Issa is a 63-year-old man from a village in Malawi. He lives with his wife, and together they have ten children and six grandchildren. They run a small maize and groundnut farm. Issa also works as a tailor. He likes to watch football with his friends. In January of 2016, Issa began to experience urinary dysfunction. He visited our medical partner's hospital, Nkhoma Hospital, and was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. He underwent prostate surgery on December 20. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $726 to fund this procedure. After recovery, Issa will return to his family and farm, and he will live a life free from pain. "I have been looking for help," says Issa. "Thank you, Watsi, for paying the bill!"

Meet Pheap, a 60-year-old woman from Cambodia. She is married with two sons, one daughter, and one grandchild. She enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to monks pray. One year ago, Pheap developed mature cataracts in each eye. A cataract occurs when a thin, cloudy layer forms over the eye’s lens. This causes her blurred vision, discharge, tearing, and fear of bright lights. It is hard for her to see clearly, do work, or go anywhere outside. "I hope my eyes can see everything clearly again,” shares Pheap. “Then, I can work in the farm and go anywhere outside." After learning about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), Pheap and her nephew traveled three hours to visit their clinic. They learned that a simple surgical procedure may restore Pheap's sight. On October 25, Pheap underwent cataract surgery, during which her old lenses were removed and replaced with sheer artificial implants. Now, she needs help to fund this $292 procedure.

Srey Ol is a 29-year-old farmer who lives with her husband and daughter in Cambodia. In her free time, she likes to stay at home, cook food, and clean her home. On July 9, 2016, Srey Ol was hit by a motorbike, fracturing her left lower leg bones (tibia and fibula). After the accident, she was seen in a hospital in her hometown, where she got a cast. Srey Ol then traveled to Vietnam for further treatment and an external fixation was placed. In an external fixation, pins are inserted through the skin into the bone and held in place by an external frame. Even after treatment, Srey Ol is in pain, and it is difficult for her to walk. She heard about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from her brother. She traveled for six hours with her brother to reach CSC for evaluation and treatment. For $411, Srey Ol will undergo a tibial fracture treatment in which CSC doctors will use a frame to correct her tibia, allowing her to walk normally and without pain. Funding for Srey Ol also covers the costs of two weeks of hospital care, including X-rays, lab tests, food, and physical therapy. After the procedure, Srey Ol will be able to go home and continue her work as a farmer.

Lozalia is a 40-year-old farmer from a village in Malawi's Central Region. She is a mother of eight and grandmother of five. When Lozalia is not busy farming or taking care of her family, she enjoys visiting with her friends. Eight months ago, Lozalia was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is very common in Malawi, and can be successfully treated through a radical hysterectomy. Unfortunately, Lozalia is unable to afford the cost of surgery. $643 will fund the operation as well as all post-operative care. After surgery, Lozalia is expected to make a full recovery. Lozalia and her family have accepted the surgery and are grateful that she will be taken care of. "I am ready for the surgery and give thanks for the funds," Lozalia shared.

Ly is a 70-year-old married man from Cambodia who has two sons, four daughters, and ten grandchildren. He enjoys planting crops around his home and listening to the monks pray. Two years ago Ly developed a cataract in each eye. This cloudy build-up of proteins in his lenses causes blurred vision and tearing, and he can't do any work very well. Cataracts are one of the leading cause of blindness in Cambodia, and over 80% of these cases are preventable. Unfortunately, treatments are often inaccessible in rural areas. Ly traveled three hours with his son to reach Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. For $225, doctors will perform a phaco procedure and intraocular lens implant in each eye to replace his cloudy lenses with new artificial ones. This short and simple operation will relieve Ly of his blurred vision and tearing. After recovery, Ly will be able to see clearly again and return home to his family.

