Dharam is a 32-year-old man from Nepal. Two years ago, he developed a hernia. Two months ago, the condition grew very painful, limiting his ability to walk and carry heavy loads. Despite the pain, he walked for five hours to reach our medical partner's care center, Bayalpata Hospital. On December 16, he underwent a hernia repair procedure. Dharam lives with his wife and his children. The family depends on agriculture for their living. When the going gets tough, Dharam moves to India to work as a laborer. The family cannot afford this treatment, so our medical partner, Possible, is requesting $451 in funding.

70-year-old Placidia lives in the hills of Uganda. She is a subsistence farmer who grows nuts, potatoes, yams, and eggplants. She feeds her family and sells the remaining food to support herself and her three children, whom she adopted when they were orphans. Placidia enjoys going to the market to sell her produce and buy clothes for her children. About 30 years ago, Placidia developed a uterine prolapse, an uncomfortable gynecological condition. Last year, she began to experience severe pain and discomfort, and she could no longer farm. On October 27, Placidia underwent a hysterectomy procedure. She needs help to pay for this $321 surgery. After recovery, she hopes to return home and send her three children to school. Placidia wishes the thank the people who will support her treatment. "May God bless you," she says.

Athumani is a newborn from Tanzania. He is the second-born of twins. Soon after his birth, Athumani's mother noticed that her son had an abnormal back. After visiting a government hospital, she was referred to a Watsi medical partner hospital, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC). There, she learned that Athumani has myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus. Essentially, part of Athumani's back did not develop properly, and his spinal cord was exposed. He was at risk of infections or spinal cord damage. He needed surgery to repair his back. ALMC doctors began treating Athumani on October 17, 2016. His treatment plan includes a myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus repair to restore spine function and prevent further infection. Unfortunately, Athumani's parents have no means to pay for this treatment. They are farmers who plant maize and beans. They need help to cover his $1,200 treatment, which includes Athumani's surgery, hospital stay, and medications.

Kabamu is a 34 year old farmer from Uganda, who specializes in cultivating maize on a small scale. He has five children that are in school and live with their mother. In addition to farming, he owns a business that allows him to support the education of his children. He went to school up to Primary Five, but had to drop out due to lack of school fees. Seven years ago, Kabamu started feeling pain in his right inguinal area, and later swelling developed in the same area. Pain worsens when he walks and when he lifts heavy items. He has never reported his condition to a hospital because of lack of money for his treatment. He uses herbs, but they give him a little relief. If left untreated, Kabamu may suffer many complications. Until now, Kabamu has not been able to receive treatment to repair his hernia. For $249, Kabamu will undergo hernia repair surgery at Holy Family Virika Hospital. “After surgery I hope to continue working in my gardens to get money and support my children," Kabamu shared.

60-year-old Cham lives in Cambodia and is married with four children and three grandchildren. He enjoys watching sports on TV, playing volleyball, and listening to old music. Cham's car drove over a landmine in 1992, and he spent three months in a hospital after the accident. Cambodia has more landmines than almost any country on earth, the result of decades of war. Tens of thousands of Cambodians are amputees as a result of land mine explosions. The past five years his hip pain has worsened and his hands tremble constantly. He has osteoarthritis of the left hip and requires a hip replacement surgery to stop the pain and allow him to walk easily again. In hopes of receiving care, Cham traveled six hours with his wife. Surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre can replace his left hip for $481. With our help, Cham will be able to walk with less pain and get around on his own more easily.

"I want to be a doctor when I grow up," shares Edward, a 12-year-old primary school student who lives with his great-grandmother and his cousins in Kenya. Neglected by his mother after tribal clashes in 2007, Edward was reconnected with his great-grandmother through a well-wisher. In September of 2012, Edward's right arm was burned, and he was taken to the hospital. As his burn injury healed, the scar thickened and tightened over time, forming contractures. Edward is not able to fully stretch his right hand due to the contractures, and he cannot attend school most of the time due to pain in his hand. His limited mobility prevents him from fully utilizing his hand when playing or performing simple chores at home. Edward was brought to our facility by a neighbor from his village. Doctors recommend that Edward undergo surgery to release the post-burn contracture, but neither his family nor his concerned neighbor can afford the treatment costs. His great-grandmother is old and unable to work, and she must also provide for Edward’s cousins. The family relies on financial assistance from well-wishers to meet their daily needs. $1,215 pays for Edward's surgery as well as nine days of hospital care, including blood tests, pain medicine, and antibiotics. With financial assistance, Edward will be able to access medical treatment and continue pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor.

Tibesigwa is 52-years-old and a mother of six from Uganda. She separated with her husband nine years ago. She stays at her father’s house together with her last born, who is 12-years-old. Tibesigwa doesn’t have a piece of land of her own; she cultivates food on her father’s piece of land mostly for feeding. She doesn’t have any source of income. Tibesigwa has had abdominal pain and intermittent bleeding for the past 12 years. In the past six months, she has had continuous bleeding. She feels as if her abdomen is swollen and full. Tibesigwa has visited a hospital several times and has always been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. She was advised to have surgery, but she could not raise money for her treatment. Due to pain and bleeding, she is unable to bend and currently she is in bed most of the time, unable to do any work. For $250, Tibesigwa will have total abdominal hysterectomy surgery to remove her uterus. After surgery, she hopes to regain her strength, resume digging and plans to look for money to start a small business so that she can be able to support herself.

