Sayda is a spirited six-month-old baby girl from Guatemala. She is the third child in her family and loves to play with her rattle. Sayda was recently diagnosed with malnutrition, a condition that results from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. On June 9, Sayda will begin growth monitoring at Clinic Panajachel, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $492 to cover the cost of Sayda's micronutrients and food supplementation. Funds will also go towards an educational program that will teach Sayda's mother how to create nutrient-rich diets for her using limited resources. Sayda's mother is grateful for all the donors' support!

Bruce is a 21-year-old man who lives in Uganda. He works as a porter for a bus company in the town where he lives. In his free time, Bruce enjoys playing football and watching other matches in his town. He also enjoys listening to music on the radio and participating in youth activities at his church. For the past month, Bruce has had an extremely painful scrotal hernia, which has kept him from working. His symptoms include swelling, difficulty passing urine, and testicular torsion, and he is unable to do the lifting and climbing required by his job. A scrotal hernia is a protrusion of the intestines through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. In males, the weak spot is typically in the inguinal canal, where the spermatic cord enters the scrotum. The protruding intestines descend into the scrotum, presenting as a bulge that may be painful with bending, coughing, or lifting heavy objects. Bruce has been scheduled to undergo surgery to repair his hernia on June 3. During the operation, a surgeon will push the protruding tissue back into the abdomen and sew together the weakened muscle with a synthetic mesh. Over time, muscle tissue will grow into and around the mesh to strengthen the area. Watsi's medical partner, The Kellerman Foundation, requests $229 to pay for the operation, five nights in the hospital, lab tests, pain medicine, and antibiotics. Bruce is contributing $7 to pay additional costs associated with his care. “Please tell all the donors 'thank you' from me," says Bruce, who hopes to return to school to study English and science. "I appreciate so much that they are helping the needy."

Godber is an energetic six-year-old boy. He likes going to school and playing with his classmates. He also enjoys playing with his siblings and running around his neighborhood. Godber developed a painful inguinal hernia that prevented him from going to school. Fortunately, he underwent a hernia repair surgery on November 4. Godber's parents, Caleb and Justine, are small farmers who grow maize, onions, bananas, and tea. His father is a leader in the local government. In her free time, his mother volunteers for the village health team, providing health education for community members. His parents use most of their income to pay the school fees for their four children. Though they have contributed $4, they need help to raise the $229 required to pay Godber's medical bill. “I wish to thank everyone that is coming to our rescue and helping contribute to the treatment costs,” says his mother.

Blessing is a five-month-old boy from Tanzania. He developed a right inguinal hernia, and his parents brought him to our medical partner's hospital, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, Blessing underwent a hernia repair surgery on November 10. This procedure will prevent the development of any complications, including hernia strangulation. Blessing's father is a farmer, and he cannot afford the $610 treatment cost. He told doctors he was considering borrowing money from friends to pay for his son's treatment. His face lit up when he learned about Watsi. "I had no means to pay for treatment," he says, "I am glad I found you."

Dotto is a 25-year old-man from Tanzania. He is the second of seven children, and he lives with his parents. When Dotto was ten years old, his legs started to bend. His parents never sought medical treatment, but when they saw a neighboring child who had been treated, they finally visited our medical partner. On November 22, Dotto underwent corrective surgery. This procedure will prevent further pain or bending in his legs. Now, his family needs help to raise $940 to cover his medical costs. Dotto expressed amazement that his condition could be treated, and he shared his gratitude with donors.

Wendy is an eight-month-old girl from Guatemala. Her family cannot afford to give her a nutritious diet filled with protein, calories, and nutrients. She 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, Wendy began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016. Wendy loves to eat scrambled eggs, smile at everyone, and play with her stuffed animals. She is the first child to two loving parents. They live in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, while her mother works at home. They cannot afford this $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Wendy 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 Wendy a chance to grow healthy and strong.

Ma Cho, a 53-year-old Burmese woman, moved to Thailand eight years ago in search of better job opportunities. Recently, she was referred to our medical partner for an investigative CT scan. A few months ago, Ma Cho began to experience abnormal symptoms. By September, she was experiencing heavy bleeding, pain, and dizziness. Ma Cho found herself constantly tired and had difficulty sleeping. A local midwife diagnosed her with an infection and gave her medication to treat the pain. However, her symptoms did not improve. At the local hospital, Ma Cho underwent a pap smear, a ECG, an x-ray, and blood and urine tests. Unfortunately, the pap smear showed evidence of cervical cancer. On October 26, she underwent a CT (computerized tomography) scan to gather more information. Ma Cho's family, especially her daughter, is very concerned about her health. However, they are very encouraging and supportive. Her sons live at home and work as day laborers, but they cannot afford to pay for their mother's $414 CT scan. "I am looking forward to feeling better, so I can take care of my house and my grandchildren again," says Ma Cho. "I love playing with them and making sure they are safe. I also want to go to the monastery to pray and meditate on the future."

