Ry is a 62-year-old carpenter from Cambodia. He has one son and two daughters. In his free time he watches the news on his phone. Five months ago, Ry developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision, pain, and hard to recognize something. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ry learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On April 27th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Ry said, "I hope my eye pain and poor vision will improve so I can work as a carpenter again."

Chanly has four sons, two daughters, and twelve grandchildren. In the rainy season she farms rice. In her free time she enjoys listening to the news on the radio and playing with her grandchildren. Chanly fell on her left arm causing an elbow dislocation. She took painkillers for a while but the pain never went away. She came to Children's Surgical Centre when the condition worsened. She is unable to work because she can not bend her left arm at all. An open reduction surgery of her left elbow will treat her recurrent dislocation and pain. She will be able to use her arm again. "I hope that the surgery will be done well so I can return to the rice field and do some housework too," Chanly said.

Win is a 46-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife and two sons in a village in Karen State. His elder daughter is a health worker where she works at a clinic in a rural village. His two youngest sons are students. Both he and his wife are a subsidence farmers. In his free time, he sometimes helps his community with building bridges or roads as much as he can. In January 2020, Win began experiencing painful urination and other troubling symptoms. Sometimes he also feels stomach pain in his right side. Watsi donors have helped to fund a CT scan and doctors have now been able to diagnose his kidney stones, which are hard deposits of minerals that form in the kidneys and are often very painful to pass. He has been advised to undergo surgery to remove his kidney stones. If left untreated, Win's symptoms will continue to worsen and will put him at risk for further health complications in the future. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Win's kidney stone removal surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 17th. Win said, "I am very excited to receive surgery soon and I cannot wait to recover from my condition."

Meet Chansy, a 32-year-old mother of three living in Cambodia. Chansy loves watching Khmer TV movies and often listens to popular Khmer music. "Chansy got into an altercation three months ago that left her with a broken forearm. She is constantly in pain and she cannot carry things around the house or go to work,” shares our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). “She had been receiving treatment in her provincial hospital for two months but her arm didn't heal at all." Doctors have recommended an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), a two-part surgery that will repair Chansy's fractured forearm. The area around the bone will be “opened” and the broken bone will be re-aligned using a metal internal fixation device. Due to the severe pain in her forearm, Chansy tells us that she cannot carry things around the house or cook for her children. With $405, we can provide treatment that will allow Chansy to regain mobility and care for her kids!

“I hope my son will be able to walk again so he can start going to kindergarten like his brother,” shares Ezekia’s mother. Ezekia is a five-year-old boy from Tanzania. Before falling ill, he was very active and loved playing around with his twin brother. Now, however, Ezekia is living with hydrocephalus—a condition in which the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid is blocked, causing a build up of excessive fluid in the ventricles of the brain. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us, “Ezekia can barely walk without support. He involuntarily shakes his head continuously, and the weight of his head is getting heavier for his body to support. If not treated, Ezekia will lose his vision, stop walking and completely become dependent.” AMHF explains, “Ezekia’s mother is now a single parent after her husband left her because of their son’s condition. She works hard to take care of her two children, but she does not have a reliable job. She holds a range of jobs, from garden work to selling fruits, just to earn something for her family. She needs financial support so that Ezekia can get the treatment he needs.” With $690 in funding, Ezekia will receive surgery to place a shunt in his brain. This shunt will divert the blocked cerebrospinal fluid to another area of his body where it can be absorbed normally. Following surgery, Ezekia will regain his vision and be able to move independently. Ezekia will be able to play with his brother and go to kindergarten just like his mother dreams.

Nak is a 42-year-old father to three young and lives with his family in Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us, “Nak has been feeling a constant burning sensation in his eye which causes him to itch it constantly, giving him a puffy face and even more red eye.” Nak has been diagnosed with pterygium—a noncancerous lesion that usually grows slowly due to too much sun exposure. The condition causes severe itchiness, swelling, and impaired vision. Due to his pteryguim, Nak is in a constant state of discomfort. He used to enjoy watching news on TV and working on his farm but is unable to do either until he receives treatment. For $150 Nak will undergo surgery to treat the pterygium. In this procedure, the pterygium is removed and the healthy part of the eye is glued or stitched onto the affected area. Following surgery, Nak will be free of the severe itching in his eye, which in turn will lead to reduced swelling and restored vision. With this treatment Nak will be back to his usual self and can once again support and care for his family.

