Zablon is a two-year-old boy from Tanzania. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and two siblings. His mother is unmarried and stays at home to look after the children, while his grandmother works to support the family. Zablon was born with bilateral clubfeet, a condition in which both his feet are turned inward, making him unable to walk. On February 17, Zablon will undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC), to correct his feet. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is asking for $1,160 in funds to cover the cost of his surgery, labs, and casts. “I wish to see my child walking normally, in order for him to attend school and be successful," says Zablon's mother. After recovery, Zablon will be able to walk and will become independently mobile!

Talemwa is a five-year-old boy from Uganda, the youngest of two siblings. He attends nursery school, where he enjoys drawing pictures and learning to count in English. Talemwa and his sibling are cared for by their mother, a single parent and farmer. In August of 2016, Talemwa began to experience pain in his lower abdomen. Talemwa's mother noticed swelling in his groin as well. “My son keeps telling me he has pain," his mother says. Talemwa was taken to a clinic, where he was diagnosed with a sliding inguinal hernia, a condition in which an organ protrudes through weakened muscle. If left untreated, a hernia can result in tissue damage. The clinic advised his mother to bring Talemwa to a hospital for further evaluation and treatment, but she could not afford to pay for the procedures. She was then referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), and connected with Watsi. Talemwa will be receiving surgery on December 14 at our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. The surgery will repair the hernia and prevent further complications. To fund the procedure, AMHF is requesting $249 to cover his hospital stay, surgical materials, and medications. Following his surgery, Talemwa's mother is hopeful that her son will be well and continue to grow up healthy.

Lukas is a three-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the only child of his father, who sells clothes along the streets of Nairobi. Lukas's parents are separated, so he lives with his grandmother. He loves to spend time with his father. Lukas was born with a birth defect called hypospadias, which causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he was at risk of urinary tract infections and continuing discomfort. Lukas's father brought him to a national hospital, but the waitlist for surgery was prohibitively long. Fortunately, a friend of his father advised him to visit our medical partner's facility, Bethany Kids Kijabe Hospital. On December 16, Lukas underwent a hypospadias repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $700 to fund this procedure.

Alan is a ten-month-old boy from Guatemala who love to play with balls. He has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. This means he has little energy to grow, and his immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. He is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, Alan began malnutrition treatment on November 14, 2016. Alan lives with his mother in rural Guatemala. His mother works washing clothes, but her income is small. While she wants the best for her son, her resources are already stretched thin. She cannot afford to pay for his $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Alan recover. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age, and his immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Alan a chance to grow healthy and strong. Alan's mother says, "I dream that when my son is big, he will be a doctor."

Ten-month old Gerald lives with his parents and six older brothers and sisters in Uganda. He is a very lively baby, and is starting to learn to walk. His family loves to play ball with him, and listen to him try to speak words like "Mama" and "Papa". For several days now, Gerald has had a bad case of pneumonia, causing him trouble breathing and also high fevers. Furthermore, he has had a rash for several months and may also have mild malnutrition. Gerald needs hospital care. Unfortunately, his parents' incomes as a farmer and carpenter are not enough to pay for his hospital stay. Though many infections such as pneumonia are simple to treat with antibiotics, many rural Ugandans do not have access to these medicines. Instead, they often must rely on local herbs. Let's help Gerald and his family raise $106 to pay for his hospital care, so that the doctors and nurses can provide him with the proper antibiotics and medical support he needs. Without this care, Gerald's infection could worsen and cause other complications. Gerald's mother is very excited for her youngest child to receive medical treatment. She belongs to a women’s cooperative that works together to help tend to each other's fields, and she works very hard to support her family. She is happy when her children are doing well. “Thank you very much for the support of my child," she says. "With seven children it is very expensive to go to the doctor.”

David is a 21-year-old man from Cambodia who works installing air conditioning units. He enjoys playing football in his free time. David traveled an hour with his sister to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), after hearing about their services on the radio. David developed an infection in both ears, or chronic otitis media, when he was 10 years old. Both of his tympanic membranes have perforated and resulted in pain, discharge, and hearing loss. With $831, David can receive treatment for his condition. ENT surgeons will first perform a myringoplasty [closure of the ear perforation] on the left side. Then again after 6 weeks, they will perform the same surgery on the right side. The surgery will treat the infection and heal the perforated tympanic membrane, allowing his hearing to improve over time. His pain and discharge will also stop, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Let's help make it possible!

Keo is a 29-year-old rice farmer who lives with her husband and two daughters in Cambodia. She enjoys cooking food and taking care of her kids at home. In her free time, she plants vegetables around her home. When Keo was 10 years old, she developed an ear infection in her left ear. The recurring infection—medically known as chronic otitis media—perforated her tympanic membrane (eardrum) and causes daily ear discharge, ear pain, and hearing loss. "I am unhappy that I have ear pain, and it is difficult to communicate with other people," Keo shares. "I spend a lot of my money buying medicine but I still have ear pain and discharge." Keo traveled five hours in a taxi with her youngest sister to reach Children's Surgical Centre for treatment of her ear. For $423, ear, nose, and throat surgeons will perform a myringoplasty, a surgical procedure to repair the tear in Keo's eardrum. Funding also pays for up to two days of hospital care and three follow-up appointments in the first month after surgery. After surgery, Keo's ear discharge will stop, and her hearing can improve over time.

Wat Way Di is a 23-year-old woman living in a refugee camp in Thailand with some extended family members. She was born in Burma to a family of three siblings and her father. Wat Way Di primarily relies on the food and healthcare provided by the refugee camp. Three years ago, Wat Way Di started feeling fatigue, chest pain, and dizziness. She was unable to walk far without becoming short of breath. At times she had trouble sleeping and eating. She had to stop her schooling due to her symptoms, and has been living with her relatives in the camp. She is unable to work and at times has difficulty doing basic chores around the house, like cooking dinner. She also is unable to carry water in the camp, which is vital for their water supply. She returned to Burma last year to become a midwife, but was unable to complete her classes, and is now unemployed. Wat Way Di likes to draw and, when possible, she draws different pictures. She went to the camp's clinic, and was referred to a local hospital for further evaluation. She was then found with non-rheumatic mitral stenosis, and was recommended for cardiac surgery. Mitral stenosis is when the mitral valve of the heart becomes narrow and dysfunctional, blocking blood flow into the main pumping chamber. Wat Way Di could not afford the procedure, and since then she has been on prescription medication. She currently treks to the hospital every two months to refill her prescriptions. Two years ago, Wat Way Di tried seeking treatment for her symptoms in Burma while visiting her family, but after some imaging testing she was sent home without receiving any treatment. Wat Way Di explains that it is difficult for her family to access healthcare in Burma because they must have payment in full at the time of treatment. For $1,500, Wat Way Di can have the surgery she needs. After she fully recovers, Wat Way Di anticipates being well enough to work as a midwife. "I hope that once I receive surgery I can return to my village in Burma, become a midwife, and take care of women and children," Wat Way Di says. "I believe that I can support my family through my work as a midwife."