Meet Elivice, a 20 year-old Senior 6 student from Uganda, who is very excited about his future. This last year at boarding school, he has been studying mathematics, divinity, economics, English, and Swahili. After taking his final exam, he will be prepared for an university-level education and he hopes to study either business or education. Ever since he was a little boy, Elivice has had an inguinal hernia. However, recently, attending school and sitting for long periods of time causes too much pain due to the condition. In the past, Elivice tried to treat his hernia with local herbs, but they did not help. His painful hernia has required him to leave school, and his activities are severely restricted. So, his grandfather brought him to the Bwindi Community Hospital to seek help from Watsi's medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation. $229 in funding will allow surgeons at Bwindi to repair Elivice's hernia. They will place the intestinal tissue in the correct position and reinforce his weakened abdominal muscle wall with mesh or sutures. To help cover costs of the surgery and necessary medications, Elivice and his family will subsidize $8.00. After a successful surgery, Elivice will no longer be in pain. Elivice shares with us, "I want to say thank you so much to all the people offering to help me. Without this support, I don't know if I could sit for my important exams. May God bless all of you."

Win Tin is a nine-year-old girl who lives in Burma with her parents and her three younger sisters. About two years ago, a benign tumor began growing on the right side of Win Tin’s jaw line. Her parents called upon a medical shaman and other local healers before seeking a prognosis at a local clinic. At the clinic, a doctor took an x-ray and suggested attempting removal of what appeared to be a mass by incision and suction. Her parents are fearful of the concept of surgery and they left the clinic without Win Tin receiving treatment. A year later Win Tin complained of puss coming from her teeth. Shortly thereafter two of her teeth fell out. Now two years have lapsed and the size of the tumor had not decreased or increased, but Win Tin’s symptoms persist. The tumor is firm, her jaw aches, puss continues to emerge, and she experiences itchiness. She can, however, eat comfortably. Since Win Tin stopped attending school two years ago, her mother often must stay home and she has been working less. Because symptoms have persisted for so long, the parents decided it was time to seek professional medical treatment. Win Tin's parents are agricultural workers, and their income fluctuates from month to month. They've accepted that their daughter needs surgery to remove her tumor, but cannot afford to pay for it. "I want to be secondary school teacher when I grow up," Win Tin shares. For $1,500, we can fund surgery to remove Win Tin's tumor, allowing her to continue her education.

Dennis is a 23-year-old father to one son. He is a hardworking man and a loving husband to his wife. Dennis and his family live in a small bamboo house in the Philippines. His wife stays at home with their son while he works as a contractual laborer, making about $80 a month. Three years ago, Dennis felt pain in his inguinal area but did not have any consultation because of financial issues. The pain worsened while he was working as a laborer because he was lifting heavy objects at work. Dennis was unable to stop working as his income was the only financial means for his family. Dennis verbalized that he wants to be a reliable provider for his family and now that he is already a father, his first priority is their welfare, even though it means sacrificing his own comforts. Dennis really desires to give his best to provide the needs of their family. Dennis was screened at International Care Ministries, one of Watsi's medical partners. He underwent a series of tests and was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. The doctor strongly suggested that he undergo an emergency operation because Dennis' condition is getting worse. However, Dennis and his family cannot afford the treatment because Dennis' income is only enough for their daily needs. $1,437 will fund Dennis' hernia repair. After the surgery, he is looking forward to seeking a more stable job and to spend time with his family. "I did not expect that my condition would be given attention," shared Dennis. "Now that I have my own family, they are my number one priority and I thought I would have this condition forever. A fellow father may know how I feel. I am thankful that there are still people who are willing to help me. Thank you so much, it means a lot."

"Neema would like to be a nurse when she grows up," says her mother. "She already plays and pretends that she is one, looking after her family and friends." Neema is a five-year-old girl from Tanzania who is the second and last born to her parents. She has started kindergarten in the local village but has poor attendance due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which often make her feel sick and fatigued. Neema also has problems eating and sleeping properly due to the swelling, although she is still a happy girl who likes to play with her peers. Neema's parents get by on the income they receive from a small farm that they have. Her father looks after the farm and her mother is a housewife, and the family's income is not enough to obtain treatment for their daughter's enlarged adenoids. For $488, doctors will perform an adenoidectomy to surgically remove Neema's adenoids, eliminating the pain and sickness that they currently cause her. It is expected that with this corrective surgery, Neema will heal fully and be able to grow better and be a healthier child overall.

Meet Sao, a five-year-old girl who is currently attending primary school. The youngest in the family, Sao has two sisters and two brothers. She enjoys playing with dolls and with her friends at school. Sao was born with syndactyly of both hands, a congenital malformation that leaves her fingers on each hand webbed together. Because her fingers are partially united by skin, it is difficult for her to hold or carry objects. Sao traveled four hours with her father to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC) in hopes of receiving treatment. $321 in funding can cover all surgical costs as surgeons at CSC perform a syndactyly release surgery on each hand. With carefully placed incisions, the surgeons will separate the connected fingers and improve the overall functionality of her hands. Our support will go a long way to helping young Sao become healthier and stronger.