Baby is a baby from Ethiopia. His mother is from Addis Ababa, and she works in an insurance company as a finance officer. She is a single parent. Baby was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Baby is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 1. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,231 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I struggle financially with home rent and other expenses and my saving is limited to cover his medical bill. And I am here with a hope that he gets the surgery," his mother says.

Nancy is a girl from Kenya. She is an only child. Three months ago, Nancy began complaining of persistent headaches and weakness in her left limbs. At school, her teachers noticed a decline in her performance. Her vision became blurry, and her left ear developed an ache. She could no longer walk without support and even lost her appetite. Her young mother was very worried and took her to a referral hospital, where a CT scan was performed. Nancy was diagnosed with a brain tumor. If not treated, Nancy at risk of paralysis, persistent headaches, or brain damage. Fortunately, she is scheduled to undergo a craniotomy to treat the tumor on November 21. Her family needs help raising $1,500 to fund this procedure. “I really look forward to seeing my daughter functioning well once more,” says Nancy’s mother.

Loemheang is a mechanic from Cambodia. He has three daughters. He likes to read the news and watch sports in his free time. One year ago, he developed avascular necrosis of both hips and experienced a lot of hip pain. He cannot walk and cannot work. Fortunately, Loemheang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Loemheang of his pain and allow him to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for October 18, and Loemheang needs help raising $1,025 to pay for this procedure. He says, "I hope I can walk again after the operation."

Peter is a 40-year-old man from Kenya. He is married with four children, who are all in school. Peter is a welder, while his wife is a vendor at their local market. Two months ago, Peter's left knee and lower leg began to swell and cause him pain. He is no longer working, and he must use a stick as a walking aid. On September 7, Peter will undergo surgery to treat his knee. This procedure will cost $1,165. “I will be happy to see my leg treated because I will be able to resume my work. I will be able to walk and as well provide for my family. I lack words to say but I plead for your support," Peter says.

Blessing is a baby from Kenya. She is the youngest in a family of six children. Both of her parents are casual laborers. Blessing 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, Blessing has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Blessing will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Blessing that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 29 and will drain the excess fluid from Blessing's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Blessing will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. “I am glad Watsi could come through for the first surgery and hopefully they can help us again," Blessing’s mother says.

Arnold is a young student from Haiti. He lives with his mother and older sister in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He has Down syndrome and goes to a school for children with special learning needs. He has many friends and enjoys helping his mother around the house. Arnold has a cardiac condition called partial atrioventricular canal defect. Holes exist between both the upper and lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through these holes before first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Arnold also has a condition called pulmonary hypertension, in which the blood pressures to his lungs are too high. For this reason, he needs a diagnostic catheterization to determine whether it is safe for him to have surgery. To determine if Arnold's condition is operable, he must undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that is not available in Haiti. During the procedure, a catheter probe will be inserted into his heart to perform the necessary measurements and tests. On August 22, he will travel to the Dominican Republic to receive the scan at our medical partner's care center, Clinica Corominas. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Arnold's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. His mother says, "We are all praying that Arnold can have surgery so that he will be more healthy and have more energy."

Than is a 25-year-old young man from Burma. He lives with his wife, five-year-old daughter, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and two brother-in-laws. In May 2018, Than participated in a soccer tournament. During one game, another player kicked his right leg. He immediately felt a lot of pain in his leg, the leg went limp, and he was unable to walk. A friend took him to a traditional healer in the village. The healer rubbed oil on his leg and bandaged his leg up. Currently, Than feels a lot of pain in his leg and uses crutches to get around. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Than will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for June 28 and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Than hopes that he will be free from pain and he will be able to walk properly again. He says, “I want to get better soon so that I can help my family and get back to working.”

Ray is a five-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and eleven-year-old brother. Ray will start school this year. He loves to play with toy crane with his older brother. Since he was a month old, Ray has had right inguinal hernia. He experiences pain. Fortunately, on June 4, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Ray's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 4 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Ray’s mother says, “I hope that my son will get better soon and be able to play with his favorite toy crane again.”

Jenifer is a young girl who lives with her mother, two siblings, and grandparents in Guatemala's rural western highlands. She loves to be at home helping her mother around the house. When Jenifer grows up, she says that she would like to be a teacher because she loves to play with children. Since Jenifer was just two years old, she has shown symptoms of having a congenital heart defect. She often grows tired while playing, and complains frequently of pain in her chest. These symptoms are due to Jenifer's heart condition, which she needs surgery to fix. After many years trying to get her heart fixed, Jenifer has finally been accepted to receive surgery—a procedure that will not only heal her congenital heart defect, but will also change her life. Jenifer will be able to play like a normal child for the first time ever, and she will not be in danger of suffering a life-threatening event related to her heart condition. Jenifer's mother says, "I hope that my daughter can keep growing up healthily so that she can achieve her dreams to become a teacher."

Wadson is a student from Haiti. He lives in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince with his parents and younger sister. He is taking the year off of university because of his illness, but hopes to continue studying to become an engineer. Wadson has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart does not function properly because it was severely damaged by a rheumatic fever he suffered several years ago. As a result, his heart cannot adequately circulate blood through his body, and he is weak and in heart failure. Wadson will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On March 27, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will repair his valve so that it opens and closes more normally. Another organization, The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, is contributing $60,000 to pay for surgery. Wadson'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 Wadson's family overseas. He says, "I am very excited to regain my health so that I can continue my studies later this year."

Beth is a small-scale farmer from Kenya. She has four children and works with her husband. Beth has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Beth. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 5. After treatment, Beth will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Beth says, “I wish I could be treated and no longer be in pain. Kindly help me."

Wai is an 18-year-old woman from Burma. For the past seven months, she has lived in Thailand crafting jewelry to be sold in Bangkok. About five months ago, Wai began experiencing pain in her abdomen and back. She is very worried about her condition. She has been diagnosed with fibroids, which are benign growths in the uterus. She needs to undergo a myomectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove the fibroids. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $960 to fund Wai's surgery. She is scheduled to undergo her myomectomy on November 14 at BCMF's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital. Wai says, "I am constantly worried about my family. A while ago, I had to resign from my work as I could not request leave from work whenever I am in pain."