Meet Eang, a 77-year-old grandfather from Cambodia with six sons, one daughter, and ten grandchildren. Eang enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “One year ago Eang developed a cataract in each eye. This causes him blurred vision, tearing, irritation, and he is afraid of sunshine. He can't see everything clearly, recognize faces, do work by himself, or go outside on his own,” CSC continues. Cataracts occur when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, which causes decreased vision and functional blindness. In Cambodia, 90% of blindness could be avoided through proper treatment. As with many countries in the developing world, surgical services are inadequate; Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness globally. Even where surgical services are available, barriers such as cost, shortage of human resources, poor infrastructure, and limited awareness about access to available services remain. With our help of $225, Eang will undergo a cataract surgery that will remove the cloudy lenses from both of his eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. Funding for his surgery also includes post-operative care and after the surgery he will be able to see clearly again. In Eang's own words, “I hope my eyes can see everything clearly now so I can easily go to the pagoda, go anywhere outside, and do any work.”

Five-month-old Abdulkerim loves playing and laughing in the home he shares with his parents and seven siblings in Ethiopia. “Abdulkerim was born with a birth defect called anorectal malformation,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. This defect is characterized by the absence of an anal opening and an inability to pass stool. “Abdulkerim developed a bowel obstruction because of this condition,” explains AMHF. “An emergency colostomy was [performed] when he was three days old.” During the colostomy procedure, doctors pulled an end of the colon through a cut in the abdominal wall and sutured it in place to create an opening for passing stool. To complete his treatment, baby Abdulkerim needs two additional operations. The first surgery is an anorectoplasty to create an anal opening, followed by a colostomy closure three months later. Abdulkerim’s father, a farmer, is the sole provider for the family. “I decided to sell the one cow I have because nothing is more important than my child,” he shares. “The [other] hospital [couldn’t] do the surgery because what I had was not enough. I was broke and worried.” $1,500 covers the costs of the final two surgical procedures and inpatient care, including labs, imaging, pain medicine, and antibiotics. “We expect that after an anorectoplasty followed by a colostomy closure, Abdulkerim will be able to pass stool on his own,” says AMHF. “Coming [to AMHF] and seeing the hope through this sponsorship program, I am now full of hope, praying for the opportunity,” says Abdulkerim’s father.

John Kendy is an active, hard-working 18-year-old from Haiti. "John Kendy's favorite activity is soccer, however for the past several years he has been unable to play; instead he watches matches on TV," our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us. John Kendy is a sophomore in high school and is studying hard to one day become a lawyer or doctor. John Kendy has severe rheumatic heart disease as a result of a fever he had when he was 12 years old. HCA shares, "this fever severely damaged his mitral valve, preventing his heart from pumping adequately and leading to heart failure. If untreated, this would eventually be fatal." Medical care in Haiti is underfunded and often difficult for patients to afford. HCA partners with other nearby organizations to ensure that Haitians can access the medical attention that they need. They have arranged for John Kendy to be transported to the University of Vermont Medical Centre, where doctors will perform surgery to repair his mitral valve. $1,500 will fund preparation and transportation costs for John Kendy to receive the surgery he needs. "I am excited to have my surgery so that I can walk to school without getting tired and start playing soccer again," John Kendy adds.

Meet Delinor! At four years old, Delinor is the oldest child in his family. He and his parents live in Haiti, where his father earns a wage as a road-side vendor. His mother is currently looking for work to help support the family. “Delinor was born with a condition called severe subaortic stenosis, in which part of the heart new the aortic valve is unusually narrow, causing blood to back up and leaving him sickly and weak,” explains our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “If not stretched to a normal size, this condition could eventually become fatal.” The vast majority of Haitian people cannot access the care they need. The existing healthcare system was mostly destroyed by the major earthquake in 2010, and the services that are available are unaffordable to the average Haitian citizen. To correct his heart condition, Delinor needs care that is only available in the Cayman Islands. Pre-operative care, transport to the treatment centre, passports and visas, and the cost of the stay at the centre total $1500, a cost that is out of reach for Delinor’s family. Once there, the treatment centre will subsidize his operation that will restore normal blood flow to his heart. After the surgery, he should experience no more symptoms from his condition. “We have known that Delinor had a heart problem ever since he was a baby but we were very sad because we thought there was no way to fix it,” shares his mother. “We are glad that God is answering our prayers.”

“48-year-old Than Nwet has lived in Burma for the last three years and works with her family as fishermen,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) tells us. She has five daughters and two sons. “After Than Nwet’s third pregnancy, her uterus began to protrude from her vagina, but she did not seek medical help at that time,” BBP tells us. “After working very hard doing some heavy lifting, her uterus came completely out." Than Nwet's village clinic wasn't able to provide proper gynecological care for her. Her condition causes her to have constant pain, bleeding, and discomfort. "She is only able to perform household chores and cannot contribute to the household income." She finally decided to seek proper care once her condition began impeding on her ability to walk. Surgery and treatment for Than Nwet costs $1,500. “After surgery, Than Nwet should not have any more discomfort,” says BBP. “She should be able to go back and work and generate income for her family.” “I am desperately hoping for a successful surgery so that I can return to work and experience relief,” shares Than Nwet.

