Smart is a 55-year-old farmer from a village in Malawi. He and his wife have seven children and five grandchildren. Smart also works as a security guard. In his free time, he enjoys reading and chatting with his village friends. In early December, Smart started to experience urinary dysfunction. He was in pain and had difficulty working. Fortunately, on December 20, Smart will undergo prostate surgery. His family cannot afford this treatment, so our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $726 in funding. Once Smart receives his surgery, his prognosis is excellent. "I have no fear of the surgery," he says, "I give thanks to Watsi!"

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.

Chantha loves cooking and spending time at home with her husband and seven children. But for some time now, the 56-year-old Cambodian woman has struggled to hear the voices of those loved ones. "I can't hear people that well,” she shares, “so it is hard to communicate with others.” Chantha’s hearing has been deteriorating for decades now. “Chantha had otitis media, an ear infection, in both ears when she was 8 years old,” reports our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). The infection eventually caused a rupture in Chantha’s right eardrum, and “over time she lost hearing in that ear. She also still experiences pain and recurrent discharge,” says CSC. Chantha explains, “Sometimes I can't do my work because of the pain." Fortunately, though, Chantha’s pain and hearing loss do not have to be permanent. For $399, we can sponsor the myringoplasty surgery that she needs. In this procedure, doctors will seal the hole in her eardrum with a graft. The requested funding will also cover the post-operative medication and hospital stay Chantha will need to recuperate from the procedure. “I hope after the operation my mother's ear discharge stops, and she has good hearing and health,” Chantha’s son tells us. Let’s help make that hope a reality for this family and their mother.

Meet Dhan, a 36-year-old man from Nepal. “Dhan works in a factory in India to support his family back home. He tried to get the treatment in India itself but the cost was too high and he decided to try Possible's hospital hub in Achham back in his village,” explains our medical partner, Possible. Dhan has a hydrocele, a fluid-filled sac around the testicle. “Dhan has been living with hydrocele for six years now. It was not much of an issue earlier but since the last two years every time he walks a long distance he has some pain. And when his bowels are not clear or he is stressed, the abdomen gets painful,” explains Possible. $428 funds a treatment that will repair his hydrocele and allow Dhan to work without any pain. Let's help Dhan get back on his feet. In his own words, “I have one more month of leave from work, I hope I am up and about by then.”

"Kioko is 20 days old today," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us about the baby boy from Kenya. He has recently been diagnosed with meningomyelocele, a type of spina bifida. Spina bifida is a rare neural tube defect with three main forms, meningomyelocele being the most common. The condition has caused Kioko's spinal cord to be exposed, with only a thin sack covering it. Due to his condition, "Kioko has a leaking mass that is swelling on the lower backbone area," AMHF reports. This puts him at risk of infection and developing tethered cord, which can lead to scoliosis (curvature of the spine), kyphosis (rounded spine), and loss of muscle function in his lower limbs. After visiting a local hospital, Kioko's parents were told they would need to go elsewhere for specialized treatment. "They have finally landed where they can get help, but unfortunately Kioko's father's income is not enough to fund their son's surgery," AMHF explains. The treatment will cost $805, and will consist of spina bifida closure surgery, a five-day hospital stay, and three days of physical therapy. "The surgery will help reduce the risk of Kioko developing infection, tethered cord, and paralysis of his legs," AMHF tells us. "I would love to see my son get treated," Kioko's father shares. "My biggest fear is that my son could become disabled, but I hope that is not the case."

Nith, a 17-year-old girl from Cambodia, began experiencing hearing loss and discharge from both ears when she was young. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) explains, “A cholesteatoma (benign growth) has been discovered in her left ear.” Nith shares, “When I have ear discharge and I feel pain, it disrupts my life so I stopped studying at school. I couldn’t hear my teacher. Now, I work on the farm.” Nith went to school until 9th grade, and now helps her parents tend to their farm. She enjoys reading books, helping her mother clean the house, and drawing pictures in her free time. $809 will cover the cost of the myringoplasty sugery that Nith needs to treat her condition permanently. CSC says, “After the surgery, her hearing will improve and her pain and discharge will stop.”

