Eliza is a 67-year-old woman from Guatemala. She has diabetes, but she cannot afford medications to control her blood sugar. Consequently, she has developed cataracts and lost her eyesight. Eliza is a mother of three and grandmother of two. She used to work as a baker, but her vision loss has forced her to abandon this passion. She loves to spend time with her two granddaughters, and she hopes to teach them to bake. Fortunately, on December 2, Eliza underwent cataract surgery supported by our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq. After recovery, she will have clear vision for the first time in years. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to cover her pre-op labs, ophthalmologist visits, surgical fees, and transportation. "I hope to start baking cakes again," says Eliza. "They are very delicious."

Bharat lives with his parents and siblings in Nepal and studies in grade five. His father works in India to support the family back home while his mother is responsible for grazing the cattle and looking after the children. Bharat was grazing his cattle with his friends in the forest when he stumbled on a stone and fell down, fracturing his right hand. He has been in so much pain since then and he has difficulty moving the injured arm and there is some swelling too. After his accident, the family tried some home remedies like using bamboo sticks to treat the fracture, but when they noticed how Bharat still had difficulty moving his hand, they finally decided to take medical help in Possible's hub - Bayalpata hospital. For $195, Bharat's hand will be put in a cast to mend the fracture. His mother shares, "It was so far to come here from our house, so we tried home remedies to treat him but it didn't work. I will be happy if Bharat gets his treatment soon."

Tha Gay is a 26-year-old mobile health worker. He studied medicine at the refugee camp where he lived in high school to pursue his dream: helping people in need of basic healthcare in rural areas of southern Burma. But at the moment, Tha Gay is not able to do this work that he is passionate about. About a month ago, Tha Gay was in a motorbike accident while transferring clinic supplies to a remote area. He suffered a severe fracture in his right arm. His friends helped him get back to the clinic where he works to access the free healthcare there—a bandage and painkillers for his arm. However, Tha Gay did not try to access more advanced medical treatment for his condition in Burma because he could not afford the cost and difficult transportation due to bad weather. Currently, Tha Gay is not able to move his right arm nor lift up, grab anything, or wash his clothing. He feels guilty that his broken arm has taken him out of commission for his medical work. There are currently only a few health workers at the clinic where he is employed, and many patients come there during the rainy season for diseases like malaria. We can help Tha Gay gets back to work soon. For $1,500, doctors will perform an open reduction internal fixation operation on his arm. In this procedure, they will surgically align the broken parts of his arm, then will set them in place using a rod or screw. This implanted equipment will guide the bone as it heals to make sure it grows back in the correct position. The requested sum will also cover the cost of the week-long hospital stay that Tha Gay will need to recuperate from the procedure. "After my fractured arm is healed, I will continue work as a health worker at the clinic because I want to help people get basic healthcare," Tha Gay shared.

Moe Shwe is a 45-year-old woman originally from a village in Southern Shan State in Burma. She came to our medical partner with a diagnosis of myoma - a uterine mass. Moe Shwe moved to Thailand to work in a factory as a seamstress. She doesn’t know yet what her income will be because within days of arriving in Thailand she started to feel very unwell and worked for less than one week. Her husband still lives in Burma and works in his garden growing vegetables beside the family home. Currently the combined family income is not enough to cover daily expenses, therefore, they have been unable to save money and cannot afford health care costs. Moe Shwe has been experiencing symptoms related to her current health problem since early April, 2016. At that time she went to a clinic because she was having trouble passing urine. The doctor told her that she would need surgery and that the surgery cost would be 30,000 THB (approx. 1000 USD) but she could not afford this cost and returned home. One of her friends from the factory knew about Mae Tao Clinic (a Watsi partner) and encouraged her to attend the Clinic. On April 22nd, 2016 Moe Shwe came to the Mae Tao Clinic with her friend. Her abdomen was swollen and she had difficulty urinating. She also had sharp pain and numbness in her lower abdomen. At Mae Tao Clinic she received a blood test, urine test, and ultrasound. During her examination, the doctor detected a mass and she was diagnosed with a Myoma. Moe Shwe is currently unable to work because of her symptoms and she is very sad about her health problems and the effects they have on her life. She said that she does not have any siblings who can help pay for her treatment and even with the help of her daughter she is unable to afford treatment. She became so emotional that she began crying during the interview. Her daughter is waiting to hear if she has passed her Year 12 exams and will be accepted to university. "I am worried a lot and I cannot sleep well," Moe Shwe said. "I hope that I will be able to have surgery soon and when I get healthy again, I want to return to work in the factory and save money for my daughter’s university fees."

Margaret is a mother of two children, ages eleven and six. She does any type of job that is available to earn money to support them - from washing to cleaning to farming. Margaret's husband is a street salesman at their local bus stop. The couple spends almost all of their earnings on their youngest son, who has health problems of his own. Margaret recently experienced a disk prolapse, a condition in which one disc in a her spinal column bulges out and often makes contact with nerves on the spine. This gives her severe back pain and numbness her legs. "I am used to working hard," Margaret says, "but when the pain starts, I feel as though my back is breaking and I cannot do anything. I want to be well again and take care of my family." For $1500, we can give Margaret a hemilaminectomy. This surgery will help alleviate the symptoms of an impinged or irritated nerve root in the spine. The procedure will also create more space in the spinal canal and release Margaret's nerve tissue from pressure. Doctors at our medical partner expect that after the surgery, Margaret will no longer be in pain and will be able to take care of her family.

Meet one-year-old Suzan from Tanzania! The youngest of five children, she is the daughter of two loving parents. Her father owns a small secondhand clothing shop, and her mother recently began work as a shopkeeper. Together, they earn enough to cover basic needs and tuition fees for two of the five children. However, it will be a big challenge for them to afford treatment for Suzan's facial tumor. A happy baby, Suzan is very friendly and loves to be carried around. However, because of her large facial tumor and its position near her nose, she has trouble seeing and difficulty breathing. Her mother tells us, “Suzan is loved by everyone in the family. We all hope that she can be treated. I long to see her beautiful face and wish for her to live a normal life without people staring at her face, wondering what is wrong with her." Let's work together to raise $900 for a tumor excision and facial reconstruction. With this surgical treatment, Suzan will not only be able to see and breathe better, she will also develop a more normal appearance.