Julius is a 52-year-old farmer. Together, he and his wife have five children, all of whom are in school. Due to a lack of funds, Julius was unable to go beyond the secondary level of education when he was young, and he now works farming bananas, while his wife teaches at a local primary school. For nine months, Julius has lived with a hernia. This hernia causes him pain, and prevents him from working, as the pain always worsens whenever he stands or bends down for long periods of time as he needs to do to farm. Julius was advised to have surgery to repair his hernia, but he and his wife cannot cover the costs of the procedure. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is here to help Julius access the care that he needs. They are raising $230 to fund Julius' surgery, which is scheduled to take place on June 14th at Karoli Lwanga Hospital in Nyakibale. Once completed, this procedure should allow Julius to live more comfortably and confidently. Julius says: “I am in deep physical pain. I can’t do anything, but I have hope that I will get better after surgery, and will continue with farming to sustain my family.”

Jane is an elderly woman from Kenya who lives near Watsi's medical partner care center. Unfortunately, she was assaulted in November 2019 by a group of men and she suffered deep cuts on her left hand. She was brought to our facility and the wound was dressed. However, upon review and x-ray imaging, she was diagnosed with a radius fracture. She requires treatment to correct the fracture. Currently, Jane is not able to do anything in her house and she relies on her children. Jane is a widow who used to rely on her small farm to make ends meet. Her three children live away with their families and are not able to raise the full amount needed for their mother's surgery. Jane appeals for help. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 20th, Jane will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The surgery will help her hand heal with ease and correct the fractured bone. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $640 to fund this procedure. Jane says, “My prayer is to have the surgery and resume my daily duties.”

Deborah is a newborn who is only three days old. When she was born, her doctors noticed that she had a sac on her lower back. She was diagnosed with spina bifida, a spinal cord malformation. The hospital immediately referred Deborah's mother to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, for treatment. On January 22, Deborah will undergo a $1,200 spina bifida closure surgery at the medical center. Without this treatment, Deborah is at risk of complications, such as tethered cord syndrome or lower limb paralysis. Deborah's parents cannot afford to pay for the care their daughter needs. They need help to pay her medical bill. "I hope that this treatment will help my child to be healed and she will be happy," says Deborah's mother.

Meet Jose, a three-year-old boy from Guatemala. Jose was adopted when he was a baby by his loving adoptive parents. “Norma, Jose’s adopted mother, was married for years but could never have kids since she had to have a hysterectomy when she was a teenager," shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). "Norma was thrilled to be able to take Jose in, and has been very happy with him.” Over time though, Norma began to notice that Jose was not developing at the same rate as other children. “Jose is suffering from severe developmental delays and seizures due to congenital hydrocephalus. He was diagnosed when he was one-year-old when he first started to have seizures, but his family has not been able to afford therapy or medications for him,” WK tells us. As of now, Jose can move his hands and hold a ball over his head, but he is having trouble sleeping and has seizures almost everyday. “Since Jose needs constant supervision, his mom has not been able to work, which makes it hard for their family to afford basic necessities,” shares WK. Treatment for Jose costs $1,385, which consists of a full medical workup to clarify his diagnosis, medications for his seizures, intensive physical therapy, and social support for the family. WK shares that these efforts will "help lessen the economic stress that the family has been under with his condition, since all imaging, medications, physical therapy, and medical visits will be included free of charge for them. This treatment will give Jose the chance to become much more independent, mobile, and will decrease the frequency of his seizures…helping Jose reach his full potential, and help to work through the stigma of his developmental delay.” Jose’s mother says that Jose is very smart and she cannot wait for him to start therapy. "My dream is to see my son walk and run," says his mother.

“Laxman studies in the second grade and is a bright student,” says our Nepalese medical partner, Possible. “He enjoys reading Nepali stories and playing volleyball.” Several months ago, the nine-year-old boy from Nepal developed an inguinal hernia, a condition where part of the lower intestine protrudes through a weakened section of the abdominal cavity, causing a painful bulge. “Although initially it did not make much of a difference, it has been painful for a while now," Possible shares. "It also hurts when clothes rub against it or it is touched accidentally.” Laxman's father adds, “He cannot run or walk long distance.” Without intervention, Laxman’s condition could worsen and put him at risk of hernia strangulation, which cuts off blood flow from parts of his body. To support the family, Laxman’s parents tend to their farm. However, their modest income prevents them from being able to support the cost of Laxman’s operation. For $491, Laxman will undergo a hernia repair surgery. During this procedure, surgeons will insert the displaced section of the intestine back into its normal position. Following surgery, Laxman will remain under close medical supervision. This operation offers Laxman both short-term and long-term benefits. Possible states, “Having the surgery will not only prevent Laxman's hernia strangulation but it will also relieve his discomfort.” "I hope Laxman's condition will not cause any complications in future," Laxman's father shares. "I wish for his treatment to be successful."

Meet Yanci, a two-year-old girl from Guatemala and a patient with our medical partner Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). She is the youngest of three children, and loves to play with her older brothers. "Yanci’s two older brothers are deaf, and now as she is starting to learn how to talk, her parents are seeing similar issues," explains our medical partner, WK. "She is having issues forming words and although she does respond to noises, they have to be louder than what a normal child seems to respond to." $386 funds a multifaceted intervention for Yanci's condition. "She needs testing and speech therapy now to prevent permanent damage to her ability to communicate with others," WK says. " Language therapy will give her tools to communicate, and will provide additional testing to rule out any complications that may need to be addressed." WK continues, "Her family is poor and not only can they not afford the therapy, but they cannot afford the transport to the language center. This therapy will provide Yanci tools to communicate with her family and siblings." Yanci’s mother shares, "I am so worried that she may not be able to hear. I hope this therapy will help her to communicate and help us understand how we can help her more."

