Jinky, an 11-year-old girl from Philippines, is a diligent grade four student. She is responsible and sets a good example to her younger two siblings. Jinky wakes up early each morning because she has to walk a kilometer and a half to get to school. She aspires to finish school and seek a job so she can help lift her family from poverty. Jinky was born with syndactyly, a condition in which some or all of the toes or fingers are united. Jinky's fourth and fifth toes have been conjoined since birth. She is the only one among her siblings with this deformity, which concerns her and makes her question why she is different from them. Jinky needs syndactyly repair surgery, which means that her fused toes will be surgically separated and skin grafts applied. The $1,489 procedure, which includes transport to and from the hospital, is too much for Jinky's parents to afford. Her father works as a laborer in a rubber farm and he is the family's sole earner. He earns $20 a month, though this is variable and dependent on the quantity of rubber he harvests. Jinky's mother stays at home to take care of the younger two children. Let's help fund the operation that will allow Jinky to get back to school. "I am very happy that the time I have waited for for so long has finally arrived. I pray for this, morning and evening," says Jinky. "I am very grateful for the persons that helped me to have this operation. I will always pray for you. After this I will continue schooling to help my family someday. I am happy because after this I will not be bullied anymore."

Ly is a 23-year-old student from Cambodia. She is in her second year at university where she is studying economics. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, listening to music, and cooking food. Ly developed an ear infection in her right ear when she was five years old. This caused her right tympanic membrane to perforate. This has caused hearing loss, pain, and recurrent discharge from her ear. She has received ear drops from various health centers over the years for treatment, but her condition requires surgery to be fully treated. After hearing about Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), on the radio, she traveled two hours with her mom to reach the facility for treatment. Doctors at CSC discovered a cholesteatoma—an abnormal skin growth located behind the eardrum—in Ly's right ear. A cholesteatoma initially develops as a cyst after chronic ear infections. Over time, the cyst sheds layers of old skin that collect within the ear. Without treatment, a cholesteatoma can grow large enough to cause hearing loss, dizziness, or facial paralysis. For $809, surgeons at CSC will perform a mastoidectomy, a surgical procedure in which doctors remove the diseased cells in the hollow, air-filled spaces in the skull behind the ear. The cells—known as mastoid air cells—are diseased as a result of Ly's ear infections that spread to the skull structures near her right ear. Doctors will also remove the cholesteatoma that has grown behind her right eardrum. Funding for Ly also covers the costs of two hearing tests, one night in the hospital, one day of inpatient post-operative care, and three outpatient follow-up visits in the month following surgery. After surgery, Ly's ear discharge and pain will stop. Let's help make that happen!

Saitoti is a four-year-old boy who lives with his parents and siblings in Tanzania. He is the fifth born of seven children to his parents, who are subsistence farmers. Saitoti was born with congenital club feet, a condition in which his feet are twisted out of shape or position. This causes him difficulty walking long distances, and his parents worry that he will not be able to attend school with his siblings as a result. Saitoti's parents did not know that it was possible to seek treatment for their son's condition, and so they never did until a pastor from their village referred them to Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). While his parents cannot afford the treatment that Saitoti requires, we can help fund the $1,160 procedure to re-position his feet. This amount includes plaster casting and surgery to straighten the feet, in addition to a four month stay at the Plaster House, a facility in Tanzania that cares for children recovering from corrective surgery. "I would like my son to be able to walk normally," says Saitoti's mother. Let's help them fund their son's surgery so he can attend school with his siblings one day!

Mary is a confident, 12-year-old girl who likes to run and skip rope. She is the youngest in a family of eight children in Tanzania. She cannot remember when exactly her left leg became weak and gradually bent outwards. Mary was born with bilateral genu varus, commonly known as knocked knees. As a result of her condition, Mary frequently has pain when running. If her condition is untreated she could develop early osteoarthritis. Her parents are not able to afford surgery, as they are small-scale farmers and only earn enough to support Mary and her siblings' basic needs. For $940, Mary's legs will be surgically aligned to prevent them from hitting one another when she walks and runs. With this operation, Mary will be more mobile and free from pain so that she can concentrate in school. She will be able to more easily fulfill her dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher.

