Meet Hsa, a 27-year-old man from Burma. Hsa works on a rice farm and also makes coal from wood to sell so he can support his family. Hsa came to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), with a mass inside his nasal passage and adjacent sinus. “Hsa first noticed symptoms related to his condition six years ago when he was 21,” says BBP. “He said that he had difficulty breathing, had a sore throat, and a yellow-colored discharge started to drip from his nose.” Hsa sought medical care on multiple occasions, but the medicines he received did not relieve his symptoms, BBP adds. “His head throbs, he cannot breathe well, and he has trouble hearing due to the drainage.” “I have to miss work in the rice fields when my symptoms are particularly bad,” says Hsa. His inability to work prevents him from sending money home to support his family and pay school fees for his sisters. With $1,500, Hsa can undergo surgery to remove the mass from his nose and sinus. Funding also pays for 15 days of hospital care immediately after surgery and two outpatient visits for follow-up care. “It is expected that if Hsa has treatment for his condition, that he will be able to return to work so that he can earn money to support his parents and siblings,” BBP tells us. “He will no longer be in discomfort/pain and will be able to sleep well.” “If I can get well, I will be able to make money and send it home to my family,” says Hsa.

"Veronica is a very happy little girl," says our medical partner, World Altering Medicine (WAM). "She likes to laugh a lot with her brothers and sisters. Her mother is a small business woman who sells vegetables. Currently she is unable to do business because of her daughter’s condition and is struggling a lot to care for the family." Veronica is a 4-year-old girl from Malawi who lives with hydrocephalus -- a buildup of fluid in her brain. Her head is therefore larger than normal, and she has been delayed in reaching normal milestones. "She has not started sitting on her own and cannot talk," WAM tells us. "She has sight problems and is difficult to feed." For $992, doctors can insert a shunt in Veronica's head and drain the excess fluid. This procedure will normalize the pressure in her head and with time, it will return to a normal size. "Treatment will enable her to develop normally and participate in all the activities girls at her age enjoy," WAM adds. "Veronica is my last born daughter; I love her so much that I would be the happiest parent if her condition is treated," her mother tells us.

“Naw Moe is a very shy yet witty thirteen-year-old girl,” says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). Naw Moe lives in Burma with her parents and one of her four older siblings. “Naw Moe's parents both work as farmers, planting and cultivating a variety of plants and then selling the partially grown plants," says BBP. When Naw Moe was nine-years-old, “she began to experience numbness and pain in her left side, knee aches, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and difficulty urinating,” BBP tells us. Naw Moe was subsequently diagnosed with kidney stones. Because of her condition, “Naw Moe currently does not go to school,” and “no longer wishes to go out to play with her friends, but stay home and keep to herself," BBP continues. Surgery to remove the kidney stones will cost $1500, and is expected to eliminate all symptoms. Treatment “will allow her to live a normal live and she can return to her normal happy self," says BBP. Naw Moe and her family are hopeful for the treatment outcome. “Her mother hopes her to be happy and healthy. She hopes her daughter will be able to go back to the days when Naw Moe would be able to cook for her mom when she was too busy to, and back on track to achieving her dreams,” BBP says. “Naw Moe cheerfully tells us her aspirations are to become a nun and teach ninth and tenth grades in Burma for the rest of her life.”

Frezor came to CURE to be treated for bilateral hip dysplasia, a misalignment of the hip joint that makes him unable to stand or walk. His parents brought him to the clinic at CURE Malawi to be diagnosed and scheduled for surgery. Without surgery, Frezor will be unable to walk for the rest of his life. This affects his ability to play with his friends and attend school. The doctors at CURE Malawi intend to operate on him to change that. Frezor comes from a poor family in Malawi. His parents want him to have a normal, healthy life, but without the ability to walk, that dream won’t be possible. After surgery, attending school, having a normal childhood free from taunting and discrimination, and even finding a job someday will all be possible for Frezor.

Dulier is a 14-year-old boy from Guatemala with an atrial septal defect, a large hole in his heart that causes fatigue, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Dulier also has some issues with his teeth, and the cost of treatment will include preliminary dental work to prevent any infection from spreading from his teeth to his heart during surgery. Dulier's little sister Mayda has the same heart condition and is currently being supported by Watsi donors as well. Let's make sure Dulier and Mayda have the opportunity to grow up and live healthy lives together!