Myo is a 16-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and four brothers in northern Rakhine State. Myo is a student in grade nine and his four brothers also go to school. However, they have been unable to study since the Covid-19 pandemic shut all schools. Myo’s parents are day laborers, and their family's combined income is just enough to cover their daily expenses since Myo and his brothers’ schooling is free. To survive with limited income, they forage for vegetables and fish. If they fall ill, they use traditional medicine, which is more affordable then going to a clinic or a hospital. Myo was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, which is the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, Myo cannot walk long distances or climb stairs because of his tiredness. Sometimes, he cannot breathe very well. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Myo. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 7th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Myo shared, “I am worried about my health and I feel sorry for my parents. Because of my health problems, my father had to work more days to earn more money. Also, my mother cannot work because she accompanies me and has to take care of me. I hope my school will reopen soon so that I can go back to school. One day I hope that I can become a teacher. I want to teach because there are not enough teachers in my village.”

Neema is a 5-year-old girl and the firstborn to her mother who has three children. Neema started kindergarten earlier this year. She is a hard-working girl for her age, and looks after her siblings when her mother goes out to work on the farm. She also likes to help her mother clean their home and wash dishes. Neema was involved in a fire accident when she was one year old. She had been left in the care of an older child when her parents went out to work on the farm. As the children were playing, Neema walked into a dying fire that had been started to burn cow dung from the cattle shed. She was rescued by a passer-by and was rushed to the hospital, where she was admitted for two months. Neema's wounds healed, but contractures formed on a finger on her right-hand and the toes on her right foot. Her feet and toes are especially painful when she wears shoes and walks for a long distance. Neema's parents are not able to afford the cost of her procedure that will help to treat her contractures. They depend solely on livestock keeping and small scale farming for a living. Neema's parents had not been able to seek treatment for their daughter earlier due to the remoteness of their village, lack of proper medical facilities, and financial challenges. They appeal for help and support for their daughter's surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Neema receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo surgery to free up her thumb for better movement and amputate her littlest finger at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $1,088, and she and her family need help raising money. Neema's father shared, “The fire accident has left my daughter with a disability. We hope for her to get treated but we cannot afford the cost. Please help us.”

Rithy is a six-year-old preschool student. Rithy's father is a mango farmer and his mother sells noodles in the mornings, they have four children in their family. At home, Rithy enjoys playing with toy cars with his brother and watching cartoons. Two days ago, Rithy began experiencing left ear pain, discomfort, and tinnitus. His mother investigated and saw something dark and solid inside his ear, but she could not remove the foreign object. Rithy's family traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On April 6th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will remove the object so he can hear clearly again. Now, Rithy's family needs help to raise $231 to fund this procedure. Rithy's mother shared, "I really hope my son's pain will go away after this object is removed."

George is a young, active 5-year-old boy. George's father is a taxi driver and his mother does small scale farming to supplement their earnings. Last month, his mother noticed something that didn't seem right when she was bathing him. Upon getting examined by the doctor, the doctor scheduled a corrective surgery to put his testes in place and prevent future challenges. George was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, George has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. George will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) to undergo corrective surgery on March 30th. George’s mother shared, “We would like our child to have a family of his own when he grows up but if left untreated, his medical condition makes that impossible. We are requesting for any help so that our son can get treated."

Yeabsera is a six-year-old boy from Ethiopia and an only child. Yeabsera loves to watch TV and play with his friends. His mom is a housewife and is unable to work because she has health problems. His dad works in a government office and farms part-time. Yeabsera was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility in the future. Fortunately, Yeabsera is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 1st. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Yeabsera's mom shared, “I look forward to Yeabsera getting a good education. I was sick and I saw how doctors helped me. And I am looking for doctors to help my child. I want him to become a doctor and help a lot of others.”

Phanith is a 5-year-old boy from Cambodia. He likes playing with toys and watching cartoons on TV. Phanith's favorite foods are fried rice with fried eggs. Currently, his parents work in Thailand, so he lives with his grandmother. When he was two years old, Phanith had an accident where he fell into burning waste, as a result has a burn contracture on his left hand. At the time, his family did not seek medical care and hoped his wound would healed by itself. Now, Phanith has a contracture of his left middle finger and needs a contracture release. When using his hand, he cannot extend his finger and it is difficult for him to hold anything. When Phanith's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On February 16th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre will perform a skin graft procedure to to help him to use his hand again. Now, Phanith needs help to fund this $474 procedure. Phanith's parents shared, "We hope that our son's finger will become normal, and he can use it and it will look nice after the surgery."

Thavy is a 62-year-old woman with a son, a daughter, and three grandchildren. Thavy enjoys listening to the radio, reading dharma, visiting the pagoda, and taking care of her grandchildren. In May 2019, Thavy fell and fractured her left elbow. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand, and injuries to this network can result in loss of function and sensation. She was taken to a clinic where the fracture was healed but she still experiences numbness, pain, muscle atrophy, and lack of mobility of her left hand. Surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will perform a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, she will able to freely use her left arm and hand again. Thavy shared, "I hope I can start to use my left hand again without numbness or pain."

