Chit Sandar is 21 months old and lives with her older brother, mother, and grandparents in a village in Burma. Her father works in Bangkok to support the family. At six months of age, Chit Sandar became sick with a fever. She was brought to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. Although Chit Sandar is eating well, she has experienced loss of consciousness, fatigue, and sunken eyes. She was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). On February 14, doctors will perform a shunt insertion surgery to drain the fluid from her brain. Chit Sandar's parents cannot afford treatment, so BCMF is requesting $1,500 to help fund this procedure.

Sebazungu is a 20-year-old young man and a student at his secondary school. His best subject is biology. He has seven siblings, four boys and three girls, who are all in school. His parents struggle to pay for the education of their children. One year ago, Sebazungu developed a painful swelling in his right inguinal (groin) region. His parents took him to hospital where he was diagnosed with a right inguinal scrotal hernia, a condition where part of his intestine is protruding through his inner groin area. Surgery was advised, but his parents couldn't afford to pay for his treatment. The pain has intensified in the past two months. Sebazungu is now unable to lift heavy items. He also cannot sit and concentrate in class and sometimes he misses school. $249 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Sebazungu needs. After surgery, he hopes to go back to school and attend classes on a regular basis.

Meet Emily, a 30-year-old farmer and mother from Uganda. Emily lives with her husband and daughter, and grow cassava, beans, maize, millet, potatoes, groundnuts for a living. Emily is currently awaiting the delivery of her child at Bwindi Community Hospital, a 55 kilometer trek from her hometown village. Emily has had two previous pregnancies, and lost her first baby from obstructed labor. For $258, the Kellermann Foundation can perform a caesarean section to ensure a safe delivery for her baby. Emily enjoys singing and dancing to traditional Ugandan music, playing with her child after school and legendary storytelling. Emily is a church choir member at her village and enjoys listening to radio programs about national affairs during her free time. Emily says she hopes to nurse her baby and take him/her to school.

Srey Nak is a 17-year-old girl from Cambodia. She has two brothers and two sisters, and she is the third child in her family. Srey Nak enjoys watching Thai dramas on TV. Srey Nak was born with a squint in each eye - a condition called strabismus. This condition causes her eyes to turn inward, which creates difficulty with her vision. For $264, Srey Nak will undergo a correction procedure in each eye, which will improve her vision and improve her confidence. Srey Nak looks forward to recovering after her surgery. She is most looking forward to having straight eyes and being less shy around her friends.

Jose is the only child in his family from Guatemala. They live in a rented one-room adobe house with a tin roof. His mother stays at home to take care of Jose, since he has special needs and needs to take medications at certain times to control his seizures. His father works as a day laborer, making about three dollars per day--far too little to afford the nutritional therapy that Jose needs to survive. Jose has had several health problems in his short life. He previously received treatment for his seizures and developmental delays, but recently he has had trouble gaining weight and growing like he should. One year ago, he had to be hospitalized for his malnutrition, but after a month he recovered. However, one month ago, he had surgery to drain fluid from his brain (he also suffers from hydrocefalia), and after that he was in the hospital and suffering from nausea and vomiting. He lost quite a bit of weight, and now he has lost his appetite. He now has severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment. Our community health worker provided him with a preliminary treatment until he can have a consult with our nutritionist, who will design a personalized diet to help him grow healthy and strong. Biweekly growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Jose recover from malnutrition. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to gain motor skills and learn new words instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. His mother will receive the support she need to feel empowered to give Jose the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will save Jose's life and give him the chance to live a healthy and productive life and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.

Yahaya is a 28-year-old husband and father of two boys who lives in Uganda. He has a great sense of humor, and he is happiest when he is with his wife and children. Yahaya started feeling pain and swelling in his left scrotum that makes him very uncomfortable, especially when walking. He also feels pain when he touches the swelling. The pain and swelling are due to a hydrocele, a sac of watery fluid around one or both testicles that causes swelling in the scrotum or groin. The fluid comes from the abdomen and travels along the same paths that the testes follow when they descend into the scrotum before or shortly after birth. Hydroceles occur at any age, and their cause is generally unknown. Yahaya visited a government hospital where he was referred to Holy Family Virika Hospital for surgery. However, Yahaya did not go to Virika because he was unable to pay for his treatment. For $185, Yahaya will undergo a hydrocele repair to decrease the scrotal swelling. Funding also covers the cost of a three-night hospital stay, an ultrasound scan, and medicine to prevent infection. Yahaya looks forward to a successful operation and a promising future. “I plan to start a business so that I can settle with my family,” he shares.

