Aye is a 25-year-old young woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband in Mae Sot, Tak Province. She works as a laundry worker. In her spare time, Aye likes to cook and clean the house. For two years, Aye has been experiencing abdominal pain. She has been diagnosed with an ovarian mass or cyst. She has been advised to undergo an oophorectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her ovaries. Fortunately, Aye is scheduled to undergo her oophorectomy on October 19. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $913 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Aye said, “When I feel better I will find a good paying job and save money so I can open a small shop in Burma.”

Kea is a woman from Cambodia. She has one daughter and two sons. She likes to spend time with her family, cook, and watch TV in her free time. Two months ago, she was in motor vehicle accident that dislocated her elbow. Ever since the accident, she has had a chronic right elbow dislocation. She experiences arm pain, cannot lift things, and thus is unable to work. She needs to undergo a reduction procedure for her to regain mobility in her right elbow and arm. Surgery is scheduled for September 6 and will cost $390. She says, "I really want to return to work after surgery so I can continue to support my family."

Abraham is a 13-year-old boy and the third child in a family of seven children. He is in fifth grade, and he loves science and mathematics. He wants to become a pilot when he grows up. Abraham was born with malformations of his right foot and leg. He cannot walk comfortably. His father heard about our medical partner's care center and decided to bring his son there. Now, Abraham is scheduled to undergo an amputation, after which he will be fitted with a prosthesis to help him walk. Treatment is scheduled for July 12 and will cost $1,035. His parents are subsistence farmers and need help raising this money. Abraham says, “I believe this treatment will help me by making my movements easy, I will be able to go to school and the doctor is telling me that the prosthesis will enable me to walk normal. Please help me get this treatment.”

Shela is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and older brothers in a small rural community in southwest Haiti. Her parents are both farmers. She is in the third grade. Shela has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect. Two holes exist in her heart, one between the two upper chambers and another between the two lower chambers. Blood leaks through these holes, depriving her body of oxygen and leaving her weak and short of breath. Shela will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On January 22, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will first perform a diagnostic catheterization to determine if it is safe to close the holes in her heart. If the result is positive, they will then perform surgery to close both holes with patches. Another organization, Health CIty Cayman Islands, is contributing $17,000 to pay for surgery. Shela's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Shela's family overseas. Her mother says, "We are very thankful to everyone who is making it possible for Shela to travel to the hospital!"

Set is a grandfather from Cambodia. He has twelve children and enjoys spending time at home with his family and going to the pagoda. One year ago, Set developed a cataract in each eye, causing him blurry vision, itchiness, and sensitivity to light. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Set learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On December 14, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $398 procedure. "I hope my father can see again," says his daughter.

Tumusiime is a 51-year-old woman from Uganda. She is married and has eight children. Her youngest child is 16 years old. She and her husband practice small scale farming. For the past three years, Tumusiime has suffered from severe lower abdominal pain. This has prevented her from doing certain activities, such as lifting and digging, and she has experienced many sleepless nights due to her pain. Tumusiime visited the hospital several times and was given treatment for her chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, but she did not improve. Tumusiime has always known that she needed to undergo surgery, but she could not raise the money for a total abdominal hysterectomy. Tumusiime was then referred to Watsi for support. If not treated, Tumusiime will have persistent lower abdominal pain. On September 21, Tumusiime will undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $208 to fund Tumusiime's procedure. This will cover the full cost of treatment, including a four-night hospital stay, doctor fees, labs, medication, and supplies. After surgery, Tumusiime hopes to resume farming.

Juana is a two-year-old girl from Guatemala. She lives with her parents and two older siblings. Juana's father works in agriculture, and her mother is a homemaker. Juana is a sweet child who likes to play with her toy penguin and eat beans. Recently, Juana was diagnosed with 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. To improve her condition, Juana will begin treatment on February 20 at our medical partner's care center, Clinic Tecpán. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $762 to cover the cost of Juana's nutritional supplements, physician's fees, and an educational program that will teach her mother how to create nutrient-rich meals using limited resources. "The thing we want most for our daughter is for her to be healthy always. That would be enough for us to be at peace," say Juana's parents.

