Mai is a 75-year-old pepper farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has two sons, six daughters, and twenty-one grandchildren. She likes to do housework and enjoys watching Khmer dramas and the news on TV. About two years ago, Mai developed a cataract in each eye, which led to partial blindness, pain, tearing, cloudy lenses, and extreme sensitivity to light. Now, it is difficult for her to see things clearly, do any work, or go anywhere on her own. "I want to be able to recognize the faces of everyone and go anywhere by myself," says Mai. She discovered our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), through a neighbor and traveled for five hours with her daughter to receive treatment. On January 6, Mai will undergo a phacoemulsification procedure and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. These procedures will remove her clouded lenses and replace them with clear artificial lenses. CSC is requesting $292 to fund her treatment.

Zakeyu is a 50-year-old man from a small village in Malawi. He and his wife have seven children and nine grandchildren. Together, they run a small maize farm and raise goats and cattle. In his free time, Zakeyu likes to rest and think of new projects for his farm. For the past six years Zakeyu has had a painful hernia. When the pain grows severe, he cannot walk, work, or tend to his livestock. He visited our medical partner's hospital, Nkhoma Hospital. There, he underwent a hernia repair surgery on November 29. Zakeyu and his family do not have enough money to pay for the surgery. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $327 to fund this procedure. After recovery, Zakeyu will return to his family and his farm pain-free. "I thank God for this program," he says.

Babiika is a 75-year-old man from Uganda with six children. He owns a retail shop, where he sells basic items, such as salt, sugar, and soap. His wife farms and grows food for them to eat. In 2014, Babiika developed a painful swelling in his left femoral region. The pain became constant, and the swelling increased in size. Babiika's left leg grew numb, and he was unable to walk without difficulty or lift heavy items. Six months ago, Babiika visited a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a left femoral hernia. A hernia is a protrusion of the intestines through a weak region in the abdominal muscles. A femoral hernia presents as a protrusion—or bulge—in the groin. Its presence makes coughing, bending at the waist, or lifting heavy objects very painful. Without treatment, the hernia can become trapped outside the abdomen, and its blood supply can be cut off. To prevent an emergency situation, Babiika was advised to have surgery to repair the hernia. However, he could not afford to pay for surgery. Babiika visited our medical partner's hospital, Holy Family Virika Hospital, after learning about Watsi from his friend. On November 16, he underwent hernia repair surgery. During the surgery, his doctor pushed the protruding tissue back into the abdomen and sewed the weakened muscle with a synthetic mesh. Over time, muscle tissue will grow into and around the mesh to strengthen the area. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund this procedure. Funding for Babiika also covers the costs of a three-day hospital stay, pain medicine, antibiotics, and blood tests. After surgery, Babiika hopes to regain his strength and continue with his retail business. Let's help make that happen!

U Doe is a 80-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his daughter’s family and looks after his grandson. One month ago, U Doe’s big toe became black and painful. He visited our medical partner’s hospital, where the doctor explained that his foot had lost blood supply. He believed that U Doe’s chronic smoking was the cause. For ten days, U Doe took medication and underwent physiotherapy, but his symptoms did not improve. The doctor decided to amputate his toe. Although the surgery was successful, the wound did not heal correctly––again due to low blood supply. Soon, U Doe’s foot grew painful again. On December 1, U Doe’s leg was amputated below the knee. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. "I want to free from this pain and walk again,” sys U Doe. “After completing the treatment and getting the prosthesis, I will go back to my house. I will just stay at home to take care of my grandson so that my daughter and my son-in-law can go to work again."

Meet Gideon, an ambitious teenager about to begin his final year of high school. Gideon has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the mandible. He has a cancerous swelling in his jaw. Gideon first noticed the swelling in April. He cannot chew food, and he has not been able to attend school. Fortunately, on December 6, he underwent a flap surgery to remove and replace his mandible. Gideon lives in a house made of mud and grass. His parents are farmers, and he has five siblings. His older brother has paid Gideon's school fees with savings from his motorcycle-transport business. His family has raised $500 to pay for his surgery, but they need help to pay the remaining $1,500 medical bill. Treatment will reduce the chance of cancer metastasis. Gideon will be able to return to school, where he hopes to excel in his final year exams. “I want to be well," he says, "and continue with my education as a normal student with fewer health complications."

Fry is a 64-year-old maize farmer from a small village in Malawi. He lives with his wife. They have two daughters, two sons, and seven grandchildren. Fry is active in his church and enjoys chatting with his friends and family. In February 2016, Fry began to experience uncomfortable symptoms. It became difficult for him to work on his farm and care for his family. A biopsy showed that Fry had a benign prostate condition. On November 29, Fry underwent prostate surgery at our medical partner's hospital, Nkhoma Hospital. He needs help to pay the $726 medical bill. After recovery, Fry looks forward to returning to his farm and his family. "I am ready to be free from pain," he says.

“My children are looking to me for support. I also hope to take care of my six-year-old adopted child and see him grow,” explains Miriam, a 43-year-old Kenyan widow and mother of three. A single mother who works on her farm to support her and her family, Miriam has been sidelined by endometrial hyperplasia—a condition that causes intense bleeding and abdominal pain, and can lead to incapacitating anemia. “For three years now, Miriam has been battling with this condition,” explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. “It has made it difficult for her to continue with her passion of farming.” For $790, Miriam will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy that will remove her uterus and stop the bleeding and pain, as well as lessen her chance of developing cancer of the uterus. With this surgery, Miriam will be able to get back to taking care of the land and children that she loves for many years to come.

Victoria is a 13-year-old girl from Ghana. She is very energetic and enjoys reading and being with her friends. Victoria’s father is unemployed but has brought her to our institutional partner, the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS) in Ghana, because of his concern for his daughter’s health. Victoria is having trouble standing upright and is beginning to feel significant discomfort due to her scoliosis. Her spine is curved. Her condition has progressed quite rapidly over the past year and is expected to worsen. In order to fix the curve in Victoria’s spine, the doctors will fuse two of her vertebrae using a procedure called a PSF T2-S1. With this procedure, doctors expect Victoria to make a complete recovery! Let's raise $1,500 for Victoria’s spinal surgery so that she can share her energetic personality pain-free!

Juna is lying down in this photo because she cannot stand up. She is a 14-year-old girl from Nepal who recently fell from a tree and fractured her femur. She needs immediate treatment in order to walk again. Juna is currently in the sixth grade and lives with her mother, as her father has passed away. They don't have much money, and despite her overwhelming love for her daughter, her mother cannot afford the necessary procedure. Juna says she wishes to continue her studies and "be a good human in life." For $1,040, Juna’s femur will be surgically corrected, granting her wishes and providing her with a life without disability. Let's rally and get Juna back in stride!

Paras is 18 years old and recently broke his left leg in a tractor accident. Paras lives with his parents, two sisters, and one younger brother in Far-Western Nepal, an area of the world where medical care is often far away and expensive to access. Paras' family depends on farming to support themselves, but subsistence agriculture doesn't generate the disposable income they'd need to fix Paras' leg. Because of the fracture, Paras is unable to help his family with labor or do normal everyday tasks to care for himself. He reports constant pain and swelling. Needless to say, he is eager to get back on his feet! For $1,040, our partner, Nyaya Health, can get Paras surgery to reset his broken leg. Let's help this kid regain his mobility and resume his normal life.