Tin is a 20-year-old from Burma. He lives in a nunnery with his mother and aunt, who are nuns, in a village in Katha Township. Tin became a monk 13 years ago when his father passed away. His mother then became a nun. Tin left monkhood two months ago, when he became very ill. He is now unable to work, and he is looked after by his mother. However, sometimes when he feels better, he teaches Buddhist theology to boys from a nearby monastery. As his mother is a nun, she has no income except for whatever she is given during weekly alms collections. Usually she receives dried food staples such as rice in addition to money. Currently, Tin feels tried if he has to walk for a while and if he has to use stairs. Tin was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Tin is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on March 15th to correct the condition and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Tin's procedure and care. Tin said, “Sometimes I have chest pain and when I have them, I have difficulty breathing.”

Ko Myo Zaw is a 41-year-old man who lives with his wife in Burma. He and his wife used to work as a seamster and sew children’s clothing. However, Ko Myo stopped working more than a year ago because of his poor health and he now relies on his wife’s income. On the 18th of June 2018, Ko Myo developed pain in his left waist after sitting for a long time. He then had to stand up every two hours to reduce the pain. This continued for a few more months, until he was no longer able to work. A year after he first experienced these symptoms, he went to Myawaddy Hospital to see a doctor. He received an x-ray and ultrasound which revealed he has a kidney stone in his left kidney. The doctor gave him medication to breakup the stone and Ko Myo took the medication for one year. The medication reduced the pain during the first month, but returned a month after that. By the 29th of May 2019, he could no longer take the pain and went to see the doctor at Myawaddy Hospital. The doctor then gave him stronger medications to reduce the pain and break up the stone. At the suggestion of a neighbor, he decided to seek treatment at Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) across the border in Thailand, which he was told provides charitable health care. On 5th of October 2019, he arrived at MTC. The next day, he was brought to the local hospital where he received an ultrasound and an appointment to undergo laser treatment to breakup the kidney stone. He took out a loan to pay for the first round of treatment on November 24th, 2019. When he returned to the clinic in January to undergo a follow-up ultrasound, he was told they also found stones in his right kidney. Unable to pay for further treatment, Ko Myo was referred to Watsi Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund for assistance in accessing further treatment. Ko Myo's next appointment to undergo a second round of laser treatment will be on Jaunary 28th. He will complete treatment for the kidney stone in his left kidney, before he receives treatment for the stones in his other kidney. Currently, Ko Myo still has pain in his waist. Sometimes he feels tired and the area around his left waist feels hot. "Once I recover I would like to go back to work and pay back my loan," said Ko Myo.

Jane is a farmer from Kenya. She lost her husband twelve years ago who was working as a driver in a faith-based organization. Jane is a farmer, she plants sorghum in her small farm left by her dear husband. Since she lost her husband, Jane has been the sole breadwinner of the family. She has done all sorts of work to meet daily needs of her children. Jane was well until Friday evening when she fell and sustained a fracture on her right knee. She was brought to hospital by relatives around 9pm in the night. A X-ray was done on arrival which confirmed the fracture of the right patella. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On November 12th, Jane will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help Jane heal well and walk again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $771 to fund this procedure. Jane says, “Help me raise funds to make it possible and a success. I want to get back on my feet again.”

Joe is a 12-year-old student from Thailand. He moved to Mae Sot in early 2019, in search for better education. He now lives at a boarding house while studying at a migrant learning center. Joe noticed his blurred vision since he was five years old. Although he told his parents about it, his parents thought it was not that serious; they just told him that his eye sight will get better with time. As Joe did not experience any pain, aside from blurry vision, Joe stopped complaining about his problem to his parents. Joe continue to have a blurred vision, especially in his left eye. After he moved to Mae Sot, he told his uncle about his eye sight. His uncle made arrangements for him to meet with a medic, who later found that Joe has a cataract on his left eye and that it needs to be fixed in order for Joe to regain a clear vision in his left eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Joe. On December 10th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Joe's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Joe said, “I don’t know yet of what I want to be in the future, but all I’m looking forward to is to ride a bicycle and play with my friends without any difficulty seeing.”

Guerdina is a student from Haiti. She lives in a small village in the mountains of central Haiti with her parents and 4 siblings. She likes going to school and would like to become a teacher. Guerdina has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of her heart was severely damaged by a rheumatic fever she suffered in childhood, and can no longer adequately pump blood through her body. Guerdina will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 29, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will attempt to repair her valve; if they are unable to do so, they will implant an artificial replacement.. Another organization, The Mitral Foundation, is contributing $7500 to pay for surgery. Guerdina's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Guerdina's family overseas. "I am hopeful that after my surgery I will feel healthy and normal," said Guerdina.

