Nengai is a young student from Tanzania. She loves school and enjoys playing football. Her mother passed away when she was only eight years old. Nengai lives withe her brother, who works as a welder. Since she was two years old, Nengai has been experiencing difficulty breathing. Frequent illness causes Nengai to miss school. Nengai was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $633 to fund a tonsillectomy for Nengai, which is scheduled to take place on February 8. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Nengai of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. Nengai says, “I will be glad if I will no longer be sick regularly. Thank you for helping me get this treatment.”

Kabagenyi is a farmer from Uganda. She is a widow and a mother of five children: two girls and three boys. Kabagenyi lost her husband five years ago. She is now looking after her children alone. Kabagenyi cultivates food for both home consumption and for sale. For three years, Kabagenyi has had a reducible left inguinal hernia. The hernia causes her pain and discomfort and affects her ability to work in her farm. Fortunately, on February 14, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Kabagenyi's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. She says, "After surgery I will go for a thanks giving mass in church.”

Phalla is a 23-year-old construction worker with two sisters and four brothers. In his free time, he likes to watch TV and go on Facebook. In June, Phalla was in a motorbike accident that left him with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. This means that the nerves in his back were damaged. He was unconscious and was treated at a hospital in Phnom Penh. The accident left him completely paralyzed in his left arm, hand, and fingers. Phalla could no longer work to support his family. When Phalla learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for four hours to seek treatment. On December 15, surgeons at CSC performed a nerve and tendon repair surgery to allow Phalla to use his arm easily again. CSC is requesting $450 to fund this procedure. "I hope that my left arm is better and has good function again," says Phalla.

“Mourine is wrapped up in warm clothing and she peeps out once in a while to catch a glimpse of who is talking,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), as they speak with Mourine’s mother. “Her innocent bright eyes display hope for tomorrow and urge to see more of this world.” Mourine, an eight-month-old girl from Kenya, has a posterior encephalocele, a rare condition in which the bones of the skull do not close completely. This creates a gap through which cerebral spinal fluid, brain tissue, and the membrane covering the brain can protrude into a sac-like formation. “Her mother, who is a single mom, has to endure all the questioning eyes directed at her daughter and the whispers whenever she moves, and this greatly disheartens her,” continues AMHF. The swelling causes Mourine great pain when touched, and if left untreated Mourine may experience mental and growth retardation, seizures, and uncoordinated movement of voluntary muscles that could affect rudimentary skills such as walking and reaching. “Mourine is the only child to her mother, who was abandoned when she was pregnant,” shares AMHF. They live with Mourine’s grandparents in Central Kenya, and the grandparents’ subsistence farming supports the family. “All they want is the best for their little angel—for her to grow up normally with no deterrents whatsoever.” Mourine’s family needs assistance in raising the $780 that will cover Mourine’s encephalocele repair surgery. During this procedure, doctors will perform surgery to place the protruding tissues and cerebral spinal fluid back into the skull and close the opening. “The encephalocele repair will prevent infection and desiccation of brain tissue,” says AMHF. Let’s help give Mourine the chance to grow up healthy.

25-year-old Kristine has a happy and outgoing personality. She lives in the Philippines with her mother, and she is loved by her family and fellow church members. She also loves to sing and dance with the other children in their church and community. If the church has an activity, she eagerly offers herself to help with any chores in the activity area. Kristine was born with congenital clubfoot, a condition that impacts her gait. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), explains: "Kristine has difficulty in walking because of her left foot deformity. She also has seizure disorder but it is currently managed with medication. Her mother said that she was frequently teased by her classmates when she was still in elementary school because of the way she walked. Since then, she has not joined school; and everyday, she wishes that she could go back even in her age." Treatment for Kristine will cost $1,211, and consists of a surgery to correct her deformity give her a balanced gait, as well as boost her self esteem. It will also fulfill her wishes to go back to school if time and situation permits. Kristine's family was unable to have Kristine undergo surgery earlier because of lack of finances. At their pre-operative interview with ICM, Kristine's mother shared: "I really hope that my child can get treatment. We want to see her well and live normally, but we could not make it happen. She even stopped schooling to avoid bullies because we don't want to see her have emotional pains. We are praying that there could be someone that could help her."

“Julio had his first seizure when he was 13,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “At first, he only had them once a month, then once every two weeks, then every week. Lately, he has been having seizures three times per day.” These epileptic seizures can be frightening for Julio, a 15-year-old from Guatemala. “When he has a convulsion, he falls, begins to shake, and his eyes roll in the back of his head,” reports WK. “It normally lasts fifteen minutes, and afterwards he is usually weak and dizzy.” These now-daily interruptions often force Julio’s mother to keep her son home from school so that she can care for him. This has substantially slowed Julio’s education: even though he is in his mid-teens, and seems to have no learning difficulties, he has only reached fifth grade. His mother has also had to quit her job so that she can stay home with Julio, putting the family in financial strain. Despite these setbacks, Julio is an outgoing, academically ambitious boy. “Julio loves to study and talk with his classmates,” says WK. “His favorite things to do are to play soccer, and practice math.” He dreams of becoming a teacher one day. Without intervention, though, that dream will be difficult to achieve. Fortunately, Julio’s doctors believe his epilepsy is not intractable. For $966 we can connect Julio with the combination of medications he’ll need to get his seizures under control. This cost will also pay for diagnostic lab tests and a brain MRI, so doctors can make sure they are treating him correctly. “This treatment will allow Julio to be much more independent, as he will be healthy enough to leave the house on his own,” WK tells us. This means that Julio will be able to aim high in his own education, and someday, to help others do the same by becoming a teacher.