Helio is a six-month-old boy from Guatemala. He is not growing, has little appetite, and is getting sick often. Despite his age, he is still the size of a healthy three-month-old. Helio has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. This means he has little energy to grow, and his immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. He is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, he began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016. Helio is a very affectionate baby. He enjoys playing with his little toy car and his older sister Damaris, and he loves eating bananas and refried beans. Helio lives with his family in a one-room house made of adobe. His father works as a day laborer on a local plantation. He is also the pastor in the local church and a leader in their village. Unfortunately, he cannot afford this $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Helio recover. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age, and his immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Helio a chance to grow healthy and strong.

Reagan is a four-year-old boy from Kenya. He was born with multiple birth defects that required surgery at a young age. He cannot walk, but he attends school and is a top performer in his grade. Reagan was experiencing pain and discomfort. He was diagnosed with a hydrocele in his groin. On November 10, he underwent repair surgery. Reagan lives with his parents and older brother in a two-room rental house in the Nairobi suburbs. His father sells tomatoes to support the family, while his mother stays at home to care for the children. They have used all of their savings on Reagan's previous treatments, so they need help to fund this $423 procedure. “This has been more than a journey for us, not that we are about to give up," says Reagan's mother. "His smile drives us to focus more on his wellbeing. We will appreciate if we get help."

This is Venence. He's two-years-old, lives in Tanzania, and is the first-born child to his father and mother. Venence's dad is an electrician and his mother is a homemaker. Recently Venence burned himself with a pot of hot water while trying to reach a window in his home. "He was rushed to the hospital and his wounds were treated," AMHF tells us. "After a long time the wounds healed, but he developed wrist, elbow and axilla contractures. He now struggles to use his arm." Clinicians have recommended a skin graft and contracture release surgery for Venence. The total cost, $870, is not something his family can cover at this time; this weighs heavily on them. “We just want Venence to be able to use his arm again," Venence's father says. Having two functional arms will allow him to be independent." Let's fund Venence's surgery, get him fully functional, and get him over this difficult period of time.

Meet Khu Soe, a one-year-old boy from Burma! Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, shares, “Khu Soe lives with his parents in a village in rural Burma. His father is a subsistence farmer and does not receive an income. His mother stays at home and looks after Khu Soe and the house, and is currently pregnant with [their] second child.” Khu Soe’s doctors tell us, “Khu Soe suffers from a cystic hygroma, which is a fluid filled growth located underneath his armpit. The hygroma causes him bouts of fever, pain, fatigue, and difficulty breathing." His parents’ determination to treat their son’s medical condition knows no bounds; our partner explains, “they have taken him to numerous clinics and hospitals over the last nine months trying to get him treatment, to only be turned away due to a lack of resources and specialized staff to treat his condition. His parents are noticeably worried and say it’s difficult to watch their son suffer while the mass continues to grow.” Burma Border Projects is confident they can help Khu Soe. His doctors explain, “With treatment, the mass will be removed and Khu Soe will no longer experience bouts of pain and fever. He will have more energy to play and experience life like a normal baby.” The team says the “treatment will allow Khu Soe's parents to focus their attention on the needs of their newborn baby.” For $1,500 we can fund treatment to remove Khu Soe’s burdensome growth and ensure that he will be a healthy big brother! Khu Soe’s parents are excited their son will soon be healthy. They say, “Despite the many challenges we have overcome in order to get Khu Soe treatment, we remain very positive and hopeful.”

Moloimet says he "would like to start a dairy farm" when he grows up. Our medical partner describes Moloimet as being very reserved and thoughtful, always observing other children before he joins in. This 13-year-old undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him, but "knock knees," a condition which prevents him from walking or running normally, threatens to slow him down. He also has an abnormal weight transmission on his knees that will cause early osteoarthritis of the knees if not treated. Moloimet needs treatment for this condition to avoid the pain of osteoarthritis, improve his joint function, and enable him to live an active life. For $555, we can pay for a bilateral distal femoral osteotomy and long leg casts that will restore proper weight transmission through Moloimet’s knees. This will prevent early osteoarthritis and allow him to work towards fulfilling his dream of becoming a dairy farmer!