Wedeline is a ten-year-old fourth grader who lives with her parents and two brothers in Mirebalais, a small city in the mountains of central Haiti. She hopes to become a doctor when she grows up, and she likes playing with her friends and singing in church. Wedeline was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole in the heart that normally closes shortly after birth remains open. This is dangerous because blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her feeling weak. Wedeline needs to undergo heart surgery to close the hole at our medical partner's care center, St. Damien Hospital. First, Wedeline will undergo a full cardiac assessment on January 15. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Wedeline also covers the cost of medications and social support for her and her family. Gift of Life International is contributing $3,500 to cover additional costs associated with Wedeline's surgical care. "Thank you to everyone who is making this surgery possible for our daughter!" says her father.

Lydia is a 41-year-old mother of 6 children from Uganda. Lydia is a subsistence farmer growing sim-sim, beans, maize, groundnuts, cassava, millet, and soya beans for food. Her husband Lamek owns sheep, goats, and a few heads of cattle. They milk the cattle and are able to pay school fees for their children. Lydia has been troubled by uterine prolapse for the last four years which has affected her daily activities from which she gets food to support the family. During her free time Lydia enjoys listening to her radio from which she gets information and hope, through programs about religion, health programs on feeding her family well, especially children, and programs on how to develop the family’s economy. She also likes participating with other women in local loans groups from which she borrows money to support and also gets guidance from fellow women on how to manage quarrels in the family. She also goes to markets where she sells some millet flour, sim-sim, beans and peas for income. Furthermore, during her free time she enjoys grazing and serving water to cattle, goats and sheep. After her surgery, Lydia hopes she will be strong again and looks forward to continuing with farming and expanding her business through buying more goats. Lydia's treatment occurred on 10/28/2016. Lydia says, "I am so grateful for the donors' support for my treatment. I pray that God blesses you and you support more women who have not gotten a chance to have their functionality restored." She adds, “I will also support the needy in my community."

Zipora is a 17-year-old woman from Uganda. She supports her mother by harvesting beans, maize, cassava, and potatoes from their small farm. She also sells goods, such as clothes, soap, and salt, at the local market. Finally, Zipora weaves mats for bedding. When Zipora became pregnant with her first child, her doctors considered the pregnancy to be high-risk, and they expected complications. Zipora's delivery date was October 18, 2016. Our medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation, provided experienced surgeons and the necessary medications to ensure Zipora would return home with a healthy newborn. Now, she needs help to pay her $241 healthcare costs. In the future, Zipora hopes to work hard and educate her baby. Joy, Zipora's mother, shares, "I wish to thank all donors who are supporting us during this very needy time, especially for my daughter's safe delivery."

Sorphea is a 26-year-old factory worker who has three brothers and three sisters. She likes to work, do housework, and go out with friends. When she was a child, Sorphea developed an ear infection. The infection spread to both ears and perforated the tympanic membrane in each. She experiences ear discharge and hearing loss, and she hears ringing and buzzing in her ears. Sorphea's condition makes her unhappy and makes it difficult for her to hear at work. Fortunately, Sorphea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a relative. On November 3, 2016, CSC surgeons performed a myringoplasty in each ear to repair the perforated tympanic membrane and stop the ear discharge and pain. Over time, Sorphea's hearing will improve. Now, she needs help to fund this $831 procedure. "I hope the ear discharge will stop and I will have good hearing," says Sorphea. Sorphea's aunt, who accompanied her to surgery, adds, "I hope that after the operation, my niece's ear discharge will stop, and she will have good hearing and good health."

Daw Kyi is a 60-year-old Burmese woman who has lived in a refugee camp in Thailand since 2000. In 1999, Daw Kyi’s husband passed away, leaving her with one son. When an illness paralyzed one side of her son's body, the two traveled to the refugee camp for free treatment. Daw Kyi's son received successful treatment, but they remain in the refugee camp to this day because they cannot afford to return home. A few years ago, Daw Kyi began experiencing uncomfortable symptoms in a sensitive area. These symptoms disrupted her work as a day laborer planting rice or harvesting corn. Despite learning that she needed surgery, Daw Kyi could not afford treatment. Now, Daw Kyi has difficulty walking or standing for long periods of time. She has lost her appetite, and she sleeps poorly at night. Her symptoms prevent her from working. Fortunately, on October 19, 2016, Daw Kyi underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with Watsi's medical partner, Burma Border Projects. This procedure should prevent further pain and discomfort. She needs help to pay her $1,500 healthcare costs. "When I am well enough," says Daw Kyi, "I will make and sell snacks as I used to do.” Let's help Daw Kyi return to her normal lifestyle!

