Eh is a 68-year-old grandfather. Eh resides alongside his wife, son, and grandson in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. Eh is retired, while his wife is a homemaker. Both his son and his grandson are students. In his free time, Saw Eh enjoys listening to the news and songs, watching movies, and reading. Since early July 2023, Eh has had a right inguinal hernia. He experiences burning pain in his groin, which becomes swollen when he stands up after sitting for an extended period. He also faces difficulty with day-to-day basics like using the restroom. Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery on November 16th at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, requests $1,500 for Eh's hernia repair surgery. Eh said, "I am so pleased. I never thought that I would receive support for my treatment like this. So, thank you to BCMF and donors for your support. I hope I can get better soon. Once I am fully recovered, I will help my family with household chores."

Simeona is a 65-year-old woman, living in the Philippines. She lives alone, and works selling clothing outside of the church. While she has two adult children, they have families of their own, and Simeona is determined to be financially independent, even as there are many days when she doesn't earn very much. Three years ago, Simeona began to experience stomach aches that would radiate to her back. These symptoms made it difficult for her to take care of her daily chores, and as she lives alone, there was no one to help her. It was determined that Simeona needs to have her gallbladder removed, in order to alleviate her symptoms, and to ensure that she does not experience further health complications. While a portion of Simeona's surgical procedure is being covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is seeking $1,128 to cover the remainder of what is needed for Simeona's cholecystectomy, which is scheduled for October 18th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Simeona said: "It is a significant help for me to receive medical treatment without any expenses. Even if I sell clothes everyday for the rest of my life, I would have never earned the money needed for this treatment. So, thank you very much to all the donors who will make this surgery possible for me."

Rosita is a 71-year-old food vendor from Philippines and lives with her daughters and sister. Despite her diligent efforts to provide income, it is difficult to earn enough for their daily needs and expenses. Things are more difficulty now because her daughter is taking medication due to a recent accident. Four years ago, Rosita began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain and excruciating stomach discomfort. Oftentimes, her pain prevented her from working. Rosita has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms would be expected to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Rosita is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on September 8th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Rosita's surgery and care. Rosita said, "This support for surgery will provide massive assistance to me because it will allow me to get better and save money that we can use to pay for my daughter's medicines so I am very grateful to all the people who made this possible for me."

Eduardo is a 55-year-old father from Philippines. He works as a tricycle driver and as an on-call painter to provide for his family. Despite his diligent efforts, his income is barely sufficient to meet their basic needs. In 2022, Eduardo began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath, restlessness, and weight loss. Unable to tolerate his pain and discomforts, he sought a medical consultation. After an examination and laboratory tests, it was determined that he was suffering from chronic calculous cholecystitis, which is a condition characterized by inflammation of the gallbladder due to the presence of gallstones. Eduardo has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Eduardo is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on August 12th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Eduardo's surgery and care. Eduardo shared how grateful he is to be one of the beneficiaries. He said, "This free surgery is a big help for me. I'll be eternally grateful to Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines for their generosity."

Paulo is a 17-year-old boy from Tanzania. He lives with his parents and his four siblings. His parents are farmers who grow food for their family and sell the excess to support their family. Due to limited funds, Paulo and his siblings had to stop attending school. Paulo experiences difficulty with his mobility. When Paulo was enrolled in school, he was often unable to walk the distance to class. Paulo's parents were inspired to seek treatment for Paulo after attending an outreach seminar held by our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Doctors at AMH's care center determined that Paulo's limited mobility is due to the shape of his legs, and Paulo was diagnosed with genu varus. Genu varus is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Fortunately, AMH can help. AMH is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Paulo's legs. Paulo's procedure is scheduled to take place on June 6th, and will hopefully restore Paulo's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and decrease his risk of future complications. Paulo says, "I hope that one day I will be able to walk without feeling any discomfort."

Jeremy is a two-year-old toddler from Haiti. He lives with his parents, who run a small grocery kiosk in Port-au-Prince. He is their only child. Jeremy was born with ventricular septal defect (VSD). VSD is a cardiac condition where there is a small hole in the wall that separates the heart's lower chambers. Due to this hole, oxygen-rich blood mixes with oxygen-poor blood, causing weakness and shortness of breath. On June 12th, Jeremy will undergo cardiac surgery in the Dominican Republic. During this procedure, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in Jeremy's heart so that his blood can't leak through it. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is contributing $8000 to pay for surgery. However, Jeremy's family needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and transport. Jeremy's family is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and preoperative and postoperative appointments. This sum will also support passport obtainment and the social workers from HCA who will accompany Jeremy's family overseas. Jeremy's mother said: "Our family is very excited to know that our son has been chosen for surgery. We're all praying for him."

Hser is a 30-year-old midwife from Burma. She lives with her husband and eight other colleagues in the staff housing of the clinic she works at. Hser is a midwife, and her husband is a medic. In her free time, she enjoys going fishing with her husband and friends, weaving Karen clothes, and visiting the villagers nearby. Around June 2020, Hser felt she had a mass. Thinking it was not serious, she did not go to a hospital for treatment until April 2022. At the hospital, a doctor gave her medication for three months, but the mass did not decrease in size. Currently, Hser's experiences uncomfortable symptoms from the mass. Hser sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on March 8th. Hser needs help raising $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Hser said, "I am married, but I don’t plan to have children yet because my husband and I are both busy working as health workers for our community. So, I am very worried that I won't be able to have children anymore because of my condition. However, I have a loving and kind husband who understands me in every way, and he told me not to worry and feel sad. We cannot help but stay strong, helping and encouraging each other."

Jayden is a preschooler from Haiti. Jayden lives with his parents, who are both schoolteachers, and older brother in a small city in the mountains of central Haiti. He likes to draw and is learning to read. Jayden has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. Two holes exist in his heart, one between the two upper chambers and another between the two lower chambers. Blood leaks through these holes, straining his heart and making it difficult for him to obtain oxygen. Because the surgery he needs is not available in Haiti, Jayden will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On April 28th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use patches to close the holes in his heart so that blood can flow normally. Our medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance is also contributing $9,000 to pay for surgery, but Jayden and his family still need help covering the costs of surgery prep and travel. 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 Jayden overseas. Jayden's mother shared, "Our family has been very frightened for our son's health so we were so happy to get the news that he could have this surgery!"