Luon is a grandmother of twenty from Cambodia. She has three sons and three daughters, and enjoys visiting the pagoda in her free time. Two months ago, Luon developed glaucoma in right. Glaucoma refers to damage to the eye's optic nerve, or the nerve connecting the eye to the brain. This causes her blurry vision and irritation. It is difficult for her to recognize people's faces, and she often experiences headaches and cannot see clearly. Luon traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On June 10, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a glaucoma procedure to improve her vision. Now, Luon needs help to raise $259 to fund this procedure. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, I will be able to go anywhere I want to independently, and will be able to join in the ceremonies at the pagoda."

Bulemu is a 67-year-old woman and mother of eight. She grows and sells food to provide for her three youngest children, who still live at home. She cares deeply for her children’s education and works hard to pay for their schooling. In July of 2016, Bulemu began to feel discomfort in a sensitive area, which worsened over time. She began to experience abdominal pain and lose her appetite. “I feel strange, and I am not comfortable going in public places,” she says. After visiting a local health center, she was referred to our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital, for diagnosis and treatment. Upon admittance, Bulemu was diagnosed with an abnormal uterine condition. Bulemu is scheduled to undergo a repair surgery on December 15. Our medical partner is requesting $287 to cover the cost of medication, surgical supplies, and five nights of hospital stay. After surgery, Bulemu hopes to continue working hard to support her children’s education.

Akugizibwe is a single mother of three daughters and one son. She lives with her children in Uganda. Akugizibwe sells secondhand clothing to support her family. Akugizibwe lived with a painful abdominal swelling for 20 years. Three years ago, she visited a hospital, where she was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia. Part of her intestine was protruding through her abdominal muscles. She was advised to undergo surgery, but she could not pay for treatment. Akugizibwe's pain grew, preventing her from bending over, lifting heavy items, and walking long distances. Her condition affected her ability to work, because she needed to lift heavy luggage. Fortunately, Akugizibwe visited our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. On December 7, she underwent a hernia repair surgery. $249 will fund the cost of the procedure, including three nights in the hospital. After recovery, Akugizibwe hopes to resume her business, so that she can support her family. She wants to pay for her children's education.

In 2014, Mibiri, a resident of Uganda, developed a painful swelling on her upper abdomen. Since then, the swelling has been increasing in size, and it now causes her substantial discomfort. The pain makes it difficult for her to bend over, and she is unable to lift heavy items. “I fear for my life because of this condition,” Mibiri says. Mibiri had not seen a doctor about her condition because she did not have enough money for treatment. However, after hearing about Watsi, she visited our medical partner's hospital, Holy Family Virika Hospital. There, she was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, meaning that tissue from her digestive system is bulging through an opening in her stomach wall. Mibiri is a single mother of two girls and one boy. Since separating from her husband a year ago, Mibiri has supported her children entirely by herself, including paying education fees for her two school-age daughters. These costs already exhaust Mibiri’s income, which she earns from working in the food business. For this reason, Mibiri needs your help to pay for her hernia repair surgery. She will undergo surgery on January 4. $249 will cover the cost of the operation, as well as the medications and three-day hospital stay she will need to recover. After surgery, Mibiri plans to continue working hard to provide for her family. She hopes to boy her own piece of land someday.

Kosal is currently ten years old and in the fifth grade. At home, he has two older brothers. Like any boy his age, he enjoys watching TV, reading books, and playing games. When he was five years old, Kosal developed an infection in his left ear. He did not receive treatment, and eventually the infection to spread to his right ear. He has now been diagnosed with chronic otitis media, or inflammation in his middle ear, which has caused both of his eardrums to rupture. As a result, he commonly experiences fluid discharge from his ears, hearing loss, and tinnitus, or the perception of a ringing or buzzing sound in the easr. After finding out about the care that our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), could provide, Kosal and his mother traveled over three hours by taxi so that he could have surgery at CSC on August 30, 2016. There, ENT surgeons successfully performed a myringotomy procedure in Kosal's right ear to treat the infection and drain the fluid in the middle ear. On his left side, however, a cholesteatoma, or abnormal skin growth, has formed. Kosal is scheduled to undergo another procedure on January 5. Our medical partner, CSC, is requesting $842 to pay for the required mastoidectomy surgery to remove the chloesteatoma. Kosal hopes to continue school without any hearing problems. He says, "I hope that I can hear clearly because I want to become a teacher."

