Aleaza is a toddler from Haiti. She lives in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince with her mother and grandparents, and likes listening to music and playing with blocks. Aleaza was born with a condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between two chambers of her heart. Blood flows through this hole without first passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sick and short of breath. To correct this condition, she will undergo open-heart surgery and a patch will be sewn into place to close the hole. Aleaza will fly to Spain to receive treatment. On February 6, she will undergo cardiac surgery. Another organization, Chain of Hope UK, is contributing $25,000 to pay for surgery. Aleaza'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 Aleaza's family overseas. Her mother says, "My daughter has been very sick ever since she was born, and I am excited that her heart can finally be healed!"

Lida is a young girl from Cambodia. She has five sisters and four brothers. She stopped studying in the fourth grade. She now wants to start her own business at home. She likes to watch TV and read in her free time. When she was five, Lida had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Lida experiences ear discharge, hearing loss, tinnitus, and itchiness. She cannot communicate clearly with others and she has ear pain. Lida traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On January 11, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Her mother says, "I worry about my daughter's hearing and that she can't hear well."

Oscar, a 29-year-old man from Guatemala, has been suffering from severe headaches for the past eight years. They have worsened recently, becoming nearly constant in the past five weeks. Doctors at Watsi's medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, need to begin a full diagnostic workup to ensure that Oscar does not have abnormal electrical activity or a tumor in his brain, both of which could cause seizures or even be life-threatening. Oscar lives with his wife and his one daughter in a humble cement house with a tin roof. He works as a shopkeeper, but in his free time he loves to watch soccer, eat carne asada, and go to church with his family. Even though he works hard, the $967 testing Oscar needs is out of his reach. An MRI costs more than he makes in two months. Doctors at Wuqu' Kawoq will give Oscar a full diagnostic workup to determine the cause of his headaches and hopefully rule out a brain tumor. The workup will help Oscar to finally find an explanation for his past eight years of headaches. It will also allow the physicians to design a treatment plan to help him navigate his condition and get him back on his feet. "I am so worried," says Oscar. "I want to recover from this sickness that I have." Let's help Oscar receive the testing he needs to move forward in his treatment.

Luc Stanley is nine years old and lives with his mother and four sisters in Haiti. "He is in the second grade in school, and his favorite subject is mathematics. He would like to be an engineer or an architect when he grows up," says our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Luc Stanley was born with a cardiac condition called tetralogy of fallot, characterized by a hole between two chambers of his heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. "As a result, blood cannot circulate normally through his body, and he is at constant risk of sudden death," HCA adds. For $1,500, Luc Stanley will undergo cardiac surgery to repair the hole and remove the muscular blockage in his heart. This operation has been subsidized with $5,000 by International Children's Heart Foundation. Surgery will allow Luc Stanley's heart to function normally and circulate blood to the rest of his body so that he can play with his friends and live free from the concern of sudden cardiac arrest. "I have never been able to play soccer with my friends, and so I am looking forward to learning how to play when my surgery is done!” Luc Stanley says.

This is Hein, a two-year old toddler from Burma. Hein has recently learned to speak, and his favorite word is “mother", though he also knows how to say the names of all his family members. Since birth, Hein has dealt with several medical conditions. Last year he underwent surgery for a congenital heart condition, and he currently has limited vision due to a congenital glaucoma. “Hein can see light, but very little beyond that,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). Hein's condition is the result of an improperly developed optic drainage system, which leads to increased pressure and ultimately nerve damage in the eye. “When he was born, his parents noticed that his eyes were covered by white film,” adds BBP. “During his first six months of life, Hein’s parents tried to heal his eyes with a traditional healer, but this proved unsuccessful. Hein’s parents then took him to an eye specialist, who referred him to a major hospital to undergo surgery. However, when he was being prepared for surgery, doctors discovered he had a heart murmur and refused to operate.” After receiving heart surgery last year, Hein is now healthy enough for eye surgery. For $1,500, Hein will receive a bilateral lens replacement, which will allow him to see for the first time in his life, and allow him to develop properly through childhood. This cost accounts for everything that Hein will need for his full surgery and recovery, including 30 days of hospitalized care, food, transportation and three days of post-operation follow-up care. “Hein is a resilient boy - while waiting for surgery he has overcome a tuberculosis infection and has been in and out of health facilities since the day he was born," BBP says. Hein’s family is optimistic about his future. His mother “hopes for him to be educated and go to school like his sisters,” BBP adds.

Meet Lwin, a 42-year-old father from Burma who has kidney stones. “Lwin currently experiences back pain, abdominal pain, and stomach pain. Sometimes he gets dizzy and feels weak and he also has low blood pressure,” reports our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). When Lwin previously went to the hospital, he was misdiagnosed and the kidney stones remained. It wasn't until months later that he received the correct diagnosis. “Lwin has five children and four of them are studying. Due to his illness, he cannot support his children and cannot provide any income for the family. His family has to rely on selling ducks and chickens,” continues BBP. “After his treatment, Lwin wants to go back to his normal life, return to work, and take care of his family.” Lwin aspires for all of his children to obtain an education. For $1500, we can fund surgery to remove Lwin’s kidney stones and have him return to his family healthy and able to work. “Lwin will be able to live pain free and return to work, allowing him to focus on his family’s welfare,” says BBP. “It will also restore his dignity which he feels like he has lost over the last year.”

"Samuel has been having profound, intractable seizures for the last four years," Dr. Peter Rohloff, the Medical Director at our partner in Guatemala writes. Samuel, a perpetually smiley five-year-old boy, hopes to start school next year. "If only he would stop seizing I think he would be able to develop normally," his mother told Dr. Rohloff. "He's a really smart child." Unfortunately, Samuel's seizures are constant. "He is always just recovering from or just about to have another seizure," Dr. Rohloff writes. Samuel needs seizure studies to determine the root cause of his seizures, as well as medication to help him control them. But the cost of treatment, $1,385, is more than his mother can support. "Mom is really desperate and frustrated," Dr. Rohloff continues. "She's looked for help in numerous other places, but she's not getting the help she needs. Now, after years of looking for help, she's running out of money." With just $1,385, we can cover the cost of Samuel's treatment and help him live seizure-free. What are we waiting for?