Just a few months ago, 64-year-old Mom fell down and badly fractured her elbow. Although she received traditional Khmer treatment in her home country of Cambodia, it was not effective in treating her pain or setting her bones so that they could heal properly. Mom visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where her fracture was diagnosed. The team at CSC told Mom that she needs surgery, but as the mother and caretaker of six children, she does not have the money to afford the cost of care. For $405, Mom will undergo surgery to reset the fracture in her arm and realign her elbow so that it can bend and function properly. After surgery, Mom can return to taking care of her family and cooking food without discomfort.

Meet Annet, a six-year-old first grade student from Uganda. Annet lives with her family in a remote village, where her mother makes and sells baskets and her father farms. A few days ago, Annet contracted malaria. The Kellermann Foundation, one of Watsi's medical partners, tells us that "Annet's symptoms include fever, cold, chills and sweats. She has not been able to go to school.” “She loves playing netball with the other girls and science is her favorite subject,” continues the hospital staff. “When not in school, she enjoys dancing.” For $130, Annet will receive the medication she needs to eliminate the malaria virus from her body and prevent her condition from worsening. Annet’s parents contributed $1 to her treatment. After treatment, she should fully recover and be able to return to school. Annet's mother shares: "We are very poor, so thank you so much for the help."

Meet Glorious, a 30-year-old mother of five from Uganda. "Glorious and her husband, Frank, grow bananas, beans, potatoes and other crops. They participate in the local savings group and work hard to save money for school fees for their children,” explains our medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation. “Glorious will need a C-section because she is at term and her baby is in the breech position,” describes the Kellermann staff. The treatment should allow for a safe birth and a healthy mother and child. The treatment costs $303, and Glorious is subsidizing the treatment with $4 of her own funds. Supporting Glorious will prevent her from having to use her savings from the savings group for this procedure. In Glorious' own words, “Thank you for the support. I pray for God's blessing in all the work of those supporting me.”

Ganesh is a 20-year-old college student who lives with his parents in Nepal. Committed to helping his family financially, Ganesh works full-time at a stone factory while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in business administration. “Ganesh was working in the stone factory when he fell from a height of six feet and ended up fracturing his right arm,” our medical partner, Possible, tells us. “The area of injury has swollen considerably, and he is in a lot of pain.” The injury has not only impacted Ganesh’s ability to work and attend school, but it has also limited his day-to-day activities. “Ganesh has not been able to do even his basic activities like eating, getting dressed, or using the washroom on his own since the accident,” says Possible. Treatment for Ganesh is surgery in which his broken arm “will be aligned correctly and secured with the help of a plate to ensure it heals well,” explains Possible. $579 covers the cost of surgery for Ganesh as well as the costs of four nights in the hospital, X-rays, physiotherapy, medicine to relieve pain and prevent infection, and cast removal after his arm has healed. "I have a lot of responsibilities,” shares Ganesh. “I wish for my arm to be fixed soon so that I can go back to work once it heals.”

Meet Tara, a nine-year-old girl from Nepal, and the youngest of three children in her family. “Tara was walking down a steep hill when she slipped and injured her right hand,” our medical partner, Possible, explains. “Her elbow got dislocated and her hand swelled considerably. She has missed school and needs help with basic everyday work like eating and bathing because she is in pain.” Tara's parents are farmers, and can only produce enough food to feed them for a little over half the year. When they don’t have food, her father goes to India to work as a laborer. Her father shares, “I can’t afford to go to the hospital, let alone finance Tara’s treatment.” $579 will cover the cost of Tara’s treatment. Possible explains, “Tara’s fractured bones will be aligned correctly and secured with the help of pins to ensure it heals well.” Surgery and casting will prevent long-term complications such as immobility and infection. Her mother shares: “I hope my child will stop suffering the pain of a broken bone and have a normal childhood.”

14-year-old Rajesh "is the captain of the volleyball team in his village," shares our medical partner, Possible. Recently, he injured himself during a game and fractured his left elbow. Rajesh lives with his parents and younger sisters in Nepal. His family works on a farm, and Rajesh helps out by tending to the cattle and looking after his younger sisters. His father told our medical partner, Possible, that Rajesh is “excellent at sports” and that he hopes that this injury does not affect his mobility. Rajesh needs proper medical treatment and time to heal, but his family cannot afford the $579 fracture treatment he needs. Treatment consists of surgery to align Rajesh’s fractured bones, and casting to ensure proper healing. Let’s help make surgery possible for Rajesh!