Richard is a farmer from Kenya. Father of six Richard is a small scale farmer. He plants maize and beans in his farm. Richard doesn’t have a good house to live in. He stays in a two room house roofed with grass. None of his children completed school due to low income in the family. The family has gone through a hard-time that they even lack food some of the days. Two months ago, Richard was involved in a road traffic accident and sustained a complex femur fracture on his left leg. Richard was brought to our hospital where he underwent a successful intramedullary nail femur surgery on 8/08/2019. He was discharged where he has been recovering at home. On his first surgical review, the surgeon realized that Richard is unable to get full extension of the femur. On further examination he realized that Richard had shortened femur and suggested that he needs revision surgery to fix his this condition for previous surgery done that was not successful. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On October 07, Richard will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. Richard says, “I am really worried about the fate of my leg. I thought it was getting well. I have nothing to offer for my second surgery. Help me raise funds to make it possible and a success."

Kyin is a 69-year-old retired teacher who lives with her 31-year-old son and 39-year-old daughter-in-law in Yangon, Burma. As a retired teacher since 2010, Kyin receives 140,000 kyat (approx. 140 USD) per month as part of her pension. She now volunteers as a teacher at a monastic school. Both her son and daughter-in-law work for a company. Kyin has another son who was paralysed in a workplace accident. He used to live with Kyin, but when her health deteriorated and she could no longer care for him, he was moved to a social care centre in Yangon. One day, in March 2016, Kyin was teaching at the monastic school, when suddenly she fainted. A medical emergency team then attended to her. When she felt better, a doctor told her that she might have a heart condition and advised her to see a heart specialist. One month after the incident, she went to a cardiologist at North Okkalapa General Hospital. There, she received an X-ray and an echocardiogram (echo). After checking her results, the doctor told her that she has a heart problem and that she can die if she does not receive appropriate treatment. The doctor prescribed her medication for her heart and told her that she will need to receive surgery if her health deteriorates. Six months ago, when Kyin received another echo and the doctor told her that she needs to receive surgery right away. However, her family could not afford to pay for her surgery. Therefore, the doctor said that he would help find them an organization that could help with paying for her surgery and medication. Currently, Kyin is unable to sleep well at night on her back and she needs to sleep propped up. She often feels tired and has shortness of breath.

Zawadi is a baby from Tanzania. For seven months, Zawadi has been experiencing difficulty breathing and swallowing. Zawadi was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $633 to fund a tonsillectomy for Zawadi, which is scheduled to take place on July 18. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Zawadi of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. Zawadi’s mother says, “We didn’t know our daughter’s problem was treatable we happy to hear she could be treated and be ok, but the cost is too high for us to afford please help us.”

Brian is a young student from Kenya. A few days ago, Brian fell off a tree and broke his right leg. He is in pain and is not able to walk or move about freely Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 11, Brian will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure.

Bopha is a teenager from Cambodia. At just 21 days old, Bopha suffered from a severe soft tissue infection that left her back deformed and with thick scarring. Since 2017, she has undergone several skin grafts to expand the skin around the affected area. In March of 2019, she was fitted with a halo gravity traction for three months, which reduced the curvature in her spine. Spinal surgery will help correct the position of her spine, and prevent further worsening of the condition. Surgery is scheduled for June 7 and will cost $1,500. Bopha enjoys reading books, listening to music, and watching television in her free time. She looks forward to returning to school and her friends as soon as possible.

Tatu is an eleven-week-old baby girl with a twin sister from Tanzania. Tatu and her twin sister are the first-born children to her parents. They live in a small rental home, and her father is a small-scale farmer. Tatu has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Tatu has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Tatu will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,238 to cover the cost of surgery for Tatu that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 13 and will drain the excess fluid from Tatu's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Tatu will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Tatu’s mother says, “I pray that Tatu will receive treatment, and I hope she will be well like her twin sister.”

Roodolph is a toddler from Haiti. He lives with his parents in a small city in northwestern Haiti. He is their first child. He likes playing with cars and going to church. Roodolph has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Roodolph will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On April 17, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use a patch to close the hole in his heart, and remove the muscular blockage. Another organization, HeartGift Foundation, is contributing $18,000 to pay for surgery. Roodolph's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Roodolph's family overseas. His mother says, "We are very excited for Roodolph to have this surgery so that he can be healthy and active!"