Khant Kyaw is a 17-year-old Burmese man currently living in Thailand. He lives with his father and younger brother. Until recently, Khat Kyaw worked as a guesthouse receptionist and concierge. His father was unemployed, so Khant Kyaw supported his three-member family. His younger brother is a student in fourth grade. About a month ago, Khant Kyaw started to experience abdominal pain. He lost his appetite and stopped working. He visited the hospital, where medics found a mass in his abdomen. On November 15, he underwent a CT scan to diagnose his illness. Khant Kyaw needs help to raise $414 to fund this diagnostic procedure. "I am very depressed, but my father always tries to cheer me up," explains Khant Kyaw. "He said I'll get well soon and be back to normal life."

Touch is a 33-year-old electrician who is married with three sons. He likes to read magazines, watch TV, and listen to the radio. In 2012, Touch began to experience pain in his right hip. By July 2016, the pain had spread to his left hip. Now, he cannot walk without support. When Touch learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for five hours to seek treatment. On November 28, surgeons at CSC performed a total hip replacement on Touch's right hip. This procedure should relieve him of his pain and allow him to walk easily again. He needs help to pay his $781 medical bill. Touch shares, "I hope that I can walk normally again and no longer have pain."

Sok Chea is a 19-year-old farmer who has two younger brothers. He likes to go to the farm, play soccer, and play games. Five months ago, Sok Chea developed a cholesteatoma, an abnormal skin growth, in his left ear. It causes ear discharge, hearing loss, bleeding, pain, and a ringing or buzzing in his ear. Though he has been taking medication, his symptoms have not improved. He is unhappy because he has difficulty communicating with others. When Sok Chea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 24, CSC surgeons performed a mastoidectomy procedure in his left ear to remove the cholesteatoma. After recovery, his hearing will improve. Now, he needs help to fund this $842 procedure. "I hope to have no more pain, good hearing, and an easier time communicating with other people, " says Sok Chea.

Yan Pai is a 16-year-old boy from Burma. His mother works as a laundress and a day laborer, planting and picking corn. He left school one year ago because his family could no longer afford tuition. Since then, Yan Pai has been working as a day laborer. For a few months, Yan Pai was experiencing pain in his leg. He tried to continue working, even taking a new job in a furniture shop. Recently, however, the pain grew so severe that Yan Pai found walking difficult and he began using crutches. X-rays showed an abnormal growth in his leg. He was referred to our medical partner for further investigation. On October 17, Yan Pai underwent an MRI. Watsi donors are currently funding this [procedure](https://watsi.org/profile/a9e34854b22c-yan-pai). From this MRI, Yan Pai’s doctor discovered a tumor in his left leg. On November 9, he performed surgery to remove the tumor. Now, Yan Pai’s family needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure.

Yan Pai is a 16-year-old boy from Burma. He left school one year ago because his family could no longer afford tuition. Since then, Yan Pai has been working as a day laborer. For a few months, Yan Pai was experiencing pain in his leg. He tried to continue working, even taking a new job in a furniture shop. Recently, however, the pain grew so severe that Yan Pai found walking difficult and he began using crutches. X-rays showed an abnormal growth in his leg. Yan Pai was referred to a Watsi medical partner for further investigation. He received an MRI on October 17, 2016. The MRI results will help doctors make a diagnosis and plan treatment. Yan Pai's mother supports the family, but her income as a day laborer does not cover his medical costs. She has already sold a piece of land, and Yan Pai is sad that his condition is affecting his family. The family needs help to fund his $814 MRI. Of the future, Yan Pai is hopeful. "I want to be a businessman someday," he says.

Sokha is a 36-year-old sugarcane juice seller with three sons and one daughter. He likes to listen to music and news on the radio and to chat with his customers. In November, Sokha's right hand was caught in his sugarcane juicer. He sought treatment at a military hospital, where four of his fingers were amputated. Unfortunately, his doctors were unable to close his wounds. Sokha left the hospital in pain and unable to use his hand. After learning about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), Sokha traveled for four hours to seek treatment. On November 25, CSC surgeons performed a debridement procedure to clean the wound and a skin graft to cover the wound. Sokha needs help to fund this $450 procedure. "I hope to be able to use my hand again," says Sokha. "When I am healed, I will go home and try to find another job."

Srey Leak is 21 years old and works in a sock factory. She has three sisters and three brothers. In her free time, she likes to watch TV and cook. When she was ten years old, Srey Leak fell from a mango tree and fractured her right wrist. Since then, she has experienced wrist pain, which makes it difficult for her to write. When Srey Leak learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for four hours to seek treatment. On November 1, CSC surgeons performed an open reduction internal fixation procedure on her wrist to heal her fracture. After recovery, Srey Leak should be able to go back to work. Now, she needs help to fund this $411 procedure.