Meet Eh Tha, an 18-month-old baby from Burma. "She is very sweet and her mother says she never cries and is very well behaved," our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “When she was born, her mother noticed a small bump above her nose between her eyes,” explains BBP. "The medics informed her that her baby had an encephalocele and would need to have surgery to have it repaired." This means that Eh Tha’s neural structures did not develop normally, leading to visible protrusions containing excess cerebrospinal fluid. Now, the defect is affecting her ability to see. With only Eh Tha’s father’s income to support the family, the medical costs of her condition are a strain on the family. They cannot afford the surgery that doctors have recommended for her. According to BBP, Eh Tha has already received surgery for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to relieve the pressure of fluid in her brain and around her eyes. $1,500 will cover her second surgery to close the open wound. Eh Tha’s mother shares: “I want my daughter to be healthy and happy. I just want my daughter to have surgery as soon as possible and recover.”

12-month-old Sanaa was born with a life-threatening heart defect called ventricular septal defect. This condition means she has a hole between the two lower chambers of her heart. "Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak," says our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Sanaa lives in Haiti with her parents and newborn brother. "Her father works at a small store, and her mother cares for the children. Because of her illness, Sanaa is usually very tired and uninterested in playing, and frequently gets colds and fevers," HCA explains. Hundreds of children are born with heart defects every year in Haiti and unfortunately, many don't have access to the life-saving surgery they need. Gift of Life International has raised $5,000 towards Sana's surgery at a local hospital. We can fund the rest of the procedure, including overseas transportation and surgery preparation, for $1,500. "Following surgery, normal blood flow should be restored to Sanaa's heart and she should not have any further cardiac symptoms," HCA says. Sana's mother shares, "I am very hopeful that after surgery Sanaa will be healthy and strong."

“Like most children, Sandra was born normally and this was a great joy to her mother,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Sandra and her mother live together in a rental house in Kenya. When Sandra turned five months old, she became sick. "She cried most of the time, at times would throw up after feeding and her head size was increasing at a greater rate than the body was. Sandra’s mother knew something was not right and she sought for help in the nearest clinic," AMHF says. When Sandra was diagnosed with acquired hydrocephalus, her mother remembered it to be the worst day of her life. “I was hysterical and couldn’t think rationally—everything slowed down,” says Sandra’s mother. Sandra is now 11 months old and needs treatment for her condition. Acquired hydrocephalus is a condition where an abnormal amount of cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s cavities. It could be caused by a tumor, injury, or meningitis. The clinic that made the diagnosis suggested a shunt operation to relieve the pressure in Sandra’s brain. “Operating a small kiosk and having no one to look to, Sandra’s mother, who is a single parent, is not able to raise the needed funds,” explains AMHF. With $615, Sandra will undergo surgery where a shunt will be placed to divert the excess fluid in her brain to her abdomen where it can be reabsorbed into her body. Depending on the particulars of her case, she may also receive an endoscopic third ventriculostomy, where a small hole is made in the floor of the third ventricle of the brain and the excess fluid is drained through there. “Life’s roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors,” says Sandra’s mother. “I have faced many storms in my life, and my anchors have grounded my with hope and strength.” Let’s help Sandra grow up healthy!

Mi Mi, a 48-year-old woman from Burma, was recently diagnosed with uterine fibroids--noncancerous growths that develop on the uterus and cause abdominal pain. While she and her husband run a small shop from their home, Mi Mi's condition limits her everyday activities. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) explains, “Mi Mi feels lethargic and finds it difficult to breathe. Also she finds it difficult to move around. When she feels pain she leaves her work and her husband has to prepare and look after the shop.” “When Mi Mi walks a lot she has to stop because it is difficult to breathe well," BBP continues. "She can eat and sleep well but she has discomfort. Mi Mi is so worried because this is the first time she has had a major medical problem and is scared of the surgery, but she knows that she needs it.” For $1,500, Mi Mi will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy. This operation will remove her uterus and cervix--preventing the uterine fibroids from redeveloping in the future. In addition to alleviating her pain, this procedure will prevent Mi Mi from developing anemia by stopping any excessive bleeding caused by her condition. Mi Mi--who enjoys praying in her spare time--plans to return to helping her husband run their small shop after her recovery.