Linet is a two-year-old girl from Uganda. She is the youngest of six children. Her parents, Richard and Sylivia, are subsistence farmers who grow maize, cassava, potatoes, millet, and sorghum. Recently, Linet was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia. Part of her intestine was protruding through the muscles around her naval. Linet enjoys playing with other girls in her community, making dolls out of banana fibers and sticks. However, the hernia caused her pain, discomfort, and loss of appetite. She no longer enjoyed playing with her friends. Fortunately, Linet's parents brought her to our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital. There, she underwent a hernia repair surgery on November 12. Linet's parents need help to pay for this $229 procedure. Sylivia hopes that her daughter will return to school soon. “Thank you very much for supporting my girl’s treatment, which I wouldn’t afford. I pray to the Lord to bless you!” she says.

Paul is a four-year-old boy from Kenya. He has a twin brother. Paul lives with his family in a rental house in Nairobi. Paul was diagnosed with hypospadias, a condition that causes uncomfortable urinary symptoms. Without treatment, Paul risked infertility or social stigma. Fortunately, he visited our medical partner's hospital and underwent a repair surgery on December 28. Paul's parents are unable to pay for his treatment. His mother is a greengrocer, while his father works at a milk bar. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $700 to fund Paul's treatment. "I try to give my children the best," says Paul's mother. "I’ll appreciate any support."

Moh Moh is a 15-year-old girl who lives on the Thai-Burma border. She was born with a lump on her face. As she got older, the lump got bigger. Her parents never sought treatment for her because they knew they could not afford it. Since she was a young girl, Moh Moh has been embarrassed about the lump on her face, but she has never experienced any pain or discomfort. Recently, however, Moh Moh was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). At one of their care centers, she was diagnosed with a meningoencephalocele, which is a sac of nervous membrane and fluid protruding from a gap in the skull. Fortunately, Moh Moh is scheduled to undergo a CT scan on December 22. The results of this scan should give her doctors more information and help them develop a personalized treatment plan. Moh Moh's mother says, "I want to keep her near me because she’s the youngest child. I hope she can go back to school next year, but I am glad she dropped out this year because now she has the chance to have the treatment."

“May God bless the people that are donating to my hospital bills and care,” Jolly says. “Getting this surgery is giving me an opportunity to live again.” 62-year-old Jolly has been living with a cystocele, an uncomfortable gynecological condition. As a result, she has dealt with discomfort and pain for two years. This discomfort poses a challenge to Jolly’s work and social life in Uganda. She and her husband grow bananas and coffee and raise cattle to support their eight children and their grandchildren. However, manual labor is difficult for Jolly when she is in pain. Furthermore, she loves attending church, but being in public can be stressful because of her symptoms. In order to reduce her discomfort and to avoid further complications, Jolly underwent a hysterectomy on November 24. She raised $8 to pay for this procedure. With Watsi’s help, she hopes to raise $321 more to fully cover these expenses. Jolly hopes that after she is relieved of her pain, she will be able to comfortably farm and listen to sermons at church.

Than Than is a 32-year-old woman who lives in Burma with her parents and her two children. Her husband passed away three years ago, so Than Than supports the family. She sells flowers around her village. When she is out, her mother looks after her children. Six weeks ago, Than Than began to feel sick. She had been experiencing lower back pain since age 15, but the pain had grown severe. She sought treatment at the village clinic without success. A doctor at a local hospital administered an ultrasound and diagnosed her with a kidney stone. Than Than knew she needed surgery, but she could not afford healthcare. Fortunately, a friend suggested she visit our medical partner's care center, Mae Tao Clinic. She received medication and is scheduled to undergo a nephrolithotomy on January 4, 2017. During this procedure, surgeons will remove her kidney stone. Now, our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund her treatment. "I look forward to having the surgery," says Than Than. "I hope to become healthy again, so I can continue to work for my beloved family."

Nom is 60 years old. She likes to go to the pagoda to listen to monks pray and go to the farm to feed her animals. Three years ago, Nom developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision, tearing, and irritation. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, working, and going anywhere outside. When Nom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On December 15, doctors performed a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, Nom will be able to see clearly again. Now, she needs help to fund this $292 procedure. "I hope to be able to see everything more clearly," she says, "so that I can keep feeding my cows and buffalos. I want to be able to do any work easily and go anywhere outside by myself too."

Flevian is a 14-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the third child in her family, and she loves to smile. Her siblings are in high school and college. They family lives in a mud house. Flevian was diagnosed with a hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. The size of her head affected her ability to walk, making her unstable. She also lagged behind her classmates in school. Without treatment, she was at risk of a fatal buildup of pressure in her brain. In July, Flevian began to experience troubling symptoms, and her mother brought her to our medical partner's care center. A CT scan revealed liquid accumulation in her brain. On December 2, she underwent a shunt insertion to drain the fluid from her brain. Flavian’s mother is a farmer, while her father works as a laborer on a flower farm. They cannot afford healthcare. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 in funding. "I want Flevian to be well and lead a much normal life," says her mother.