“I have abdominal pain and prolonged bleeding. Unfortunately, I have no money for treatment,” shares Kamakune, a 34-year-old small-scale farmer who lives in Uganda. “Because of this condition, I would rather be resting at home, but I can't do that because I have to work and get money to take care of my son and myself.” Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us, “About two years ago, Kamakune felt a small swelling in the lower abdomen. She went to a health unit, where she was diagnosed with fibroids and was given medicine, which did not help.” Fibroids are benign tumors that grow within the muscle tissue of the uterus. They are very common—an estimated 80 percent of women have them in their lifetime. They can be very small (invisible to the naked eye) or very large (melon-sized) and can present as a single mass or a cluster of several masses. Treatment for Kamakune is surgery—a total abdominal hysterectomy—to remove her uterus and cervix. $250 pays for Kamakune’s surgery, medicine, and a five-day hospital stay. “After surgery,” says AMHF, “Kamakune will recover fully. She will have an improved quality of life and be relieved of her symptoms. She will be able to concentrate on her farming.” “Thank you for bringing us help,” says Kamakune.

“Francis was welcomed into the world in August of 2010,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “He is the first-born child to his parents and they live together in central Kenya. Francis’ parents are subsistence farmers on leased land. They live day-to-day on the income they make from selling their produce and the income Francis’ father makes when he finds occasional casual work.” Francis has hypospadias, a condition when the “urethral opening is small and on the underside of the penis,” AMHF explains. “Francis does not pass urine normally.” “Francis’ grandmother was the first to notice the irregularities and that he had difficulties passing urine,” continues AMHF. “They went to the nearest hospital, where Francis was diagnosed, but they were unable to afford treatment.” $665 covers the cost of Francis’ hypospadias repair, which will allow him to pass urine normally. With treatment, he will no longer be at risk for urinary tract infections, infertility in the future, social embarrassment, and hygiene problems. “Francis’ parents, just as many parents, want what’s best for their five-year-old son,” says AMHF. “They only hope that he will be able to live a normal life, one with the least amount of difficulties possible.”

Simone is a 72-year-old woman who lives with her family in Haiti. She is divorced and has three children and several grandchildren. Prior to her retirement, Simone was a local businesswoman. According to our medical partner, Project Medishare, Simone recently went to visit a doctor after feeling a mass in her right breast. “She got checked out and a tumor was found in her right breast after the lab exams,” Project Medishare explains. “The biopsy showed breast cancer and now she needs surgery to remove the tumor. Her family is not able to pay for the operation." $1,500 will fund Simone’s mastectomy and the following chemotherapy. Following treatment, her doctor anticipates she will be cancer-free. “She’d like to have the operation, get rid of the cancer, and live the rest of her life peacefully,” Project Medishare explains.

20-year-old Chin is a factory worker from Cambodia. She is the youngest of four siblings, and her favorite pastimes are reading books and cleaning. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) shares, "When Chin was ten years old, she began having recurrent ear discharge and hearing loss from her right ear." Despite receiving treatment in the past, she still experiences pain, discharge, and hearing loss. "When I have ear discharge it feels painful and there is a bad smell," shares Chin. "This disrupts my life and makes it difficult to communicate with my friends." After hearing about CSC from a fellow villager who received treatment, Chin traveled three hours to seek help from our medical partner. For $399 Chin will receive a myringoplasty to stop the discharge and regain her hearing. "I hope after treatment, the ear discharge stops and I can have good hearing," Chin shares. "I want to study English."

This is 13-year-old Visal, a student in Cambodia who wants to be a teacher when he grows up. Outside of school, he likes to play football and other games. "When Visal was three, he was in a traumatic accident that fractured his elbow," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), shares. "He cannot bend his elbow and it is difficult for him to hold or carry things with his left arm. Visal tells us his elbow is very painful." Visal received Khmer traditional treatment for three months back in his province, but his condition did not improve. After hearing about CSC on the radio, he traveled three hours with his grandmother to reach CSC for proper treatment. With $405, doctors will perform an ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation) operation to realign the fractured bone in Visal's arm and use metal screws to hold it in place. He will then be given a splint to support his arm while the bone properly heals. This procedure will allow Visal to use his left arm again without any pain. After his surgery, Visal will be able to continue to pursue his dreams of becoming a teacher.