30-year-old Bharat lives in Nepal with his wife and two daughters. He and his wife work as farmers, and in his free time Bharat likes to sing and share stories with his two young daughters. A year ago, Bharat fractured his leg. "He was bathing in the outdoor tap when he slipped on the mossy floor," reports our medical partner, Possible. Fortunately, Bharat was able to receive surgery, and doctors used an implant to keep his left femur bones properly aligned while they healed. "He did a lot of physiotherapy exercise and no longer has difficulty doing basic activities," Possible explains. Although Bharat has regained function of his leg, walking long distances still causes him pain. For $579, surgeons will remove the implant in his leg so that Bharat can fully complete his recovery. Then he will be able to return home with full use of his leg. "I'd like my surgery to go well so that I can return to my work," shares Bharat.

Mwesige is a 33-year-old father of four who operates a small banana farm with his wife. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to programs on the radio. For the last seven years, he has been living with an inguinal hernia, a painful condition whereby a weakening of the abdominal wall allows the intestines to protrude. The living he makes when he is farming has not been enough to afford the surgery he needs to repair the hernia. He has been trying to treat the pain by taking different herbs, but they are not enough to live comfortably. The pain now keeps him from working and if he does not get medical attention, the hernia can have serious and potentially fatal complications. With $220 in Watsi funding, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), will perform the surgery to fix Mwesige's hernia. Doctors will make an incision in his abdomen to adjust the intestine back into place, and then suture the weakened wall shut. The surgery will allow him to live pain-free. Mwesige looks forward to returning to work and helping his wife once he’s healthy. “My pain is making my wife work alone," he explains. "I wish I could get well and start working together with her.” His plan is to recover and expand the farm to better provide for his family.

Kriscous is a jolly, four-year-old boy from the Philippines with cleft palate. Kriscous loves playing with his grandmother and other children. However, he become very shy because other children make fun of his appearance and altered speech. The attention from other children, and the frustration he experiences when his community can't understand him constantly puts him on edge, and he often gets into fights with other children and neighbors. In addition to worrying about his health, his family worries that Kriscous will continue to be unhappy if his condition persists. With $1,464, Kriscous will receive cleft palate repair surgery and follow-up care that will help him speak with less difficulty and give him the confidence to connect with other children. According to his grandmother, "Kriscous is very excited to be treated so he can have self-confidence and fulfill his dreams."

49-year-old Lim lives in Cambodia with her four children and two grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys watching Korean dramas on TV. "Two years ago Lim developed a pterygium in her right eye," reports our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). A pterygium is a growth of pink tissue on the white of the eye. "This causes her blurred vision, burning, and redness," CSC explains. This condition usually develops as a result of UV sun damage to the eye, and commonly occurs among laborers in equatorial regions who do not have adequate eye protection. Although it is non-cancerous, the pterygium will continue to grow over time and can interfere with Lim's vision if left untreated. "I don't feel good doing work or going outside," Lim tells us. Lim traveled three hours with her sister to reach CSC for treatment. For $150, doctors will be able to remove the growth on Lim's eye and use another piece of her healthy eye tissue to patch the affected area. This is a very short procedure, and after using steroid drops for 1-2 weeks her eye will be fully healed. After her procedure, Lim will be relieved of the burning, irritation, and redness from the eye growth. She is looking forward to returning to take care of her family. "I hope my eye will be good looking with no more cyst," she says. "I want to be able to make desserts for selling in front of my home to earn money to support my family."

Meet Eliru, a 24-year-old man living in Uganda. He is a third year university student and the son of a single mother. “Eliru has one parent who is a peasant and struggles to pay his school fees,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Six months ago, Eliru developed a painful swelling in his right shoulder that he later learned was a lipoma, a benign tumor composed of fat tissue. Eliru’s lipoma is adversely affecting his day-to-day life: “he feels pain during lectures and this affects his studies,” says AMHF. The pain is also making it harder for Eliru to help his mother. “He cannot carry anything heavy,” AMHF states, “and this affects his ability to help his mother with domestic work at home.” AMHF explains, "Eliru cannot afford his treatment and wishes to be helped so that he can be well.” If the lipoma is not removed, it is likely that his lipoma will continue to grow and his pain will increase. For $120, Eliru will receive a surgery in which his lipoma will be removed. AMHF expects that after the surgery, the swelling will go down and Eliru will no longer be in pain. “I hope to be fine and well after the surgery,” shares Eliru, “and to be able to finish my studies.”

This is 66-year-old Moeun, a father of six and grandfather of 11 from Cambodia. "He enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray and feeding the cows and chickens at home," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. Moeun was recently screened by one of CSC's outreach teams, and they learned that he had developed a cataract in each eye about one year ago. A cataract occurs when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy from a buildup of proteins. In Moeun's case, this cloudiness has accumulated over time, and has slowly deteriorated his vision. If left untreated, he could completely lose his ability to see. Due to this condition, Moeun has experienced blurred vision, tearing, discharge, and pain. "I can't see everything clearly, do any work well, or go anywhere outside," Moeun says. Moeun traveled four hours with his wife to reach CSC for proper treatment. Since he no longer works and does not have a steady income, it is difficult for his family to pay for any medical expenses. $225 in funding will help cover the costs of a lens replacement, where doctors at CSC will remove the cloudy lenses in Moeun's eyes and replace them with clear implants. The cost of treatment also includes a two-day hospital stay, medication and food. Within one day after his operation, Moeun will be able to see clearly again. "I hope my eye can see everything clear, so I can easily help my family to do some housework like clean grass and feed animals around home," shares Moeun.