Meet 30-year-old Sarom from Cambodia. “Sarom is married without children and she works as a farmer,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “Sarom spends her time cleaning her house and taking care of her parents at home.” Sarom has a cholesteatoma in her right ear -- a non-cancerous skin cyst that has the potential to increase in size, and destroy the surrounding delicate bones of the ear. “When Sarom was two years old, she began have right ear discharge every day, and she never received treatment beyond occasional antibiotics,” reports CSC. “This causes her pain, hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).” For $809, Sarom can receive a mastoidectomy to surgically remove cells in the spaces behind her ear, relieving her persistent pain and unpleasant symptoms. CSC continues, “After a mastoidectomy, Sarom will be able to regain her hearing ability, and the discharge will stop.” Sarom is eager to heal properly and return to daily life, and her husband remains hopeful that her pain will soon come to an end. She shares, “I hope the ear discharge will stop, and I’ll have good hearing.”

Meet Dieuvens, a three-month-old boy from Haiti. Our medical partner, Project Medishare (PM), shares, “Dieuvens lives with his family, and his father is a motorbike taxi driver and his mother stays at home.” Dieuvens’ mother was a student at sewing school, but placed her classes on hold in order to care for her son. Dieuvens has hydrocephalous. When he was born, a CT scan of his head revealed that he had excess fluid in his brain. This fluid is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid caused by blocked pathways in the brain. While this fluid normally provides a cushion for the brain, too much of it creates harmful pressure. “Dieuvens head is swollen; he has seizures and sometimes gets the flu and fevers,” adds PM. $1,260 will fund the surgery Dieuvens needs to drain the excess fluid from his brain. During the surgery, a shunt will be placed in Dieuvens’ brain to drain the excess fluid into his abdomen where it will be absorbed. PM shares, “This will allow him to have a healthy life, allow him to grow up normally, and enjoy a good childhood.” This surgery will have a positive impact on both Dieuvens and his mother’s future. Dieuvens will have an opportunity to develop normally and reach important milestones. Likewise, his mother is motivated to return to school after Dieuvens completes his recovery.

Meet Chet, a 21-year-old university student from Cambodia. According to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), Chet “enjoys watching Khmer and Korean television and movies. He also likes to play volleyball.” “Chet fell one month ago and fractured his right forearm. Since the incident, Chet can't carry anything with his arm and he feels pain. He cannot work and his family must take care of him,” explains CSC. For $405, we can fund an ORIF procedure for Chet. An ORIF is an open reduction and internal fixation surgery, a surgical procedure to fix a severe bone fracture. First, doctors will realign Chet's fractured bone and then use metal hardware to hold the bone in place and guide the recovery process of the affected area. After the procedure, “Chet will be able to use his arm again and he will no longer feel pain. Chet will be able to go back to work once his arm has healed.” Chet hopes that after this procedure he will be able to return to work to support his family. Let's help Chet get back on his feet and fund this surgery!

Meet Reaksmey, a 30-year old father from Cambodia with a wife and son. He works as a cook at a restaurant. "When he is at the restaurant cooking, he likes to watch pop music videos on TV," says Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), our medical partner. Reaksmey has a chelazion, a cyst on his lower eyelid, that causes him pain and irritation. “He can't open his eye all the way, making it difficult for him to do his job," says our medical partner. For just $150, we can fund surgery to remove the cyst. The cost is all-inclusive of drug and surgical costs. After Reaksmey's surgery, he is “eager to get back to work so his wife doesn't have to spend too much time doing extra work to support their son,” says CSC. Let's help Reaksmey get back to normal and fund this surgery!