Rachana is an eleven-year-old boy from Cambodia with two brothers and two sisters. His mother is a farmer, and his father is a construction worker. His favorite subjects in school are Khmer and English. Since he was three, Rachana has had frequent throat infections. He breathes loudly at night and his parents shared that he feels poorly most of the time. They have tried many medications, but so far they have not helped Rachana to feel better. He has difficulty swallowing, and he is often in pain. Doctors at our Medical Partner Children's Surgical Center (CSC) have diagnosed him with tonsillar hypertrophy, and plan to do a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, which will remove the tonsils and adenoids to prevent future infections. Rachana's parents are excited for his surgery so that he will be better and it will be easier for him to swallow and breathe.

Solita is a 3-year-old from Cambodia. She is the only child in her family. Her mother is a factory worker, while her father repairs motors. Solita likes to play with toys and watch cartoons on TV. Overall, Solita is in good health, but has some problems with her left hand. Two years ago, she was burned by fire on her left fingers. After the accident, her family took her to a provincial hospital, where she was treated with medicine and dressings for 10 days. Unfortunately, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the finger. It is difficult for her to use her hand, and she cannot carry or hold anything. When Solita's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled there hoping for treatment. On February 3rd, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her use her fingers easily again. Now, she needs help to fund this $477 procedure. Her parents shared, "We hope our daughter's fingers will be better and the procedure will improve her ability to do daily activities."

Su is a 16-year-old girl from Burma. She has three siblings. Su’s mother is a home maker, and her older brother works as a day labourer. Su and her youngest sister are students and this year Su is in grade seven. Her family's combined monthly income is around 200,000 kyat (approx. 200 USD) per month, which is just enough for their daily expenses, but not enough to pay for basic healthcare. When she has free time, Su loves to play football with her friends at school and she likes to be the goalkeeper. She also loves to read books and watch movies. Su plans to continue her studies as soon as she finishes her treatment. Su was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, Su still feels tired, but not as much as before she started taking her medication. When she feels more tired, her breath quickens. Su has stopped attending school since she got sick. Although she wants to go back to school, her mother worries for her as her school is a little far and she normally walks there. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Su. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 12nd and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Su's mother shared, “Su really wants to go to school but I worry that the long walking distance from our house to her school will make her tired and worsen her condition. So, I asked her to stay home for a while until she can get treated.”

U Win is a 54-year-old man who lives with his wife and youngest son in the Ayeyarwaddy Division in Burma. He has three sons and three daughters, with five of his children already married and working. His 17-year-old son left school because they were unable to pay school fees, and worked as a day laborer until COVID-19 happened. U Win used to work as a day laborer as well, but stopped working around two years ago due to his health condition. His family survives on 60,000 kyat (approx. 60 USD) each month that U Win's three other daughters and another son send them, enough to cover their basic expenses. In January 2012, U Win felt tired, had a headache, suffered from heart palpitations, and a rapid heartbeat. He went to a clinic where the doctor listened to his heart with a stethoscope and checked his blood pressure. U Win was told that he has high blood pressure and that he would need to take oral medication for a long time. He received an injection, oral medication, and another appointment for more medication. After he took the medication, he felt better and he went back to work. However, U Win continued to experience worsening symptoms over the next few years, returning to clinics and receiving the same treatment. He was told at one point to visit a cardiologist, but did not do so until later on. In August 2020, during another clinic visit in Yangon, the doctor diagnosed U Win with an atrial septal defect, and said that he would need to receive surgery to repair this hole in his heart. If not treated, the condition could weaken his heart further and cause lung problems later on. He was unable to receive surgery in November due to an upsurge in COVID-19 cases, and was also told the procedure would cost about 3,000,000 kyat (approx. 3,000 USD). Luckily, U Win’s wife remembered that there is a charity group in Yangon that might be able to help. The group told him about our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, to look for assistance with accessing the treatment he needed. U Win currently experiences chest pain and back pain, has no appetite, and cannot sleep well at night. He appeals for financial support for his cost of care. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On December 20th, U Win will undergo an atrial septal defect closure procedure. Once recovered, his quality of life will significantly improve and he will be able to return to work. Now, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. U Win shared, “I want to get better soon so that I can work for my family again. I am worried about my family’s future because we cannot find work in the village. My son also cannot go to Yangon to find another job because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.”

Porn is a 16-year-old who helps his family in the fields. He has two brothers and is the youngest in his family. Both his brothers are married. In his free time, he likes listen to music. On December 21st, 2020, he was in a motor vehicle accident that caused an intertrochanteric (femoral neck) fracture of his femur. Porn went to a private clinic for treatment, but still his pain did not resolve. He has now come to Watsi's Medical Partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) and the medical team found that he needs an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of his intertrochanteric fracture. It is difficult for him to walk and he is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at CSC can help. On January 11th, Porn will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will help him walk easily again. Porn shared with us that he hopes that he can recover quickly and return to his job.