Meet Vonongera, a father of three children in Malawi. He currently supports his family by working as a small scale farmer in the Central Region. Unfortunately, Vonongera has been experiencing pain for the past three years due to an inguinal hernia, a condition which can be easily treated with surgery. He was unable to receive treatment until now. Because of his worsening symptoms, Vonongera does not sleep well, resulting in diminished ability to work and perform other daily tasks. With $613 in funding, Watsi's medical partner, World Altering Medicine, will be able to provide surgical services and medications to Vonongera. His weakened abdominal muscles will be strengthened with mesh and sutures and any bulging tissues will be repositioned. This surgical intervention should restore Vonongera to his formal, healthy self. Vonongera shares with us, "I am excited to return to being a normal person again without such pain." Our support will help him return to his family pain-free.

Vincent is a 44-year-old man who lives with his wife and three children—ages two through eight—in a two-room rental house in Kenya. He used to work as a city council guard—commonly called council askaris—before he broke his right lower leg in a road accident in May 2007. After the accident, Vincent underwent a plating surgery to treat his broken leg. Five years later, he noted an area of swelling on his right leg. He sought medical attention for the swelling and learned that it was a cancerous tumor. Vincent started radiotherapy sessions in March 2013 at Kenyatta National Hospital. In 2015, after receiving a total of 24 radiotherapy sessions for his leg, Vincent came to Kijabe hospital with a wound on his right leg. Doctors performed an incisional biopsy and determined that Vincent has a wound ulcer that requires a skin graft and debridement. If not treated, Vincent is at risk of a severe infection, which may result in amputation of his leg. Vincent has not been able to work since the accident in 2007. House rent and other household expenses are met by his wife, who sells vegetables at a small green grocery. Given the family's financial situation, Vincent is unable to raise the amount of money needed for the treatment. $940 pays for the surgery that Vincent needs as well as 14 days of hospital care, including meals, pain medicine, antibiotics, and lab tests. Vincent's family and friends are contributing $156 to cover additional costs associated with his care. “I want to be treated and be able to provide for my family," shares Vincent. "My medical journey has been long, and I want to be able to start helping my family as I used to do."

Andrea is a five-month-old girl from Guatemala, who was born 13 weeks early because her mother had preeclampsia. She had to be on a ventilator the first two and a half months of her life. She has struggled to grow since then, and doctors have been puzzled with her case. First it was believed that she had sepsis, then lactose intolerance, but now her diagnosis is clearer. She has a rare genetic condition called Isovaleric Acidemia. This means that she cannot metabolize certain amino acids, meaning they accumulate in her body, reaching toxic levels. The public health care system in Guatemala in unequipped to handle her case, since her condition is so rare. If she does not receive treatment, she will likely pass away. Andrea is the youngest of two children. Her older brother, Diego, loves her a lot and often plays with her, showing her toys. Andrea's mother says that Andrea is a fighter--in her few months of life, she has spent half of it in intensive care, and has received 7 blood transfusions. Although her parents work hard to give her the best they can, her mother is unable to work because of Andrea, and her father cannot make enough money to purchase the extremely expensive formula that Andrea needs to consume to survive. This treatment, which costs $1016, will save Andrea's life. Right now, she is far too small for her age, and is struggling to gain weight. Not only will her physical strength improve with special formula, but her immune system will grow stronger, giving her body what it needs to fight off potentially-deadly sicknesses in her weakened state. Andrea's improvement will give her family hope that she can one day go to school, and be able to live with and manage her condition. "I hope that God allows the miracle of her recovery from this condition that she has," Andrea's mother shares. "I want her to be like a normal child her age, to be able to eat, go to parties with her friends, and not have restrictions."

