Ol is a retired rice farmer from Kampong Cham province who needs eye surgery to help him see clearly again. He and his wife have one daughter, three sons, and ten grandchildren. They used to be rice farmers, but now they are both retired and their living is supported by their children, who farm the same ancestral land. At home, Ol likes to listen to the radio when the monks are chanting and read books about the Buddha. One year ago, Ol developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision. He used to help his wife with housework and cooking, but can no longer see well enough; he is frustrated that his vision has declined so quickly and shared that he feels useless to his family. When Ol learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On July 19th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Ol is able to contribute a small amount and he needs help with the remaining $253 to fully fund the procedure. Ol said, "I hope after surgery I will see better. I want to help the monks at the pagoda to teach and learn Buddhism and join their ceremonies easily."

Arinanye is a 5-year-old preschooler from Uganda. He is the only son to his mother, and is currently under the care of his aunt. His mother sells charcoal, while his aunt is a primary school teacher. Three years ago, Arinanye was diagnosed with a left congenital inguinal scrotal hernia. His aunt shared that he is always in pain whenever he attempts to play with others, and sometimes wakes up at night crying due to the pain he feels. Fortunately, on April 1st, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Arinanye's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently, and improve his quality of life. Arinanye's aunt told us, “I hope that thanks to your support, Arinanye will be able to undergo his surgery and be healed of this condition, and will resume with school well when his baby classes are reopened.”

Saw Moo is a seven-year-old boy who lives with his parents and older sister in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. Saw Moo is a student in kindergarten and his sister goes to primary school. In his free time, Saw Moo enjoys playing hide and seek outside. Around mid-May 2020, Saw Moo began to experience blurry vision in his right eye, making it increasingly difficult to for him to see clearly. Saw Moo was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, he could lose vision completely. Saw Moo is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his retina and our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund is raising $1,500 for his treatment. After his surgery, there is hope for Saw Moo's vision to be restored so that he is able to resume his daily activities comfortably. Saw Moo's aunt shared, “My nephew is a hard-working student. You do not need to tell him to read [or study] because he loves to do it. He is amongst the top 10 students in his class. I want him to regain vision in his right eye and to continue his studies so that he can become a medic. His mother is ill and cannot accompany him [during his treatment]. If my nephew becomes a medic or health worker, he can look after his mother and his community.”

Lemayan is a seven-year-old boy from Tanzania and the youngest child in a family of two children. He is a hardworking boy who helps look after his parents' goats. Lemayan walks a long distance every day in search of green pasture and water for his father’s goats. His family comes from a region where the economic activity is livestock keeping; the region is not favorable for farming since it sees very little rainfall. Given the remoteness of the area and their lifestyle as nomadic livestock farmers, most of the children in the area are not able to go school and Lemayan has not had the chance to attend school. One year ago, Lemayan developed a mass on his shoulder. From there, masses developed in different areas of his body. Of greatest concern at the moment, however, is a submandibular mass that is growing quickly. Lemayan experiences pain and discomfort. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lemayan receive treatment. Lemayan traveled to our medical partner's care center and on March 12th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Lemayan needs help to raise $724 to fund the procedure. Lemayan’s mother shared, “finding money to take our son the hospital was a big challenge and that’s why we have not been able to take him. Kindly help my son."

Angel is a beautiful 11-year-old girl from Kenya. Her family is from Nairobi county, and she is the only child in her family. She lives with her grandparents, as her mother is single and ill. Angel has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Angel to receive treatment. Angel traveled to visit AMH's care center where surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 22nd. Now, AMH is requesting $1,286 to fund Angel's procedure. After surgery, Angel will be able to stand and walk like other children. Angel's grandmother shared, “we will be grateful if you can give Angel back her smile and she can enjoy life like other children. Thank you very much.”

Sreynuth is a four-year-old girl from Cambodia. She is the youngest of four siblings, and her parents work as farmers. She is currently too young to attend school, but she enjoys playing with her siblings and watching cartoons. When she was two, Sreynuth burned her left hand with hot oil. After the accident, her family took her to a private clinic for wound care. Two years later, she has now developed burn scar contractures on her finger. These burn scar contractures have resulted in the tightening of the skin around her finger burn. As a result of these contractures, it is difficult for Sreynuth to straighten this finger or hold things in her hand. When Sreynuth's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), Sreynuth and her mother traveled for ten hours to seek treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help Sreynuth use finger easily again. Now, she needs help to fund this $477 procedure. After the surgery, Sreynuth's parents hope that her finger will be normal again and they are worried she will not be able to attend school if it does not get better.

