary school and never was able to proceed to college due to a lack of funds. Joy's father just completed college and hasn’t been employed yet. The family doesn’t have a house of their own and still lives with their parents. When Joy was six days old, she was brought to the hospital by her mother with concerns of umbilical code sepsis. She was admitted to receive IV antibiotics and general medical management. While receiving medication in the ward, she developed wounds on her leg due to several attempts of cannulation. Over time her condition worsened and her wounds became septic. After several efforts to clean her wounds, it was noticed that her foot was not healing. After a long consultation with the medical team, the possibility of amputation was suggested to avoid further affecting her entire leg. Joy is in need and her family's inability to pay for the surgery has made them live with constant anxiety and worry about her future. Their family is appealing for financial assistance. Joy’s mother says, “I feel sorry about my child. It is painful for her to undergo this while she is just a few days old. Despite this, I will work hard to make her happy as she grows up."