Sophea is a 29-year-old man who lives in Cambodia and works as a driver's assistant. In his free time, he likes to listen to pop music and watch TV. On July 17, 2014, Sophea was involved in a motor vehicle accident and fractured his right thigh bone (femur). He went to a hospital in Phnom Penh, where surgeons performed an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure to attach hardware to his broken bone to heal the fracture. Unfortunately, his fracture has not healed, and he continues to be in pain and have difficulty walking. Sophea has not been able to work since the accident. Sophea learned about Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from a neighbor who had undergone surgery at its affiliated hospital, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Sophea and his sister traveled for three hours to reach CSC for examination and treatment. On June 5, surgeons at CSC will re-do the ORIF procedure to heal Sophea's fracture and help him walk easily again. CSC requests $411 to pay for the operation, 14 nights in the hospital, lab tests, X-rays, and 14 physical therapy sessions. Let's help fund surgery for Sophea!

Elisabeth is a 41-year-old mother from Haiti. She has two children, aged 11 and 15. Elisabeth works as a street merchant to support her family. In July of 2016, Elisabeth sought out medical help for a mass that developed in her breast. A few weeks later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and began chemotherapy treatment. The chemotherapy has worked to reduce her cancerous cells, but she will need surgery to completely eliminate her cancer. On March 17, Elisabeth will undergo mastectomy surgery at our medical partner's care center, St. Luc Family Hospital. Our medical partner, Innovating Health International, is asking for $1,085 to cover the cost of her operation. After treatment, Elisabeth hopes to get back to work and regain her independence!

Irene is a 12-year-old girl from Tanzania and a member of a big family of eight. Her father works long days and nights as a security guard to help provide for his family. Irene’s mother stays at home to take care of her six children. Irene currently goes to a nearby government school and enjoys learning. At birth, Irene was diagnosed with a palatal tumor, a growth on the roof of her mouth. Throughout her life, it has continued to swell. Since the tumor is near to her front teeth, it is slowly pushing Irene’s teeth out of place. This makes it difficult for her to eat. Without treatment, the mass could continue to grow and impact her breathing as well. Because their family is so large and only has a small income, Irene’s parents need financial help for Irene’s treatment. Irene is scheduled to undergo a mass excision procedure on February 2. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is looking for $920 to pay for the surgery and hospital stay while Irene recovers. After the surgery, Irene will be able to eat normally. and her quality of her life will improve greatly. Her mother says, “I hope that after surgery that she will have no lasting damage and be able to live life happily.”

"I missed a lot of school last year because my heart made me too sick to go," shares 16-year-old Alex. "I'm excited for my surgery so that I can go back to school every day." Alex lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with his parents, two sisters, and one brother. He is in the ninth grade and would like to go to college in the future. He enjoys listening to soccer games on the radio and spending time with his friends. Alex has a condition called severe rheumatic mitral regurgitation. The mitral valve of his heart became severely damaged by an infection and can no longer pump blood to the rest of his body. As a result, blood backs up into his heart, leading to heart failure. Alex needs open-heart surgery to either repair or replace the valve. Alex will fly to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On January 24, he will undergo cardiac surgery. This $12,000 surgery is subsidized by Have a Heart Cayman Islands, an organization that helps subsidize and provide life-saving heart surgeries to children from the Caribbean and around the world. Alex's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Alex's family overseas.

Tatiana is a nine-year-old girl from Kenya. Five years ago, she developed a swelling. With time, the swelling grew, and her family sought treatment. She was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia, a protrusion of the intestine through the abdominal wall. Tatiana experiences a lot of pain and discomfort. The family lives in a rental house in the Nairobi suburbs. Her father works in an automobile garage as a mechanic, while her mother works in a salon. They have contributed $41 to her treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting an additional $423. Tatiana will undergo a repair surgery on February 3. After having the hernia repaired, Tatiana hopes to resume school. She says, “I want to be a hairdresser when I grow up. I love plaiting my friend's hair.”