Than is a loving grandmother from Thailand who lives with her son and grandson. In her free time, she enjoys watching YouTube videos on her phone. Five years ago, Than began experiencing pain when frequently passing urine, accompanied by lower abdominal pain. She has been diagnosed with kidney stones, which are hard deposits of minerals that form in the kidneys and are often very painful to pass. She has been advised to undergo surgery to remove her kidney stones. If left untreated, Than's symptoms will continue to worsen and will put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $1,500 to fund Than's kidney stone removal surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 8th. Than shared, "I felt hopeless that I couldn't afford the operation, considering our prolonged lack of income. Now, I have had the chance to receive surgery with the help of BCMF. I am deeply grateful. My sincere wish is for the operation to go well, and I look forward to resuming my chores after the surgery."

Meet Collins, a 12-year-old calm boy, the second born in a family of 3 children and a student at a special school. Their family hails from Shamata village in Nyandarua county. His mother is a single mother and is a small farmer. She shared how devastated she was upon receiving the news of her son's spine deformity. In her mind, she thought that her child could not survive until she was referred to a specialist, who explained the condition and how it could be corrected. Collins was born with a condition known as severe scoliosis, a spine deformity and a sideway curvature of the spine. This condition has greatly affected his mobility. He cannot bend and gets tired quickly while walking. Apart from the spine deformity, he is also mentally impaired, which has delayed his education. He is scheduled to undergo surgery to help heal his spine. The treatment will be impactful to him because he will be able to walk upright and continue with his education uninterrupted. "I am kindly requesting you to support my son, who is undergoing surgery and we are unable to pay for it. Your help will be highly appreciated as you help me put a smile on my son's face. Thank you so much for considering my request," shared Collin's mother.

Jaziel is a 13-month old toddler from Ethiopia who loves to play and laugh with his parents. He is an only child, and his mother works in their home, while his father is a driver for a construction site company. They live in a rented one-bedroom house on the outskirts of town. Jaziel was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of cancer and infertility. His mother said, "When the doctor told us about his condition, we were sad and disturbed. I didn't even fully understand the condition. I thought it was something else. I understood the condition after the doctor at Cure Ethiopia explained it to me; I felt a bit relieved, but it was a hard year." Fortunately, Jaziel is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Jaziel's mother said, “After the surgery, we hope he will be normal and be able to go to the bathroom as normal as other children.”

Ah resides in a village in Karen State, Burma alongside his eight-year-old son and elderly mother. Ah is a former carpenter who has been unable to work due to his deteriorating health. During his free time, he enjoys fishing. In 2018, Ah began experiencing severe chest pain and difficulty breathing at times. A medical evaluation, including an echocardiogram, revealed that he has multiple valve defects in his heart. The doctor wants to perform cardiac surgery to replace and repair his heart valves on September 12th. Due to financial difficulties, Ah sought treatment through Watsi's medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). BCMF is raising $1,500 to support his care. Currently, Ah still has occasional chest pain and difficulty breathing which intensifies with physical activity. He also has a poor appetite, weight loss, and difficulty sleeping at night. Ah said, "I am worried about my son because I am the only one who is taking care of him. Thank you for supporting my treatment. I will never forget you."

Siek Meng is a 15-year-old who resides in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents make a living as rice farmers, and when Siek Meng returns home from school, she helps care for her siblings. During her free time, she enjoys learning English by watching English-language films and television shows. She aspires to pursue higher education in the capital of Phnom Penh and study medicine in the future. Around the age of 6, Siek Meng and her parents noticed something concerning about her back. However, they postponed seeking treatment until two years later due to the high cost of treatment and not considering it essential at that time. Unfortunately, the condition has since deteriorated, and she has been diagnosed with scoliosis, a deformity of the spine. In the past year, Siek Meng has experienced increased difficulty breathing as her rib cage presses on her lungs. Additionally, she occasionally feels numbness in her legs caused by her vertebrae compressing nerves. Thankfully, Siek Meng and her father undertook a challenging journey of two and a half hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), seeking assistance for her disability. The medical team at CSC plans to perform a spinal fusion with implants on August 2nd, which requires financial support as the operation costs $1500. This amount will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-operative physiotherapy care. CSC is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure for Siek Meng. Siek Meng shared, "I am feeling embarrassed about my back and I want to not have chest pain anymore. I hope after surgery I can go back to school and be able to walk around my village more easily."

Gladness is a 5-year-old smart and vibrant girl who enjoys interacting with all kinds of different people. She is the firstborn in a family of two children, and her parents make a living by selling thrift clothes and shoes in Arusha city. Gladness has faced significant health challenges since she was one year old. During playtime she tripped and fell, resulting in an injury to her leg. Her father promptly took her to the hospital, where they received ointment to massage the affected area. Unfortunately, two years later, she had another accident that dislocated her right knee. It was during this hospital visit that the medical professionals discovered a previous, untreated fracture from her first accident, which has caused other problems. Gladness and her father traveled over 180 kilometers to the medical center and our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $880 to fund her surgery, which is scheduled for June 27th. Treatment will hopefully restore Gladness's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Gladness’s father shared, "I hope this treatment will help my daughter. I wish for her to grow up without any abnormalities."

Meet 42-year-old Khin who lives with her husband in Thailand. Both Khin and her husband work in a wool factory. In March 2023, Khin felt overwhelmingly tired. She received an injection at a local clinic, but she didn't feel any better. A few days later she became dizzy, and fainted. Subsequently, she developed back pain and gastrointestinal issues. She has now been diagnosed with a myoma - or uterine fibroid - and advised to have her uterus and cervix surgically removed, to prevent future health complications. Khin is scheduled to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy on May 25th, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once she has recovered, Khin's overall health should improve, and she will be free of the pain that currently lives with. Khin said: “When I first heard that I would need surgery, I felt stressed because I have no money. But when I learned that I have a donor, I felt relieved. In the future, I will continue to work in the factory.”

Nang is a 40-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and son in a camp for people who are internally displaced due to conflict in her country. Her husband is a day laborer, while she looks after their son at home. A few years ago, Nang accidentally cut off her left index and middle finger while chopping wood. Unable to afford a hospital or clinic, she wrapped her injury in a cloth and tried to treat herself with traditional medicine. Over time, the wound became infected, and the infection spread up her hand. She later had her arm amputated below her left elbow at the IDP camp clinic. However, the wound never healed fully and became re-infected. Doctors want Nang to undergo an MRI, a scan which will hopefully help doctors fully diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $814 to cover the cost of Nang's MRI and care, scheduled for March 6th. She said, “I feel sad about my condition. I am looking forward to getting treatment or surgery at the Hospital. I would like to thank the organization BCMF as I am happy to have the opportunity to receive treatment for my wound."