Thoun is a 48-year-old chef who is married and has a son. She likes to watch comedies and Khmer dramas in her free time. One year ago, Thoun developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision. It is difficult for Thoun to see things clearly and work. She heard about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from her neighbor. She traveled for five hours with her sister to reach CSC for treatment. On February 21, she will undergo cataract surgery. Thoun cannot afford this procedure, so CSC is requesting $292 in funding. This procedure will help Thoun see clearly again.

Benjie is a one-year-old boy living in a wood and cement house with his parents. He has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens his growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, he will begin $268 malnutrition treatment on February 22. Benjie will be treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s home-based feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM’s professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. His mother says, "My dream for Benjie is for him to become a pastor and to finish his studies."

Samuel is 31 years old and a father of three children. He and his family live in Kenya. To make ends meet, Samuel operates a small butchery, while his wife is a casual laborer. Samuel's skull was injured on January 5. He was rushed to a private hospital for medical intervention. Since the incident, Samuel has not been able to speak, and he experiences headaches and pain. His doctors have recommended a craniotomy, a surgery which will repair the injured side of his skull. Samuel is scheduled to undergo surgery on January 11. Samuel's operation has already been subsidized by $364. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, has requested $1,495 more to fund his hospital stay and surgery. “I want my brother to be well for his children and wife," Samuel's brother says. "He is their only source of livelihood.”

Aye Than is a 45-year-old Burmese woman. She lives with her mother and siblings in a village close to the Thai-Burma border. At the age of 40, Aye Than started experiencing frequent headaches and a stiff neck. For five years, she treated her symptoms with medication from a local pharmacy. Recently, Aye Than was picking up a bucket of rainwater when she started to feel dizzy and could no longer stand. She sat down to rest, but she found she could no longer open her left eye. After several visits to different hospitals, she was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Through BCMF, Aye Than was transferred to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. She underwent several diagnostic tests, including two CT scans––[one](https://watsi.org/profile/17128140c65d-aye-than) of which was funded by Watsi donors. The results of her tests showed an arteriovenous malformation with a proximal flow-related aneurysm and a fistula. In simpler terms, there was an aneurysm in Aye Than's brain. With this finding, her doctor performed an embolisation procedure on December 14. During this procedure, blood vessels were selectively blocked to treat her condition. Now, BCMF is requesting $1,500 in funding. “I am looking forward to getting better, so I can continue to work with my mother and resume my Buddhist practices: meditation, going to the monastery on full moon days, and maintaining the alter in my home," says Aye Than. She continues, "Without the donors, there was no chance for me to be treated properly. Thank you very much for your help."

Hermelinda is a 16-month-old girl from Guatemala, but she is only the size of a healthy eight-month-old. Her parents cannot afford to give her the calories, protein, and nutrients she needs to grow. She also experiences frequent illness. Hermelinda 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. Hermelinda loves to play with her stuffed animals. She lives with her family in a one-room tin house. Her father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops on a local plantation. Her mother raises chickens, cooks for the family, and takes care of Hermelinda. Unfortunately, her parents cannot afford this $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Hermelinda 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 Hermelinda a chance to grow healthy and strong. "I appreciate the support that my daughter is going to receive," says Hermelinda's mother. "I hope to learn a lot about nutrition during our time in the program."

Three-month-old Kiiza lives with his parents and seven older siblings in Uganda. As casual laborers, his parents work in other peoples' gardens to make money to support their family. They work especially hard to pay for their children's education, and fortunately have some help from a friend who pays for one of their daughter's high school fees. When Kiiza was one-month-old, his mother noticed a swelling in his right scrotum. She took him to a health center where he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia-- a protrusion of a portion of intestine through a tear in the abdominal wall near the groin area. Doctors also discovered a congenital right hydrocele. Though this build-up of watery fluid near the testicle is typically painless, Kiiza's hernia causes him to cry a lot when he is in pain. Kiiza needs surgery to treat these two conditions. His brother also has a hernia, and unfortunately Kiiza's parents' income is not enough to support either of their medical costs. Without treatment, Kiiza is at risk of a hernia strangulation, where the protruded section of intestinal tissue may lose blood flow. "I am worried about the life of my children," shares Kiiza's mother. $249 will fund Kiiza's operation, where doctors will surgically reposition the protruded intestinal tissue back into place, and repair the tear near his groin. They will also drain the fluid from his hydrocele. After surgery, Kiiza will return to a healthy, happy childhood back home with his family. His mother hopes to have peace of mind and have time to work and produce food for her children.

Navoeun is a 57 year old woman married with 1 son, 3 daughters, and 5 grandchildren. She enjoys watching Khmer dramas and news on TV and visiting the pagoda to join in on ceremonies. Navoeun traveled 3 hours with her daughter to reach CSC for treatment. Over a year ago, Navoeun developed a cataract in each eye. This caused blurred vision, photophobia, and cloudy lenses. Navoeun will undergo phaco cataract surgery, which is a procedure in which an ultrasonic device is used to break up and then remove cataracts, from the eye to improve vision. The insertion of an intraocular lens (IOL) in both eyes immediately follows. After the surgery, Navoeun will be able to see clearly again.