Htun is a 52-year-old mother of five children who lives with her family in Burma, and works hard around the family's farm, tending to the home and her loved ones. Several years ago while Htun was lifting something heavy, she felt a mass protrude from her vagina. She tells our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), that she "visited a local midwife, but the midwife did not know what her condition was. Htun did not receive any assistance from the midwife so she returned home and tried to use traditional medicine without any success." She has since been diagnosed with uterine prolapse, a condition that causes her uterus to protrude from her vagina, often times causing bleeding and pain. Htun is self conscious of her condition and says: "I don't want to go outside the house because when I am walking my uterus slips and protrudes." Even with this discomfort, she continues working around the house. Her husband grows and sells fruits and vegetables, and her daughter works in a factory. Despite that, "the combined income of the family is not always enough to cover the food costs," let alone her medical expenses. $1,500 will cover the cost of surgery to repair Htun's condition. After the surgery, "she will no longer feel embarrassed and will be able to resume other activities. Additionally, she will no longer have back pain or pain associated with the prolapse." "I want to be able to walk outside without being afraid," Htun adds.

"Rispah noticed she had a mass on her breast in May 2014. Her doctor recommended surgical removal of the mass. Rispah had no money for the surgery and kept the sickness away from her children so as to avoid bothering them financially," shares her doctor at African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "One year later, the mass has grown rapidly and Rispah experiences bouts of pain," AMHF continues. "She struggles to perform tasks such as doing laundry. Rispah eventually informed her children who brought her to our facility." "65-year-old Rispah is widowed. She lives with her eldest daughter in Kenya - a single mother who has two children. Rispah says she enjoys living with her grandchildren. “I feel like a young mother again,” she says smiling. Rispah farms on a quarter acre of land her deceased husband left her. For the last harvest, Rispah had no maize harvest to sell, and the little she did was used at home," AMHF continues. For $740, we can fund a mastectomy to remove Rispah's breast. "After a mastectomy, we expect the cancer spread will be halted," AMHF says. "Rispah will have a chance to regain her full health." "All my attention is on my health now,” Rispah adds. “I want to farm maize and beans when I get well.”

Nyakaisiki, a 47-year-old woman, lives with her seven children in Uganda. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us that the single mother is determined to look after her family and support her children’s education. Seven years ago, Nyakaisiki began experiencing abdominal pain due to an umbilical hernia. This condition causes a protrusion to occur around the belly button--leading to regular discomfort, especially while eating. Without intervention, Nyakaisiki faces the risk of intestinal obstruction. To support her children, Nyakaisiki sells surplus vegetables from her garden--producing a very modest income. However, her earnings alone are not enough to afford the cost of her treatment. For $220, Nyakaisiki will receive a hernia repair. During this operation, her hernia will be carefully placed back in its proper position. Afterwards, Nyakaisiki will no longer be at risk of intestinal obstruction. “We expect after a hernia repair, Nyakaisiki will recover fully,” AMHF says. “Nyakaisiki will have an improved quality of life. She will be able to farm and raise her children.”

Mary is a 28-year-old wife and mother who lives in Kenya. She came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), with leg pain and difficulty walking. “Three days ago, Mary was walking when she fell and hit her leg,” explains AMHF. “She was brought to the hospital and diagnosed with a fracture of the patella.” The patella, more commonly known as the kneecap, is a small, movable bone at the front of the knee. It acts as a shield for the knee joint and connects muscles from the thigh to the lower leg. Falling directly onto the knee, as Mary did, is a common cause of patellar fractures. “If not treated,” AMHF continues, “Mary will continue to have pain, and treatment delay may make it impossible for the bone to unite.” Treatment for Mary requires a surgical procedure known as open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) to reposition and set the broken patella so that it can heal properly. $1,125 in funding covers the cost of surgery, a two-week hospital stay, and 10 days of physiotherapy. “We expect that an ORIF for Mary will enable her to heal and walk normally,” reports AMHF. Mary’s husband works as a day laborer at construction sites to support the couple and their three children. “Now he has to stay at home because of our small baby, and soon we may not have anything to eat,” Mary shares anxiously. “I hope Watsi will help me so that I can be well soon to go and assist him.” Let’s make this surgery happen for Mary!

James, a seven-year-old boy from Kenya, is the youngest of five siblings and loves football. His mother is a farmer and his father works on construction sites to support their family. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares that James was born with a small anal opening and had a colostomy done right after he was born. Recently he had a pull-through procedure to reposition his anus and minimize damage to surrounding structures. However, he needs one final surgery to ensure he heals properly. Currently James undergoes anal dilation to prevent scar tissue from closing the newly created anus. His final surgery will be a colostomy closure, and the treatment cost is $1260. AMHF tells us: "He suffers stomach upsets. James is at risk of suffering constipation and bowel perforation because of inability to pass stool normally. Due to the nature of his condition, James has not been enrolled in a learning institution." "James is a brilliant child. I can’t wait to see him attend school. He is my joy and I hope he gets treated," James' mother exclaims.

Meet Chab, a 57-year-old woman from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), shares, “Chab is married with seven children and ten grandchildren. She likes to watch Thai dramas on TV.” Chab has a cataract, or clouded lens, in her eye. CSC explains that this cataract “causes her to be partially blind.” Further, they tell us, “She has a very hard time doing work on the farm and doesn't feel safe going places by herself. So she spends most of her time at home.” Chab shares that staying at home makes her feel, “very bored and useless.” For $150 Chab’s clouded lens will be removed and replaced with a clear lens implant. After surgery Chab’s vision will be restored. Chab says, “she looks forward to going back to work on the farm, going to the pagoda and spending time with her grandchildren.”