60-year-old Florence is a farmer from Uganda who grows beans, cassava, potatoes, and millet. During her free time, she likes to meet with other women in the community and sing in her church choir. Florence has experienced steadily worsening abdominal pain for the past several years. About four years ago, the pain became so unbearable that it even began to affect her work. She sought treatment from various clinics, but her condition did not improve. Florence was diagnosed with an ovarian tumor by doctors at our medical partner's hospital, Bwindi Community Hospital. On October 27, she underwent a hysterectomy to remove the cancerous growth and relieve her pain. Florence is a widow who lives by herself. She needs help to raise $321 for this operation. When she recovers, Florence hopes to return to her community and start a small corn flour store. “I give glory to God for the help Watsi gives us," says Florence, "I hope to go back to my home a healed and free lady. Apoyo matek (thank you so much)."

Blanca is an 18-month-old girl from Guatemala. Her parents cannot afford to give her the calories, protein, and nutrients she needs to grow. For this reason, she is only the size of a health nine-month-old. She also falls ill often. Blanca has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. She has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. She is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, she began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016. Blanca loves to play with her doll and eat oranges and bananas. She lives with her family in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops on a local plantation. Her mother is a weaver of traditional Mayan textiles. They cannot afford this $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Blanca recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Blanca a chance to grow healthy and strong. "I am so grateful for this support for my daughter," says Blanca's mother.

Meet Rebecca, a three-year-old girl from Haiti. Rebecca lives with her mother and father, and she likes to play dress-up and play with dolls. She is very outgoing and likes to sing and dance, according to our medical partner, the Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “Rebecca was born with a congenital heart condition called tetralogy of fallot, which involves several related defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the heart's valves," explains HCA. "As a result, Rebecca's heart cannot deliver enough oxygen to her body, and she is sickly and weak. If untreated, the condition would be fatal." For $1,500, we can fund a treatment that will restore normal blood flow to Rebecca’s heart and allow her to live a normal life. This amount provides funding for overseas prep and transport, as HCA secures overseas heart surgeries for procedures that are not easily accessible in Haiti. The treatment is subsidized by a $10,000 donation from Safra Children’s Hospital. "We were very happy to find out that Rebecca could have surgery for her heart problem," her mother shares. "We are praying that all will go well!"

“Paulina is a cute, two-month-old baby girl,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). The fourth child in her family, Paulina lives with her parents and siblings on their small farm in Tanzania. Paulina was born with a lesion on her back due to a condition called myelomeningocele--a form of spina bifida that occurs when a baby’s spinal cord improperly develops prior to birth. AMHF explains, “Paulina has a lesion on her lower back, which can easily burst and [leak] cerebrospinal fluid which, if untreated, can lead to other big health problems.” Shortly following her at-home delivery, Paulina and her mother were taken to the hospital, where Paulina’s mother was advised to take her daughter to a bigger hospital for back closure. Both of Paulina’s parents are small-scale farmers. As AMHF states, “They did not harvest well the last two seasons so their financial situation is currently not good. They need financial support so that their daughter can have surgery done.” With $1,200 in Watsi funding, Paulina can undergo surgery to treat her spinal cord defect. The opening on her back will be closed, preventing her from losing cerebrospinal fluid and easily contracting infection. “My hope is for my daughter to get well, continue with normal growth, and later on, go to school and live an independent life,” Paulina’s mother says.