Tha Zin is an 18-year-old student from Mogok Township, Kachin State, Burma (near Mandalay Division). She lives with her mother, father, and her three sisters. Tha Zin's father supports the family. His job is to cut and polish gemstones and he earns approximately 300,000 kyat (approximately 300 USD) per month. This income is usually enough to support the family's daily expenses and they have even been able to save money. However, since Tha Zin became ill the family has spent all their savings on her medical care and now her older sister is unable to return to university because the funds saved for her university fees have been spent also. Tha Zin first started to experience painful headaches in February 2015. Her father took her to many hospitals with several admissions but she was not diagnosed properly. In September 2015 she was admitted to Mogok hospital because she was losing her memory and could not walk or talk. The doctor there suggested Tha Zin's father take her to medical partner Mandalay Hospital for a CT scan. Tha Zin and her father travelled to Mandalay where she was diagnosed with multiple brain abscesses. Tha Zin's family was so worried that nothing further could be done. Tha Zin felt sad, lost hope and became depressed. She stayed at home, mainly lying in bed. Her family has given up hope about finding further treatment because they have spent all their money on medical and associated costs and they were already in debt. Tha Zin's father recently accompanied his younger daughter, Tha Zin's sister, to a doctor's appointment at the Mogok clinic. At this time the monk from the Ananda Myitta Clinic (AMC) was visiting to meet with the doctor and heard the story of Tha Zin's medical condition from her father. The monk encouraged Tha Zin's father to travel with her to Mae Sot, Thailand to BCMF. Tha Zin said, "I feel hopeless and thought I will die soon. My family has spent a lot of money on hospital and medical costs. I feel like a burden and trouble for my family. My sisters are also so worried for me all the time. If I have a future I want to study and live with my family for a long time." She added, "I want to be well soon. I would like to go to university and then become a teacher and help my community." With the support from Watsi, Tha Zin underwent a CT scan on October 11. The result showed mass-like growths which needed to be removed very quickly. Tha Zin had this growth removal surgery on October 22.

Gift is a 16-year old girl from Tanzania. She is the oldest child in her family. Gift's mother runs a small business, and her father is a carpenter. Gift had a seizure near a fire, and her clothes caught fire. Since then, she has been undergoing treatment for the burns she sustained. She received two successful surgeries to release burn contractures on her arms, which restored function to her arms and allowed her to perform tasks independently. On November 8, 2016, doctors at our medical partner's hospital, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, performed a skin graft surgery to remove damaged skin. After recovery, her arm should appear and function normally. Now, Gift's family needs help to pay for this $780 treatment. "I hope to be able to help my parents again soon," says Gift.

Josephin is a two-year-old girl from western Tanzania. She was born with an uncomfortable condition in a sensitive area. The family traveled seven hours to reach our medical partner's hospital, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. On October 31, 2016, Josephin underwent corrective surgery. This surgery should restore function to her digestive system. Now, her family needs help to fund this $975 procedure.

Chech is a 22-year-old farmer who has two sisters and three brothers. She likes to do housework and help her family on the farm. When she was a baby, Chech developed an ear infection. The infection spread to both ears and perforated the tympanic membrane in each. She experiences recurring ear discharge, pain, and hearing loss. Her condition makes her unhappy. Fortunately, Chech learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a relative. She traveled for six hours by taxi to reach CSC for treatment. On October 19, 2016, surgeons performed a myringoplasty in each ear to repair the perforated tympanic membrane and stop the ear discharge and pain. Over time, her hearing will improve. Now, her family needs help to fund this $831 procedure. Chech says, "I hope for the ear discharge to stop and to have good hearing."

"I dream that my little girl will one day be a great teacher," shares the mother of 11-month-old Maritza. Maritza is currently living with malnutrition. She is dangerously underweight because her parents cannot afford to give her the protein, calories, and nutrients that she needs to be healthy. She gets sick often because her immune system does not have the fuel it needs to fight off germs, making her body use all her energy on getting over sicknesses rather than growing and developing. If she does not receive treatment now, Maritza could face long-term consequences including mental deficiencies, chronic diseases, and lower earning potential as an adult. Maritza is the only child to two loving parents. She lives with them in a cinderblock house with a tin roof in a rural mountainous community in Guatemala. Her father works in a small store, selling snacks, and her mother works at home taking care of Maritza, cooking, and cleaning. Although they both work hard and want the best for their daughter, they cannot afford to give the diet she needs to overcome malnutrition. $512 of growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Maritza recover from malnutrition. The support provided from the doctors at our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, will save her life and put her on track to live a better life in the future. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age. Her immune system will grow stronger with increased caloric intake, preventing her from having any more life-threatening situations with diarrhea, fevers, and coughs. This will further increase her appetite and help her use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. Her parents will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give Maritza the diet she needs to grow and develop healthily. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Maritza the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made her sick in the first place.

“Yen developed a cataract in each eye a year ago. This causes her blurred vision and tearing. She can't see anything clearly, do work well, or go outside on her own,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). A cataract occurs when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Over time this can result in a degradation or total loss of vision. Yen is a 84-year-old woman from Cambodia. She is married with one son, four daughters, and 20 grandchildren. Yen enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to the monks pray. For $225 CSC doctors will perform surgery to remove Yen’s cloudy lenses and replace them with synthetic implants. Surgery takes about an hour and Yen should regain her vision soon after her treatment. “I hope I can see better so I can do work and go outside and no longer require other people to take care of me,” says Yen.

65-year-old Bindra was walking down a flight of stairs when she tripped and fell on the ground, fracturing her right hand. Some villages in her region of Nepal do not have electricity, and such accidents in the evenings are a common occurrence. Bindra lives with her eldest son, her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The rest of her family has settled in India to make a living. At home, Bindra is responsible for grazing the cattle and looking after her young grandchildren. She is unable to afford the $579 treatment cost, which will ease her pain and allow her to regain use of her hand. "I hope to be cured soon," Bindra said.