Win is a 54-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her father, sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews. Since 2016, Win has been experiencing lower abdominal and back pain. She has been diagnosed with an ovarian tumor. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Win's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Win is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on April 19. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. After surgery, Win will no longer experience lower abdominal pain. She will be able to walk again without back pain. Win says, "I am afraid to have surgery but I want to get well so that I will go through it. I hope that after surgery, I will no longer experience the pain."

Srey Ka is a sixth grade student from Cambodia. She likes to read books and watch TV, and hopes to become an accountant when she grows up. When she was a child, Srey Ka had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Srey Ka experiences discharge, headaches, hearing loss, and tinnitus. It is difficult for her focus in school and she often has ear discharge and cannot hear. Srey Ka traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 8, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $842 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Her mother says, "I hope that after my daughter's surgery, I will no longer have to worry about her and she will be able to hear clearly."

Jackline is a 45-year-old woman from Uganda. She is a subsistence farmer who grows beans, bananas, potatoes, maize, and groundnuts. In her free time, Jackline enjoys weeding her banana plantation, listening to radio programs, visiting friends and relatives, and attending church and praising God for the gift of life and children. For the last year, Jackline has suffered pain. She has moved to different clinics and hospitals for treatment, where she was given antibiotics and analgesics, but she did not get much pain relief. Her doctor then referred her to Bwindi Community Hospital, our medical partner's care center, for further pain management. At Bwindi Community Hospital, Jackline's doctor diagnosed her with a cervical polyp that is infected. As a result, she needs to undergo a hysterectomy procedure in order to stop the pain she has been experiencing. On August 28, Jackline will undergo a hysterectomy procedure. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting $321 to fund Jackline's procedure. This will cover the full cost of treatment, including a five-night hospital stay, labs, medication, supplies, and surgeon time. Jackline hopes to resume farming after her treatment and is grateful to all of the Watsi donors.

Htay is a 43-year-old woman who lives and works with her nieces and nephew on a cabbage farm in Thailand. Since 2016, Htay has had pain in her lower right abdomen. When the pain started, she received medication from a clinic, which helped. However, in 2017 Htay’s symptoms returned. She went back to the clinic, and was diagnosed with a gallstone in the common bile duct. After being diagnosed she was sent to the hospital, where the doctors confirmed her diagnosis and told her that she needed surgery. “I want to recover very soon so that I can return to my work," said Htay. Watsi is requesting $1,500 to help fund Htay's treatment. She will undergo a biliary obstruction repair on August 28.

Chan Thorn is a 20-year-old rubber factory worker from Cambodia. Chan Thorn loves Cambodian pop music and relaxing at home. On July 28, he had an accident at work, which cut parts of his foot and toe, which has now become infected. Chan Thorn is in pain and unable to work or walk properly. The bone is exposed. Without treatment, the condition could seriously worsen. When Chan Thorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On September 5, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to to remove damaged and infected tissue and reduce Chan Thorn's pain. Now, Chan Thorn needs help to fund this $262 procedure. He says, "I want to be able to work and walk normally again."

Phat is a 31-year-old farmer who is married with two sons and one daughter. He likes to feed his chickens, take care of his rice field, and relax at home. In August, Phat was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a brachial plexus injury (BPI) on his left side. In other words, the nerves in his back were severely damaged. He went to a hospital in his province for treatment, but his symptoms did not improve. Phat became unable to use his left arm. When Phat learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for six hours to seek treatment. On December 26, surgeons at CSC performed a BPI surgery to repair Phat's damaged nerves. After recovery, Phat will be able to use his arm easily again. CSC is requesting $450 to fund this procedure.

John is a 68-year-old man living in a rural village in Uganda. He is a subsistence farmer who grows maize, beans, groundnuts, cassava, and millet. He sells sheep in the local market to earn extra money. For five years, John has had a painful hernia that prevents him from working. He experiences backaches, dizziness, lower abdominal pain, and discomfort. Fortunately, on November 4, he underwent a hernia repair surgery. Though John has contributed $4 for his care, he needs help to raise the $229 required for his medical bill. John enjoys listening to the radio as he grazes his sheep and playing with his grandchildren when they return home from school. He also enjoys visiting his friends in the village to chat about "the nature of life and their youth." “I thank donors for supporting my treatment," he says. "I pray that God rewards them.”

