Ludmisha is four years old. She lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with her parents and older sister. Her father is a roofer, and her mother is a market seller. She goes to preschool and likes dressing up and going to church. Ludmisha was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to get oxygen, leaving her feeling weak. Ludmisha needs to undergo pediatric cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, St. Damien Hospital. Surgeons will operate to close the hole. First, Ludmisha will undergo a full cardiac assessment on January 17. 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 Ludmisha 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 Ludmisha's surgical care. "We have been very worried about our daughter's heart problem," says Ludmisha's mother, "and we are all praying that everything will go well this week!"

27-year-old Sharon lives her husband and their four-year-old daughter in Uganda. Together, they work as subsistence farmers who grow cassava, potatoes, and millet. To earn an income, Sharon's husband does casual labor in the community. During her free time, Sharon likes playing with her daughter. She is an excellent weaver, and she weaves baskets to sell in the local markets or to give as gifts to her friends. Sharon is currently pregnant with her second child. Her doctors consider her pregnancy to be high-risk. They recommend that she receive medical attention before, during, and after labor to ensure a safe delivery. On November 9, she will begin to receive supplements and attend antenatal checkups and health education classes. She will deliver her baby in the hospital, and her baby will be examined by a midwife. After birth, Sharon and her baby will be monitored by the hospital staff. $241 will fund all medical costs associated with Sharon's pregnancy, including three nights in the hospital, one postpartum visit, and four antenatal visits. Sharon and her husband are paying $4 towards medical expenses. Sharon is looking forward to having her baby and sending him or her to school. Sharon hopes to name her child “Emma,” and she hopes that he or she will love and care for the family and the community. “God bless all the people that are supporting my safe delivery," says Sharon.

Denkenesh is a 14-year-old girl from Ethiopia. She lives with her parents in the southern region of Ethiopia. She loves to go to church to sing and pray. She also loves to help her mother in the house. Denkenesh wants to go to school and succeed academically. Denkenesh was born with an abnormal condition in her large intestine that causes uncomfortable symptoms. At age two, she underwent surgery that provided temporary relief. However, she needs another surgery to permanently correct her condition. Denkenesh is scheduled to undergo surgery on December 13. After a fall from a tree left both of Denkenesh's father's legs paralyzed, her mother began to support the family. She cannot afford to pay for her daughter's $1,500 surgery. Let's help Denkenesh's family!

Angelo is a three-year-old boy from the southern tip of the Philippines. He loves to play basketball. Angelo's father, Renyboy, is a tenant farmer. Angelo has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. He began $184 malnutrition treatment on October 20. He is being 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 acutely 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. Angelo's parents hope that he will recover from malnutrition, grow strong and healthy, and finish his studies in the future.

Musiime is a 43-year-old man from Uganda. He is single and has no children. He went to school up to Senior Three and he works as a cattle keeper. He likes animals and he is most happy when he sees them grazing and healthy. After surgery, he hopes to start farming and continue looking after cattle. Musiime has lived with a swelling in his right inguinal region for eight years. The pain is on and off but it increases when he walks. He is unable to lift heavy items or do any straining. Musiime visited a hospital seeking help and was diagnosed with a hernia. He was told to wait for surgery, but a long time has passed and no date has ever been fixed. He is worried that he might lose his life due to his hernia. If not treated, Musiime has a greater risk of intestinal obstruction, incarceration, and strangulation. “I have lived with hernia for a long time," shares Musiime. "I have pain but I don’t have money for treatment.” For $249, Musiime will undergo hernia repair surgery at Holy Family Virika Hospital in Uganda.

Austin is a 95-year-old farmer from a village in Malawi. He has nine children and 30 grandchildren, who he loves spending time with when he isn't farming. When he is not on the farm or with his family, Austin likes to stay at home and do things around the house. Four years ago, Austin started experiencing symptoms from a benign enlargement of his prostate. He has been in a lot of pain and has been unable to work due to the symptoms. This condition is easily treated surgically, but the surgery is very hard to access in Malawi, especially on a farmer's wages. Luckily for Austin, he will be receiving a prostatectomy at a high quality hospital. His treatment costs $726, and includes all post-operative care. Austin knows that he needs the surgery, and is looking forward to the result. He will be happy to be free from the pain he has lived with for years.

The doctor who submitted Caroline’s case to Watsi describes her as “a precious girl who was born normal and healthy.” Caroline’s parents adore her. Her father works as an administrator for the local power company, and her mother stays at home to raise her and her siblings. They want Caroline to grow up to live a happy and healthy life. Three years ago, Caroline’s knees started hurting so badly that she couldn’t walk. She is at the age where she should be going to school, but she is restricted by complete immobility. Her parents currently carry her everywhere, but they know this isn’t a sustainable solution for the rest of her life. Watsi Medical Partner CURE International conducts regular mobile clinics, where they identify patients in need of critical medical care from the most marginalized communities. Caroline was identified during one of these clinics, and her case was so serious that they referred her back to CURE’s main hospital for surgery. It will cost CURE $1000 to cover the cost of Caroline’s surgery. Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world, according to the Human Development Index, and Caroline’s parents can’t even come close to being able to afford the medical care she needs to live a normal life. We hope to raise the money needed to pay for Caroline's surgery and enable her to walk.