Eh Tha is a six-month-old girl who lives with her parents in Burma. When Eh Tha was born, her mother noticed a small lump between her daughter's eyes. A few months later, the lump has grown larger and decreased the vision in Eh Tha's right eye. Eh Tha's mother brought her daughter to see our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), where she was diagnosed with encephalocele -- a defect of the neural tube that causes sac-like protrusions of the brain. This condition has also caused a fluid buildup that has contributed to Eh Tha's vision loss. Eh Tha needs surgery to remove the mass and the fluid behind her eyes, but her parents cannot afford the treatment. BBP tells us, "her father is a teacher and her mother looks after her at home. Eh Tha is the first and only daughter for them." For $1485, Eh Tha will receive an operation to provide her with a shunt to remove the fluid buildup and pressure behind her eye. Surgery will also prevent further vision loss, giving Eh Tha the ability to see. "I want my daughter to be healthy and happy," her mother shares. "I want her to recover and see well when she grows up."

Meet Christine, a six-year-old girl living in the Philippines with her family. “Christine loves to be with her friends and desires to play with them,” reports our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). “She is friendly and loves to draw.” Christine has a lipoma, a benign tumor of fatty tissue on her body. “Christine is experiencing body weakness and fatigue because of her condition,” ICM explains. “This hinders her to excel and perform better at school. Also, she can’t do her daily activities well because she often feels tired.” $785 will cover the cost of the tumor removal for Christine, a procedure that will improve her health and allow her to perform better in school and interact longer with her friends. Christine’s procedure is partially subsidized by PhilHealth, the Philippines' national health insurance program. “This treatment would mean a lot to us and our daughter,” Christine’s parents share. “This will give us peace of mind that there will be nothing wrong with our child and that nothing bad will happen to her. We want to see her play more with her friends and enjoy childhood just like any other kid.”

Sothy, a 33-year-old man from Cambodia, "is married with four sons and one daughter. In his spare time he enjoys watching TV news and listening to Khmer pop songs," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), shares. "Sothy broke his leg five months ago in a moto accident. Since the accident he has been unable to walk without pain and cannot work to support his family. He is sad because he can not support his large family," CSC adds. He had visited a clinic two months ago but his leg did not improve. $405 covers the cost of an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery that will properly realign his bones, and place a fixation device to keep them in place. CSC shares that Sothy, "hopes he can walk again without pain after his treatment."

Meet Julnise, a five-year-old girl from Haiti who lives with her father and three sisters. Her mother passed away when she was a baby. “She is a very shy girl but very curious about the world and what is going on around her,” says our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Julnise started kindergarten this year, but can only attend occasionally because of her congenital heart disease. Born with a cardiac condition called tetralogy of fallot, Julnise is susceptible to many symptoms. Specifically, “there is a hole between two chambers of her heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves,” according to HCA. “As a result, blood cannot circulate normally through her body, and she is at constant risk of sudden death.” Julnise’s treatment is also being subsidized by Health City Cayman Islands, who are covering $7500 of the procedure. For an additional $1500, Watsi can help fund her surgery (which is being performed overseas), two sets of travel documents and plane tickets. After her surgery, HCA believes that Julnise’s heart will be able to function normally, and “she should be able to lead a normal and healthy childhood.” "Since she was little, Julnise has often passed out and fallen to the ground, and we never knew why,” says Julnise’s father. “We are very happy to know there is a way to fix this."

Meet Jane, a 45-year-old woman from Kenya. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us, “Jane is a joyful mother of five children. Two of her children are in school, while three have cleared high school and are in casual employment. Jane works as a clothes seller specializing in selling sheets and bedding.” AMHF explains, “Jane found a lump in her left breast during a self-examination three months ago. Since then she has been referred to three different hospitals in search of treatment. ” AMHF determined that the lump is cancerous, and Jane thus requires an immediate mastectomy to remove the cancerous tissue. Following surgery Jane will also need chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Even before getting sick, AMHF reports, “Jane’s business was very small and barely enabled her to pay rent, buy food and educate her children.” Now that she is ill, Jane has not been able to work often and has spent all of her savings on doctors’ visits. Thus, she cannot afford the lifesaving care she needs. With $740 in funding, Jane will receive the full scope of treatment she requires. Jane shares, “The breast is not painful but I know cancer is dangerous and it should be treated fast. I really hope to get well so that I can concentrate on my business and work with my older children to make our family better.'' AMHF adds, “Jane's children are very determined to see their mother get the treatment she needs.”