Ma Nyein is a dressmaker who lives with her son and extended family in Burma. In early 2016, Ma Nyein had an accident in her home, which resulted in chronic, severe pain on the left side of her head and numbness in her left eye. She was no longer able to work as a dressmaker. After the use of prescribed painkillers did not help, she consulted an eye surgeon. After numerous diagnostic procedures, Ma Nyein was found to have a large cyst on her optic chiasm. The optic chiasm is the point in the brain where the optic nerves cross. The optic nerves are pathways that carry information from the eyes to the brain. The cyst on Ma Nyein’s optic chiasm needs to be surgically removed. On February 8, Ma Nyein will undergo a cyst excision procedure. She needs help to fund this $1,500 surgery. Ma Nyein says, "I am excited to have surgery and get well soon. I plan to start sewing as soon as I recover from this illness."

Reth is a 76-year-old homemaker from Cambodia. She is married and has three sons, five daughters, and 20 grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys watching TV, listening to monks pray, and looking after her grandchildren. About two years ago, Reth developed cataracts in both eyea that have caused blurred vision and tearing. It is difficult for Reth to see things clearly. As a result, she cannot work and worries about how her vision might deteriorate further in the future. Reth learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from her neighbor. She traveled two hours with her niece to reach CSC for treatment. Reth is scheduled to undergo a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and intraocular lens implant on February 22. CSC is requesting $292 to fund the surgery. After the procedure, Reth will be able to see clearly again.

Roseberline lives just outside of Cap Haitien, a port city in northern Haiti, with her mother, father, and two younger brothers. She is in high school and would like to go on to become a doctor or a nurse. Roseberline was born with a hole between the two upper chambers of her heart, called an atrial septal defect. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her short of breath and weak. Roseberline will fly to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On January 21, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will insert a catheter into her heart and close the hole. This $10,000 surgery is subsidized by Have a Heart Cayman Islands. Roseberline's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Roseberline's family overseas. "I am very excited to travel to the hospital and to get this heart problem fixed. I would like to say thank you to everyone who is making this possible for me," shares Roseberline.

Chetra is a bright 24-year-old bank teller from Cambodia. She is one of six siblings. She likes to read magazines and listen to pop songs in her free time. At a young age, Chetra's spine began to curve. She was diagnosed with a condition called scoliosis. Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine that causes it to bow out to the side instead of taking a natural vertical shape. The curvature has limited her ability to bend and has continued to cause pain well into her adult years. If left untreated, her spine may continue to to bend and even twist. This misalignment could cause pain in her back and pressure on her ribs. At her most recent hospital visit, Chetra's physicians recommended a joint arthrodesis procedure to correct her scoliosis. Surgeons will attach hardware to the curved part of Chetra's backbone to promote straightening and stabilizing of her spine. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $450 to fund Chetra's back surgery, scheduled for January 18. Chetra's back surgery will help alleviate the pain she is experiencing and greatly improve her quality life.

Gloria is seven months old and lives with her mother in rural Guatemala. She has malnutrition, a dangerous condition that results from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. Malnutrition has left Gloria with a weakened immune system and little energy. Recently, Gloria has not wanted to eat and gets sick often. If Gloria does not receive treatment, she will also face malnutrition’s long-term consequences, such as increased risk of chronic diseases, low IQ, and higher likelihood of dropping out of school. Gloria’s mother says, “I want my daughter to get better soon, because she worries me a lot.” Fortunately, Gloria will begin nutritional treatment on January 16. While her mother does all that she can to support Gloria’s health, she cannot afford treatment for her daughter’s malnutrition without outside help. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, is requesting $1,107 to fund her care. Treatment will give Gloria’s family tools to maintain nutritious diets, and it will give Gloria a chance to grow healthily.