Meet Cho Than, a 53-year-old seamstress and mother from Burma who enjoys planting vegetables in her garden. Known within her community for her generosity, Cho Than often gives the vegetables that she grows to her neighbors and friends. Cho Than has a myoma, more commonly known as a uterine fibroid. Fibroids are benign tumors that grow within the muscle tissue of the uterus, or womb. 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. An estimated 80 percent of women have uterine fibroids in their lifetime. While some women who have fibroids have no symptoms, others experience heavy periods, abdominal pain, or constipation. “Cho Than experiences severe pain in her back and lower abdomen,” shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “She has difficulty urinating and it is painful for her to do so. Her condition makes it impossible for her to work and requires her daughter to care for her and support her financially.” The recommended treatment for Cho Than is a total hysterectomy and oophorectomy (surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries). $1500 covers the cost of the surgery as well as a seven-day hospital stay and one outpatient appointment post-surgery. “With surgery, Cho Than will be able to live without pain,” reports BBP. Cho Than looks forward to being healthy again and hopes to be able to return to work as a seamstress. She dreams of owning a small house where she and her daughter can live peacefully.

Ofelia is a sociable 61-year-old woman from the Philippines. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), shares, “Since all of her kids are already married, she devotes her time helping in the tasks in their local church.” Three years ago, Ofelia experienced sudden weight loss and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. This condition is caused by the overproduction of a hormone in the thyroid. According to ICM, “She experiences sore throat, choking sensation and palpitations often thus affecting her daily activities and her ministry in their church.” Ofelia has undergone treatments in 2013 and 2014. However, her physician has now advised her to undergo a thyroidectomy—a surgery to remove the thyroid gland. Unfortunately, Ofelia and her husband cannot afford this treatment, as Ofelia does not work and her husband only earns $70 a month—barely enough for their daily expenses. ICM continues, “Her children also can't help with her surgery because they, too, have financial difficulties.” For $525, we can help fund Ofelia’s thyroid surgery, providing medication and a three-day hospital stay as well. The surgery will help correct her hormonal imbalance and eliminate the symptoms and discomfort Ofelia is currently experiencing. “She is very excited to undergo surgery so that she can continue to serve in their local church and sing without any difficulty,” adds ICM. “I’m always praying that there could be somebody who could help me with my surgery. It would be a great help if you could be God’s instrument to answer my prayer,” shares Ofelia.

Rose is a community leader in Kenya who recently had to stop working because of pain and bleeding from cervical cancer. Rose needs a total abdominal hysterectomy, a procedure that costs $750. Rose cannot afford the treatment, but if she does not receive care, her doctors expect that her cancer will spread and eventually cause her death. With the hysterectomy, it's likely that Rose will recover from cancer and lead a normal and productive life. Rose hopes this surgery will help her regain strength and allow her to continue her self-less lifestyle by doing what she loves most - helping people.

Four-year-old Tariku lives in a village in Ethiopia with his parents. When Tariku was born, he had a congential malformation that prevented Tariku from passing stool properly. Because of their low income, Tariku's parents are unable to afford the medical treatment that Tariku needs to grow up healthy. In the future, Tariku's parents wish to “see their child normal again like all the other boys in the village.” For $1,000, we can fund Tariku's surgery so he can pass stool normally and be able to play with his friends!

Dominga is a cancer survivor who is one surgery away from being on a path toward a normal and healthy life. After being diagnosed with stomach cancer, Dominga received surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy through Wuqu' Kawok's Complex Medical Care program. The surgery required a colostomy (diversion of her intestines into a bag). Now that she is cancer free, Dominga is a candidate for a reverse colostomy. This surgery will enable her to process food normally again and become more mobile and physically active. Wuqu' Kawoq's Medical Director says, "Dominga is an amazingly strong woman who shouldered through a really tough chemotherapy and surgery regimen without a single complication or complaint. She is delighted to have survived cancer and is really excited about the possibility of no longer needing a colostomy."

Srey Nich is an awesome girl who loves science and Angry Birds, but she is battling the side effects of a bad medical treatment she received at one year old. When Srey Nich got sick with a fever as baby, a local doctor gave her thigh injections that were meant to cure her. Instead, they resulted in severe muscle stiffness. Nine years later, she can't bend her legs. This makes Srey Nich's life very difficult. She can't walk a half mile to school with the other kids in her village, and she gets teased for her condition. She needs surgery and physiotherapy to restore functionality to her legs. Srey Nich comes from a rural area of Cambodia, where her parents work as rice farmers. She is the youngest of five children, and her whole family hopes she gets the care she needs to live a normal and happy life.