Jenina is a a 36-year-old mother of five who lives in Uganda. Her youngest child has not started school, while her other children are in school. Together with her husband, Samson, Jenina grows food for home consumption and recently started keeping piglets hoping to raise more income. They also often supplement their earnings by picking tea at nearby farms. After attending four prenatal clinics, Jenina was diagnosed in by Bwindi Community Hospital as a high-risk mother, largely because she is over 35, in October. Without a medically attended hospital delivery, they worried she might experience complications like post preterm hemorrhage, obstructed labour, or uterine prolapse, which would pose a risk to her and the life of the baby she is carrying. So they enrolled her to deliver in the hospital setting. During her free time, Jenina enjoys worshiping at the local church and watching the sun set. She finds it the sky beautiful as the sun is setting across the hills in her village. “I will be very grateful for the support to have a safe hospital delivery and I hope to share with women in my village about family planning," Jenina said.

Gumisiriza is a 24-year-old young man from Uganda. His father passed on and he lives with his mother. Gumisiriza went to school up to Senior Four. He has no formal employment, but he volunteers at church as Sacristan. He is happiest when he is serving and praying at Church. Gumisiriza developed a swelling in the epigastric region (upper abdomen) seven years ago. Due to the pain, he is unable to dig, carry heavy items, or walk long distances. He visited a hospital in 2011 and was advised to have surgery, but his mother couldn’t afford to pay for it. Gumisiriza was given medicine which provided him a little relief, but after some time the pain came back. If not treated, the hernia (part of the intestine protrudes through the abdominal wall) could become stuck, leading to damage to the intestine or even the stomach. $249 will cover the cost of the surgery and care Gumisiriza needs. After recovery he hopes to be able to work in the gardens.

Early in January, 32-year-old Ngeth was involved in a motorcycle accident that fractured his left upper arm and caused a brachial plexus injury (BPI). A BPI occurs when the nerves that send signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand are stretched, compressed, or torn apart. Since his injury, Ngeth's fracture has healed after surgery at a local hospital, but his BPI has been untreated. He currently has no function of his left wrist and hand. Doctors at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a BPI repair surgery that costs $392. This involves diverting a nerve from one destination and sewing it into the non-functioning nerve. It can take three to six months before full recovery of function is typically seen. In his free time, Ngeth likes to spend time with his daughter and three sons, watch TV, and spend time at home. He hopes that with the surgery, he will be able to do those activities with more ease. "I hope I can have function of my left arm again after surgery," he says. "When I am healed I want to go home and continue working."

Just a few months ago, 64-year-old Mom fell down and badly fractured her elbow. Although she received traditional Khmer treatment in her home country of Cambodia, it was not effective in treating her pain or setting her bones so that they could heal properly. Mom visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where her fracture was diagnosed. The team at CSC told Mom that she needs surgery, but as the mother and caretaker of six children, she does not have the money to afford the cost of care. For $405, Mom will undergo surgery to reset the fracture in her arm and realign her elbow so that it can bend and function properly. After surgery, Mom can return to taking care of her family and cooking food without discomfort.

Meet Deependra, an 18-year-old who lives with his mother in Nepal. Deependra is in the Army, while his mother works as a farmer in their village. He has one brother who currently lives in India and works in a restaurant. “Deependra was being examined at work when they told him he had hydrocele and had to go get a surgery done,” shares our medical partner, Possible. A hydrocele is a fluid-filled sac that causes swelling in the scrotum. As a result of his diagnosis, Deependra was "forced to take leave from work and stay on bed rest,” says Possible. After a four-hour jeep ride to the hospital, Deependra was told that he needed a caretaker with him in order to have surgery. He then had to return to his village to bring his mother along with him. Now that he has returned to the hospital, Deependra can receive hydrocele repair surgery to drain the fluid from around his scrotum. This $428 surgery will decrease his swelling and allow him to return to work without discomfort. “I want to be healed as soon as possible so that I can let my mother go back home and I can rejoin work,” shares Deependra. Let’s make this surgery happen for Deependra.