Meet Rin! This two-year-old lives in Cambodia with her parents and two siblings. Children of her age often love to explore the world around them with their sense of touch, learning to pick up objects, play with toys, and eat on their own. But Rin is only able to do that tactile exploring with one of her hands. “When Rin was 6 months old, three fingers of her left hand were burned by hot water,” explains our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “The burn contracture that developed prevents full movement of that hand.” Contractures are the tightening and thickening of the skin or muscle surrounding a serious burn scar, and cannot heal without treatment. Rin needs to regain use of her hand so that she can eventually learn the many skills she will need to operate in the world independently. Fortunately, there is an operation that can make this possible. “Rin requires a release and skin graft surgery,” CSC says. In this two-part procedure, doctors will remove scar tissue from Rin’s burned hand, and replace the damaged skin with healthy skin from elsewhere on Rin’s body. “After the surgery she will regain the use of her left hand,” CSC reports. For $280, we can make this crucial operation happen for Rin. This sum will also cover the two-week hospital stay and ten days of physical therapy that the toddler will need to recover from her procedure. “I hope after surgery my daughter can use her hand properly again,” Rin’s mother shares. Let’s make that hope a reality.

"We would like to ask for help for the treatment of our son. We are greatly concerned for his future," share the parents of 14-month-old Archiel. Archiel lives with his family in the Philippines, and has been diagnosed with unilateral clubfoot. "Archiel cannot walk, he is only capable of rolling from left to right," shares our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). "His mother observed that he has poor locomotive and speech development. This makes it hard for them to address his needs and keep him safe. One parent has to stay in the house and watch him all the time and that prevents his parents to work and sustain their family's needs." "Archiel gives his parents so much joy," ICM continues. "Though he cannot speak or walk, he manages to give happiness to his family by smiling and giggling when he is happy. Those simple moments are greatly cherished by the family. His parents are working together to supply for the needs of the family, but still, their income is not even enough for the needs of the children. That is why it is very hard for them to provide for his treatment." For $1,500, Archiel will receive treatment and surgery to correct his clubfoot. After surgery, "Archiel will be more comfortable in facing challenges in learning and development. As part of him is being treated, this can pave the way that other conditions can also be addressed. This surgery will also increase the quality of life of their family as it address the emotional needs, physical needs, and economic needs that is attached to his condition. With the surgery, he can now also start learning and developing his locomotive skills which will also hasten all other learning stages he has to face in his age," ICM adds. "We have been praying that our time to work for our family will be more than what we can do now," Archiel's parents add, "So the future of our children will be brighter. We also would like our life to become a testimony that God truly touches lives and hearts to help the poor like us. We would like to see Archiel grow, walk, go to school and fulfill whatever dream he has."

Mamerta is a 45-year-old mother from the Philippines. With her husband, she runs a small business selling snacks. “In her spare time she is fond of making delicious snacks for her children,” our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), tells us. Mamerta has developed a goiter; an abnormally enlarged thyroid gland. This manifests as a bulge in her neck. Because of the goiter, “Mamerta experiences physical discomfort when she does many things, such as carrying heavy things, working house chores for long hours, and there is slight discomfort when eating solid food,” explains ICM. Mamerta needs a thyroidectomy, or surgical removal of her thyroid gland. This surgery would normally not be affordable for Mamerta, as she and her husband barely bring in enough income from selling snacks to support themselves and their children. However, for $1,500, we can fund the procedure she needs. Not only will funding cover Mamerta’s thyroidectomy, but it will also pay for her transportation to and from the hospital, and all post-operative care. “Thank you so much for paving the way to my healing,” Mamerta shares. “After the treatment, I am excited to feel better and take care of my family without any difficulty.”

Rorng, a 37-year-old woman, works as a farmer in Cambodia. She is married with one son and one daughter, and “in her free time she cooks for her family, watches Khmer movies on TV, and listens to Khmer traditional music,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). In August of 2015, Rorng was in a moto accident and fractured her left ankle. “She received Khmer traditional medicine treatment in the province but her ankle did not improve,” continues CSC. Rorng is in pain whenever she tries to walk. After traveling three hours with her husband to reach CSC, Rorng was told that she will need an open reduction internal fixation surgery, a procedure that will reset the bone and ensure that it heals properly. The surgery will cost $405 and includes post-operational care. “After surgery, Rorng will be able to walk again without pain. Her left ankle will be healed and she can return home to work on the farm," CSC shares. “I hope after surgery I can walk properly again,” says Rorng. “I will go back home and work to support my family.”