Meet Blessing, an adorable baby girl born to loving parents in Kenya. Her mother is a housewife while her father works in a hardware store. Ever since she was born, Blessing has had a series of health complications. Born with a mass swell on her lower back, Blessing underwent surgery which repaired her back two weeks after birth. A few weeks later, Blessing developed an infection and was readmitted in hospital for care. Just as she was getting better, the doctor diagnosed her to have hydrocephalus, a condition where one is found to have excess fluid in her skull. This condition is associated with a progressive increase in head circumference, headaches, and irritability. The resulting increased intracranial pressure can lead to brain stem compression. All the while, Blessing’s parents have been looking for financial support from family and friends, so that Blessing can receive the treatment she needs. Her parents are now in a dilemma as they are not in a position to raise the funds required for surgical care, let alone repay the debts. Watsi's medical partner will provide the surgery she needs to divert the excess fluid from her brain to her abdomen. The excess cerebrospinal fluid will then be drained and can relieve the overwhelming pressure on her swelling brain. In tears, Blessing's mother shared: "Blessing has spent most of her life in the hospital. We have incurred so much debt and we are not even close to clearing any of it. Watsi will be life saving."

Sophally was hit by a drunk driver on April 10th, 2016. The accident left her with a left humerus (upper arm bone) fracture and left forearm trauma. She was unconscious the night of the accident and was taken to a provincial hospital that wanted to amputate her arm, but she refused the procedure. Sophally is 35 years old and lives in Cambodia with her husband and two sons. She enjoys watching movies on television and selling goods from her home. After an unsuccessful attempt to treat her fractures at home using Khmer traditional medicine, Sophally traveled three hours with her brother to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction internal fixation surgery on Sophally's left arm, resetting the fractured bones and fixing them in place using plates, screws, and rods. Sophally requires financial assistance to afford the $405 surgery, however, as the money she makes selling goods from her home goes towards supporting her family. After a successful surgery, Sophally will regain use of her arm and eventually be free of pain.

“We dream that our son will grow big and heathy, and be able to study when he is older,” shares Axel’s father. Two-month-old Axel is acutely malnourished because his mother cannot produce breast milk. She has been giving him water with sugar and rice. But he has still been losing weight steadily, and now weighs much less than when he was born. Recently, Axel has been crying and coughing a lot. With an immune system weakened by severe weight loss, even a simple cough or fever could be life-threatening. If Axel does not receive treatment soon, he could face the risk of seizures, permanent brain damage, and death. Axel is the youngest of four in his family. They live in a one-room house in a rural community in the mountains of Guatemala. His father works as a day laborer, making very little money when he finds work, and often having no source of income for days at a time. Axel’s mother spends her days caring for him and his siblings, cooking, and cleaning. Although Axel's life is in danger right now, treatment is simple and effective. For $1,016, he will receive formula for one year, until he is able to consume normal foods. This will help him gain weight, and develop normally both mentally and physically. His immune system will grow stronger, and his life will no longer be in danger. Furthermore, his mother and other family members will receive motivational nutrition classes in their home, so they will be able to know what foods to feed Axel so he can overcome his case of malnutrition and life a full and healthy life. Let’s help this family guide their son into a healthy childhood.

Four-year-old Zelalem lives with his parents in Ethiopia. He loves soccer and spends all of his free time playing. Zelalem was born with hypospadias, a condition in which the urethra opens on the underside of the penis instead of at the tip. As a result, he cannot pass urine while standing like other boys. Zelalem is eager to start school, but he has been unable to do so because of his condition. Treatment for Zelalem is hypospadias repair, a procedure in which the surgeon takes tissue grafts from the foreskin or from the inside of the mouth to extend the length of the urethra so that it opens at the tip of the penis. If left untreated, Zelalem is likely to suffer urinary tract infections and may also be infertile in future. Zelalem's parents tried their best to get their child a treatment in public hospital, but they have waited for more than a year for a call so that their son can be included in the waiting list. Zelalem's father is a traditional fabric weaver, but he does not earn much money from his work and cannot afford to pay for his son's medical care. $1,155 covers the costs of surgery for Zelalem as well as a 14-day hospital stay, including blood tests, imaging, and medicine. Zelalem's parents look forward to a successful procedure and hope their son becomes as healthy as any other boy his age.

Two-month-old Noemi is acutely malnourished. She lives with her mother in Guatemala, and her mother is currently unable to produce breastmilk. "Her mother cannot afford formula, so she has been giving her daughter water with sugar or corn mush when she is hungry," explains our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "Unfortunately, this has given Noemi stomach problems, put her at increased of diarrhea, and has increased her risk of seizure due to the electrolyte imbalance that consuming non-breastmilk liquids causes in small infants." Noemi is dangerously underweight for her age. Her mother visited different local healers for herbal remedies to increase her milk production, but nothing worked. "Although she wants to help her daughter, she lacks the money to buy her daughter the formula she needs," says WK. With $1016, Noemi will receive the formula she needs. "This will save Noemi's life, giving her the calories, nutrients, and protein she needs to be a healthy baby," WK explains. "Her immune system will grow stronger with the treatment, and she will no longer be at risk of seizures." This funding will also provide her mother with "motivational nutrition education, giving her the tools she needs to help her daughter overcome her malnutrition and help her prevent future malnutrition and illness." "I hope that my daughter reaches a good weight and height," her mother said.