Due to quick fatigue and abdominal pain, 48-year-old Grace is not able to consistently work. Grace is a woman who lives in Central Kenya with her family. Grace and her husband, who sells bicycle spare parts to provide for the family, have four children. One has completed secondary education and the other two are still in schooling. They lost one child to a road accident. Grace used to work in their small farm, but has since stopped due to her medical condition. Grace started experiencing heavy bleeding two years ago, and was referred to a hospital for treatment, where she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. In March, Grace was referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), for care. Grace has to sit down to clean, and she is unable to attend to her small farm. If not treated, Grace will continue experiencing pain and heavy flow, which may result in anemia. After the doctors at AMHF perform a total abdominal hysterectomy, Grace will be able to work on her farm again and the risk of anemia will be eliminated. The total treatment cost, including post-operative care, is $800. "I want to be treated, get relieved of the pain, and be able to raise our children," shares Grace.

Two-month-old Noemi is acutely malnourished. She lives with her mother in Guatemala, and her mother is currently unable to produce breastmilk. "Her mother cannot afford formula, so she has been giving her daughter water with sugar or corn mush when she is hungry," explains our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "Unfortunately, this has given Noemi stomach problems, put her at increased of diarrhea, and has increased her risk of seizure due to the electrolyte imbalance that consuming non-breastmilk liquids causes in small infants." Noemi is dangerously underweight for her age. Her mother visited different local healers for herbal remedies to increase her milk production, but nothing worked. "Although she wants to help her daughter, she lacks the money to buy her daughter the formula she needs," says WK. With $1016, Noemi will receive the formula she needs. "This will save Noemi's life, giving her the calories, nutrients, and protein she needs to be a healthy baby," WK explains. "Her immune system will grow stronger with the treatment, and she will no longer be at risk of seizures." This funding will also provide her mother with "motivational nutrition education, giving her the tools she needs to help her daughter overcome her malnutrition and help her prevent future malnutrition and illness." "I hope that my daughter reaches a good weight and height," her mother said.

Singano was born on March 21, 2016 at a big hospital in their town in Tanzania. Singano was diagnosed with MMC (Meningomyelocele), congenital hydrocephalus, as well as clubfoot. His head is too big and difficult to hold. An open wound in his back is leaking cerebral spinal fluid. Singano is at risk of getting infection as well as other medical problems if not treated. Two days after birth, Singano was referred to a different hospital for further management of his conditions. Singano cries a lot and is still not able to breast feed well. He is the fifth born in the family and all family members are hopping that proper treatment will save his life. Singano’s mother used to have her own small business of selling second hand clothes, but she had to quit her job a few months before giving birth to her son. His father is an artist – he does some painting work as well as crafting. They work hard to care for their five children, three of whom are in school. As much as they want the best treatment for their son, coming up with enough money to cover the cost of operation which Singano immediately needs is impossible. $1,200 will fund the surgery he needs, as well as all post-operative care in the hospital. After surgery, the cerebral spinal fluid will no longer leak from Singano’s lower back, his head circumference will not continue to increase in size, and Singano may not lose his vision. Singano's mother is grateful for the care given to her son. “I just hope that my son will get well, start breastfeeding, stop crying most of the time and grow up like his siblings,” she shares.

40-year-old Taw is a farmer who lives with her husband, son, and four daughters in Burma. Her family practices swidden agriculture—a rotational farming method in which different plots of land are cleared for cultivation each year—to grow rice, green beans, and cucumbers to feed themselves. Taw spent several months away from her husband and children while receiving treatment for choriocarcinoma, a cancer of the uterus that occurs during pregnancy. The fast-growing cancer cells develop within the tissue that becomes the placenta. Costs associated with Taw’s previous medical care have left the family with a large amount of debt. With no income from the farm and no external sources of financial support, they have no means of paying for additional treatment for Taw or even education fees or clothes for the children. In addition, the shifting of roles within the family has decreased productivity on the farm and puts them at risk of not producing enough food to feed themselves. “Taw’s current symptoms include gripping abdominal pain and tight muscle spasms in her lower back that force her to lie down,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “She experiences ongoing bleeding, has spells of dizziness and headaches, and is easily fatigued.” “Taw has been unable to work, and her husband has taken time off to care for her and their sick daughter,” BBP continues. “This has forced their 14-year-old daughter to drop out of school and to take up considerable responsibility to support the family.” For $1500, Taw will undergo a hysterectomy to remove her uterus. Funding also covers the costs of pre- and post-surgical consultations, seven days of hospital care, and transportation to and from the hospital. “It is hoped that surgery will improve the health condition and comfort of Taw so that she can return to her family,” says BBP. “When I recover, I will work hard to provide for my children," Taw shares.

Though she doesn't like to be photographed, Melisa is a happy baby. She loves to play in her baby walker, and is overall a very calm 11-month-old girl. At almost a year old, Melisa’s mother had no idea that her daughter was suffering from malnutrition. After paying a visit to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), in Guatemala, her mother was informed that her daughter’s regular fevers were the culprit of a weakened immune system. Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world. “Melisa is below both the height and weight curve for her age, and if she does not receive attention she will be at risk of the long-term effects of malnutrition,” explains WK. “Her immune system will continue to weaken and she will be at risk for other illnesses and infections. Her brain and body will experience limited development, the effects of which will follow her into adulthood.” Melisa’s family is working hard to support the health of their growing daughter. Her mother works to embroider textiles and her father is a coffee farmer. Still, they are short of funding medical needs for their daughter. With $512, Melisa will receive treatment that includes growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and medication to help recoup and get her back on track with normal growth. In addition, her mother will also receive proper nutrition education to prevent the effects of malnutrition throughout Melisa’s childhood. In advance, her mother expresses her gratitude for the donations that will give her daughter a chance to live a healthy and productive life, “Thank you for wanting to help us. I could never have imagined this.”