Fulgence is a 3-year-old boy and the fifth born child in a family of six children. Fulgence is a charming, friendly, and playful child. His parents are small scale farmers who grow maize, vegetables, and sunflowers. They depend entirely on what they harvest for their food and daily living. In 2019, Fulgence dipped his right hand in a pot of hot cooking oil, sustaining severe burns on his palm. His mother had been making mandazi, a morning snack, and left the hot oil unattended in a different room after she was done. Due to the family's income, Fulgence's parents were only able to take him to a local dispensary for treatment, where he had the burn dressed and continued with home treatments afterwards. His wounds eventually healed with contractures, which limit him from holding items comfortably. When Fulgence's mother heard about the plastic surgeons working at our medical partner's care center, she decided to seek treatment help for her son. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Fulgence receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery, which will help him to be able to use his right palm with ease. Now, he needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Fulgence’s mother shared, “The Watsi program has been of great help to me and my family through the funding of my daughter’s treatment cost, which we couldn’t afford. I am kindly asking for help for my son as well who is unable to hold things using his right hand. Please help him.”

Meet three-year-old Christine. She's a shy girl who came to our Medical Partner's Care Center Kapsowar Hospital with her mom because she has difficulty breathing and sleeping. She was reviewed by our partner's clinicians where she was diagnosed with large tonsils. Before they arrived at Kapsowar Hospital, their family had tried many other places for Christine to be treated. They had been to other medical camps, but each time the doctors simply treated her for flu and chest pains. In other hospitals, the family was always advised to wait and come back at a later date to review the possibility of surgery. Christine often had to visit the hospital, especially during the cold season, when she would cough a lot and often had pain. Christine’s mother found out about Kapsowar Hospital through a church member and was hopeful that she could finally receive care. Christine is the fourth and last-born child of her mother. Her parents separated while she was young and now she stays with her mom. Her mother earns wages through a small grocery business. She is a hardworking woman who has raised her four children despite many challenges. Christine requires surgery so that the doctors can treat her condition. Her mother is requesting any well-wishers to support them so that her daughter can undergo surgery. She shared, “Christine has suffered for long. She always complains of pain. I want to see her treated and be happy.”

Alex is a young boy from Kenya. He is the second born of two children to a single mother. Alex's family comes from a humble and hard working background. Currently, they depend on the financial support of Alex's grandmother, who is a farmer. For the last two years, Alex has had bilateral genu valgus, or knock-knees. This causes his knees to touch as he walks around, and hinders his ability to walk. Alex is no longer able to walk upright without any support. He was referred to our Medical Partner Care Center AIC Cure International Hospital by a nun who takes care of needy families in his neighborhood. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Alex receive treatment. Alex is scheduled to undergo a corrective surgery for his condition on February 22nd at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, he will hopefully be able to walk without any difficulty. This procedure will cost $1,224, and will cover the cost of supplies and care. Alex's family is unable to raise funds for his surgery and appeals for financial support. Sr Mary, the nun who referred Alex, shared, “We will appreciate any kind of support for Alex to walk and continue with a normal life like other children.”

Neang is a 56-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He has two sons, three daughters, and two grandchildren. Neang and his wife are vegetable farmers. He likes to listen to the news on the radio. Seven years ago, Neang developed a pterygium in his left eye, causing him blurry vision, tearing, burning, and itching. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Neang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours with his wife seeking treatment. Neang needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for December 28th. Neang shared with us, "Vision is important to me because I need to work hard for my family."

Sor is a 56-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. Sor has two sons, one daughter, and one grandchild. She lives with her husband who is also a rice farmer. She shared that she enjoys listening to the news on the radio and monks praying on the radio or at the pagoda in her village. Two weeks ago, the retina of Sor's left eye detached, causing her blurred vision and flashes of bright light in her eye. She now has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Sor learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours with her sister seeking treatment. On September 24th, eye surgeons will perform a retinal detachment repair procedure in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $648 procedure. Sor said, "I hope my eye surgery is successful so I can return to my planting and housework and don't have to worry about losing vision in my eye."

Eth is a 47-year-old farmer from Cambodia. She and her husband, who have been married for 25 years, both farm rice to earn an income for their family. They have three sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren. She also enjoys watching TV, feeding the chickens, and taking care of her grandchildren. In April 2018 Eth was in a motor accident that caused a severe fracture of her right femur. She had a nail put in her leg after the accident and her wound and the fracture have healed. Her leg has good function, now the pin needs to be removed. If the nail is left permanently, she could development an infection or lose mobility. Eth travel six hours with her husband to reach the hospital. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 10, Eth will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $230. After the nail is removed she will not experience any pain and there will not be risk of future infection. Eth said, "my family is worried about my right leg but they trust the surgeons here and told me come here for my treatment. I hope I will have good result and my leg will be normal and healthy."