“I want to fight for my little one. I want him to be healthy and strong like his siblings,” says the mother of Luciano, a three-year-old boy from Guatemala who loves looking at picture books and playing make-believe with his sister. Luciano came to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), with developmental delays. “Luciano was born normal and healthy but over time began to have regular seizures and fevers,” explains WK. “Luciano also suffers from malnutrition. He is hospitalized every 15 to 30 days, and his mother is running out of money to afford his medical care.” The financial impact of Luciano’s care has made it difficult for his mother to buy food for the family and school supplies for his five siblings. Her time away from work to accompany Luciano to the hospital also decreases the amount of money available to support the family. $1,385 will fund a thorough diagnostic work-up, treatment, and ongoing therapy for Luciano. “This treatment will allow Luciano to receive medical visits, the correct anti-seizure medication and physical/speech therapy,” says WK. “This will improve his quality of life, ability to communicate, and potential for success. His health will improve, and he will not have to go to the hospital regularly.” Let’s help make that happen for Luciano!

Meet Nancy, a four-month-old girl from Tanzania! Nancy has a congenital deformity on her left foot, also known as a clubfoot. “If not treated, the condition will affect Nancy’s gait and she will likely develop osteoarthritis of the small bones at an early age,” reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Nancy is the first-born child to her parents and she likes to play with her toys. “Nancy also has congenital deformities of both hands and her right foot. She was born without all ten fingers and without toes on her right foot. Her mother is a medical attendant at a dispensary in their village and her father is a secondary school teacher. Their income is not enough to cover their house rent, daily expenses, and also pay the cost of treatment which Nancy needs,” continues AMHF. “Maybe there isn’t much that can be done for Nancy’s hands, but at least the position of her left foot can be corrected to allow her to walk properly when she grows up and that is all I wish for,” says Nancy’s mother. For $1160, we can correct Nancy’s gait and prevent onset osteoarthritis. AMHF concludes, “Nancy will not have to use the lateral aspect of her left foot when she starts to walk and the correction will reduce the risk of developing early osteoarthritis.”

Vuthy is a 24-year-old man living in Cambodia. He is close to finishing school, but an untreated injury from his childhood has made it difficult for him to do so. “When he was just a year old, Vuthy crawled into an open cooking fire (which are common in Cambodia) and burned his right hand. He couldn’t get proper care, so now he has no use of his fourth and fifth fingers and limited use of his third. He cannot use his right hand for much,” our partners at Children’s Surgical Centre tell us. It will take $240 to get Vuthy the treatment he needs for these burns. Our partners expect that with this treatment, Vuthy will regain full use of his third, fourth and fifth fingers. This procedure will not only help Vuthy finish his studies, but also do many other activities made difficult due to his condition. Let’s come together and get Vuthy the care he deserves!

"Esperanza is a Kaqchikel speaking woman from a remote community where we work," Wuqu' Kawoq (WK) tells us about this 29-year-old woman from Guatemala. "She is a weaver, producing beautiful textiles, mostly for use in the home." "She came to see us with symptoms of abdominal pain and bloating," WK writes. "After a workup, it turns out that she has ovarian cancer. However it is at an early stage, which means that with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, it will be likely curable." $1475 will cover the cost of chemotherapy which Esperanza needs right now. "I'm happy to have found help for my condition, and I trust in God that things will turn out well," this optimistic young woman tells the WK team. Let's fund Esperanza's care and help WK take care of the rest.

This is Lydia, a 12-year-old girl from Kenya. She lives with her half-brother and parents, who work hard as casual laborers. Lydia’s journey to Watsi began when she started experiencing severe, recurrent headaches and convulsions. She has not been able to go to school this semester because her symptoms worsened during the August school holidays. In addition to the headaches and convulsions, her limbs have weakened and she can no longer sit or stand without support. Lydia was admitted and later discharged from a local hospital, however her mother noticed that there was no improvement in her health. Eventually doctors diagnosed Lydia with a brain tumor and determined that she would need surgery. “If the surgery is not done,” our medical partners share, “Lydia could suffer permanent brain damage or even premature death.” Lydia’s loving mother says, “my daughter is very intelligent, however this sickness has really affected her schooling. My prayer and hope is that she gets well soon, so that she can go back to school. We hope that we will get support for her treatment.” $1,260 will pay for the craniotomy, a surgical procedure that will allow doctors to remove the tumor. After surgery Lydia will be able to resume school and she will no longer suffer from headaches or convulsions. Let’s help Lydia get well!

Meet Faith, a three-year-old girl from Kenya. Faith is the youngest of nine (that’s right, nine!) children. Her parents own a small farm, which they depend on for their daily consumption. They also work small jobs around their village to provide for the basic needs of their large family. Faith has a brain tumor. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation explains, “as a result she experiences convulsions, headaches and feels weak. Without treatment, her tumor will likely be fatal.” With nine mouths to feed and provide for, Faith’s parents cannot afford the cost of the surgery she needs. They are deeply distressed because they know that they cannot pay for the treatment which will most likely save their daughter's life. Faith’s father says, “I feel so sad watching my daughter’s health deteriorate. How I hope that she will be treated as soon as possible.” We can help her father's wish come true! For $1,500, Faith will receive a craniotomy, a surgery that our doctors are optimistic will save Faith's life. Let's give Faith the chance to grow up and have a happy, healthy childhood with her eight siblings!