This smiley man is U Aung. He's a 62-year-old man who has endured more than his cheery face indicates. He comes from an area of Burma that has experienced heavy fighting during the country's brutal civil conflict, and has been forced many times by the military to work as a porter, transporting equipment and supplies, along with other men from his village. In order to avoid this position, one must find a replacement and pay up to $800, a luxury that U Aung cannot afford. As a result, many phases of his life have not been his own. The struggle to take back his life was complicated when, in 2011, U Aung began to feel pain in his lower abdomen. He sought medical care from a local clinic, but they could only give him medication to ease his symptoms, not treat his condition. It wasn’t until 2013 that U Aung was finally diagnosed with benign prostate hypertrophy, or an enlarged prostate. U Aung has many dreams for his future. He would like to see peace in Burma in his lifetime. He hopes to live long enough to see all his children get married and to one day have grandchildren. U Aung needs a $1,330 surgery to restore his quality of life and make his hopes a reality. Let's make it happen!

Samuel is a resilient 33-year-old man who remains in good spirits and has a generous heart despite his medical condition. As a newborn he had hydrocephalus, a potentially life-threatening condition of excess fluid in the brain, but survived and grew up to do fairly well. A few months ago, Samuel started to experience severe headaches and seizures. He was diagnosed with a mucocele (a mucus-containing cystic lesion) in his brain. If left untreated, Samuel will continue to have severe symptoms which can lead to premature death. Samuel currently lives with his mother in a small village. She has been the rock of their family, supporting him and his five siblings single-handedly after the death of their father years ago. The income she makes from her small vegetable farm combined with Samuel’s wages from working as a casual laborer are still not enough to cover the medical care he needs. The craniotomy needed to remove the mucocele from Samuel’s brain costs $1,500. The doctors expect this will relieve his symptoms and help him live a long and healthy life. “I would love to open a kiosk when I get better. Then I could help my mother,” says Samuel. Let’s make this happen for him!

Roberto is a man from Guatemala with a renewed lease on life! Though he has had diabetes for many years, he has only recently been able to afford treatment. He has been doing great. However, in addition to diabetes, Roberto also has an enlarged prostate, which has been causing him to have severe problems with urination. People with diabetes have fragile kidneys, and Roberto is at risk for kidney infections and damage due to the combination of diabetes and an enlarged prostate. He is currently receiving a stop-gap treatment for his problem, but this treatment has its own risks and stigmas. Roberto is looking forward to receiving lasting treatment for his problems with urination. For $1,500, we can fund lab work, medication, transportation, and surgery. Roberto has worked really hard to get his diabetes in better control. Let's help him move past this last hurdle and onto excellent health.

Louis is a 58-year-old Haitian man who earned the nickname "Toutbon" ("all good") because of his perpetually positive attitude. Louis is suffering from the combination of a hernia and a hydrocele, and is unable to work regularly as a result. Dealing with a medical condition on top of Haiti's staggering 70% unemployment rate is difficult, but Watsi's Medical Partner writes, "Our medical staff believes that if he can get the hernia/hydrocele taken care of, it will allow him to focus on obtaining a steady job." Louis has young children, and he wants to do better to provide for them. His doctors write, "When he is able to get a steady job, he will be able to help his kids. He looks forward to the surgery, and getting this problem behind him."