Bravel Paul is an 8-year-old student from Kenya. He likes playing football and watching cartoons. His family hails from Kajiado County. He is a class 1 pupil and likes reading books and other hobbies. His father is a caretaker for some houses, while his mother is a housewife. The family lives in a one-roomed rental house in Kitengela. Bravel has clubfoot of his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Bravel traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 24th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Bravel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and wear shoes. "I would like to see my son walking comfortably and therefore any assistance accorded to us will be highly appreciated," Bravel’s father told us.

Philomena was diagnosed with ARM at birth. With this condition, the little one was found to lack an anal opening and instead was passing stool through her vagina. A few hours after birth, Philomena, one in a set of twins, was noted to have a distended abdomen. The doctor quickly checked on the baby and discovered she lacked an anal opening. To keep Philomena from getting a fistula, the doctors put in a colostomy at three days. Philomena’s parents paid for this through some family savings they had. When they left for home, Philomena’s twin sister developed a persistent cough which was later found to be a hole in the heart. "I have never felt this drained ever in my life. Since I gave birth I am always in hospitals with either one of my two babies,” says Philomena’s mother. Due to lack of finances, Philomena’s parents shared their plight with their church members and one of them advised that they visit Watsi Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital. At BethanyKids a surgery to create an anal opening has been recommended. If not treated, Philomena will not lead a normal life and will be forced to use a colostomy for life. The surgery is a cost Philomena’s parents cannot bear. Philomena’s father is a carpenter while her mother closed her grocery store to tend to the children. Together they have five children with three currently in school. With very limited income and having exhausted their savings, Philomena’s parents are not able to raise the funds needed. They had defaulted on paying the national health insurance premiums as they could not keep up, but they’ve been advised to try to maintain this coverage in the future given their family's health needs. “Please help us. It is quite a stressful time for us but we believe we will come from it as victors,” says Philomena’s mother.

Megan is a baby from Tanzania. She is a last born child in her family of four children, and was born with her twin brother. Megan's mother is a stay home mom and her father is an office assistant. They have health insurance which covered her first surgery but the insurance company is now refusing to cover more surgeries that Megan needs. Megan has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Megan has been experiencing vomiting, irritability and an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Megan will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,238 to cover the cost of surgery for Megan that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 27th and will drain the excess fluid from Megan's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Megan will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Megan's mother says, "Please help my daughter get this treatment so that she may be able to live."

Coldy is a baby from Haiti who lives with his mother and father in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Coldy has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart; blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Coldy will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On November 14th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in his heart using a patch. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5000 to pay for surgery. Coldy's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Coldy's family overseas. From Coldy's mother, "I am hopeful that after his surgery my son will start eating better and gaining weight!"

Miriam walks slowly with the aid of crutches. She was overly active until the year 2017 when she began complaining of back pain and numbness on her feet. Miriam formerly an active farmer would tire easily from her farming activities and small house chores. From the nearest hospital, pain medication was administered but with time, her condition deteriorated. She thought maybe she had gained weight and that was the reason for the back pain. Dieting did not help either and over time, she couldn’t walk without the aid of a stick. Frustrated, Miriam resigned to fate as she thought she was a burden to her young children who were building their homes. A friend recommended that they visit Kijabe hospital for specialized treatment where Miriam was diagnosed with a spine disc dislocation and a spinal fusion surgery recommended. Miriam was glad that there is a solution to her condition and she looks forward to getting treated. If treated, Miriam will regain her ability to walk, resume work and become independent again. Miriam and her husband are subsistence farmers with four grown children. She lives with her husband in Central Kenya. Miriam is appealing for financial help. “I look forward to walking again,” says Miriam.

Emmanuel is a young boy from Tanzania. He is the only child to his mother and they receive little support from his father, making their daily needs hard to meet. Emmanuel's mother noted his legs bulging outwards and got worried. Efforts to seek health care were hard since she had no income and Emmanuel's father ignored the concern. His mother saved some income and took him to the hospital where he was advised on calcium diet to strengthen the bones and return to the hospital after three months. He did not improve, rather his walking became difficult. Emmanual was seen by an employee from our hospital and referred them to our facility. He was diagnosed with genu varus, a condition that limits a child's ability to walk. He had surgery recommended to correct the condition. Once treated, Emmanuel will be able to walk with ease. His mother sells vegetables to earn a living. she is worried that her son's surgery might not be possible due to limited income. She hopes that with kind support, he will be able to walk. She appeals for financial assistance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Emmanuel. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 18th. Treatment will hopefully restore Emmanuel's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Emmanuel’s mother says, “I am only concerned about our Emmanuel’s legs as I am unable to afford the treatment cost and his father is not supportive, please help him get his legs corrected.”

Tina is a 59-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her family in a village in Myawaddy Township, Karen State. She stopped working five months ago because of her poor health and now, she looks after the household chores and takes care of her grandchildren. Both of her grandchildren go to school while her daughter works as a health worker in their village. Both Tina’s son and her son-in-law work as agricultural day labourers on different farms. In January 2019, Tina began to experience that her right eye started to hurt. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for she to see clearly. Tina was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, she could lose vision completely. Tina is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach her retina on September 20. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. After his surgery, Tina's vision will hopefully be restored, and she will resume her daily activities comfortably. She is not able to sleep well because she worries about her condition. “When I have free time, I weave bags for my grandchildren,” said Tina. “I hope that I will feel better soon so that I can go back to work and pay back my debt.”

Bo is a 42-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his two daughters and his wife in Sagaing Division. Bo and his wife are teachers and his two daughters are students. In his free time, he likes to study and read literature related to the subject he teaches at the private school. But this has also been affected by his poor health, as he can no longer study as much as he did in the past. Bo was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, Bo is anxious and worried about his cardiac condition. He stopped running tuition classes from his home, and he has had to reduce the number of hours he teaches at the school. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Bo. The treatment is scheduled to take place on August 26th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. “After I recover from surgery, I will continue to teach, and I will increase the number of tuition classes I run. I will attend some training to increase my teaching skills. I would also like to play cane ball with my friends again,” said Bo.

Samuel is a man from Kenya. He makes a living working on construction sites. In early July, he fell from a two-story building. X-ray imaging showed a femur fracture thatt requires an implant. It is difficult for him to walk and he is in chronic pain Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 10, Samuel will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and go back to work once he has fully recovered. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,451 to fund this procedure. Samuel says, “I hope that soon I will be able to walk with ease again."

Hnin is a 15 year-old student from Thailand. In early June, she fell from a roof and fractured her arm. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Hnin will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for June 26 and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Hnin will no longer be in pain, and she will be able to continue her studies. Hnin says, “I want to be a medical doctor in the future and treat sick people."

Jean Emile is a preschooler from Haiti. He lives with his mother, father, and two brothers in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He likes listening to music and playing with toy cars. Jean Emile has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart; blood leaks through the hole without passing through the lungs to get oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Jean Emile will fly to Canada to receive treatment. On June 3, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use a patch to close the hole in his heart. Another organization, The Herbie Fund, is contributing $12,000 to pay for surgery. Jean Emile's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Jean Emile's family overseas. His mother says, "I am happy for this surgery so that I can let my son run and play with the other children."

Teresiah is a woman from Kenya. She is married and has four kids. Teresiah started to experience troubling symptoms in 2017. She was diagnosed with a goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Teresiah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 14 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $625, and she and her family need help raising money. Teresiah says, “I pray that Watsi will help me to be operated soon before so that I may not experience problems again. I also need to be well to take care of my children who are still young.”