Chong is a nine-year-old boy from Thailand. He lives with his mother, who works as an agricultural day laborer, planting and harvesting corn and beans for a plantation owner. They live in a hut on the plantation owner’s land. Chong’s mother supports the family as a single parent. She cannot afford to send any of her children to school. Chong helps his mother with household chores, cooking meals or collecting water from a nearby pond. Some days, he accompanies his mother to work, where he helps her carry bags. A year after Chong was born, his mother noticed an abnormal condition in a sensitive area of his body. Chong complained of pain, so his mother brought him to the hospital. There, the family learned about our medical partner. Chong was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia and hydrocele. He is scheduled to undergo a repair surgery on January 4, 2017. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Chong loves to play games of marbles with his friends. He also loves to cook. His mother says that his best dishes are fish paste salad, stir fried dishes, and soup. Even when he is not feeling well, Chong always wants to help his mother. In the future, Chong hopes to stay in Thailand to support his mother. “I would like to find a job here,” he says, “so that I can help my mother.”

Josefa is a 43-year-old woman who lives in Guatemala. For the last six months, she has been experiencing severe dermatitis. Because of this, Josefa has huge ulcerations, or breaks in her skin, as well as large scaling on both of her legs. The itchiness and pain keeps Josefa up at night, and topical ointments and medications aren't helping. With further medical care, including a 6-12 month course of immunosuppressive medication under close monitoring, Josefa should be able to see marked improvement in her symptoms. "Josefa is a great woman who has put up with this condition for six months with a smile on her face," our hospital partner writes. "However, it is starting to take its toll. She is exhausted and at her wit's end. She needs our help to get this condition behind her." With $500 we can cover the cost of Josefa's medication, lab testing and monitoring as well as the cost of transportation associated with care. Let's help Josefa get the relief she needs.

Jessa is a vibrant 23-year-old woman who lives in the Philippines with her parents and seven siblings. She has experienced severe abdominal pain for more than two years now — sometimes so severe that she collapses. Recently, Jessa received an ultrasound which showed she has a 22 cm ovarian cyst that is at risk of rupturing. Jessa's father is a farmer. He earns less than $550 per month, which he uses to support their entire family. Because of her cyst, Jessa is now unable to help around the house like she used to, and her father can't even come close to affording the treatment she needs. For $640, Jessa will receive an ovarian cystectomy to completely remove the tumor, allowing her to help support her family and enjoy a normal, pain-free life. Let's do this!

Manisha is an active 13-year-old girl from Nepal who lives with her parents and three siblings. She is in the sixth grade and her favorite subject is English. Manisha's favorite sport is badminton. Recently, while Manisha was playing, she fell off the balcony of her home and fractured her wrist. Her family's only source of income is farming, and their current yield will only last six months. They are concerned Manisha's injury will lead to lifelong disability if left untreated, but they cannot afford the treatment. For $1,040, we can help Manisha receive surgical correction for her fractured wrist. This surgery will give Manisha the chance to get back to playing badminton in no time. Let's help her out!

Nirajan is a bright, active boy. He does well in school and loves playing cricket with his friends. His favorite subject is math, and his mother wants him to become a doctor. Nirajan's promising future is threatened by a serious heart condition. Three months ago, he was diagnosed with pericardial effusion, abnormal accumulation of fluid around the heart that can be fatal if left untreated. Nirajan is already experiencing chest pain, fever, shortness of breath, and weight loss. He needs surgery to remove the fluid and save his life. We hope to raise $1,025 to pay for Nirajan's treatment in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. Both his father and mother work in house construction to support him, but in a community where the average person lives on less than $1 a day, this surgery is not within their reach. Let's help Nirajan get healthy again!

Tha Zin is a nine-year-old girl from Burma, the setting of the world's longest-running civil war. Tha Zin was diagnosed with an orbital pseudotumor when she was six. Her parents took her to Yangon, the former capital of Burma, for surgery. Unfortunately, something went wrong in surgery, and afterwards Tha Zin's eye was even more swollen than before. For the next two years, Tha Zin's parents went into debt traveling to the capital every two weeks to get medication to manage their daughter's condition. Her eye has still not improved, and she's missed a year of school as a result. Quality medical care is scarce in Burma, but Burma Border Projects' partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can facilitate Tha Zin's care in Thailand. It will cost $1500 to coordinate Tha Zin's surgery, which will either restore function to her eye, or remove it and enable her to continue with school. BCMF writes, "When we ask Tha Zin what she wants when she is older, she is very shy and does not say anything. However, later she comes up to a staff member and tells him that she would like to be a doctor." Let's help make that possible!

In 1992, when Rose was only 3 years old, politically instigated riots broke out in the small village in Kenya where she and her family lived. With her parents and siblings all at home, their small house was set ablaze. Sadly, only Rose and her mother made it out alive. Rose incurred severe body burns. Good samaritans rushed her to a nearby hospital where she received emergency medical attention. However, she was unable to get any further surgical assistance due to a lack of finances. It’s been 21 years, and Rose’s body is still deformed due to scaring. Her burned skin is uncomfortable, causes pain, and will eventually lead to permanent disability. Surgery is her best chance at a normal life, but as an employee in a small shop, she can only afford $1000 of her catastrophic medical costs. If we can raise the remaining $1500 needed, African Mission Healthcare Foundation can provide Rose with a burn contracture release and reconstruction surgery. Rose told Watsi's coordinator at AMHF that she "desires to settle down and raise a family," and this treatment can give her the chance.

Foster and his mother traveled 100 miles to seek medical care for his left hand, which was badly burned in an accident. As a result of the injury, three of Foster’s fingers have contracted, a phenomenon that occurs when skin has been so severely damaged by second or third degree burns that it begins to pull tightly together and restrict movement in the affected area. If left untreated, Foster's condition will render his hand useless for the rest of his life. Foster was identified during an outreach project of Watsi’s Medical Partner, CURE International. The doctors who evaluated him say they are confident that with surgery, they can release his contractures and restore mobility to his fingers. They told Foster’s mother to bring him back to CURE’s main hospital, which she faithfully did. Now, a simple surgery is all that stands between Foster and a fully functional hand. $1000 will completely cover the cost of Foster’s medical care. His parents work on a small farm to support their family, but they never saw this accident coming. They live in a community where the average person makes $1.75 a day, so paying for Foster’s treatment themselves is absolutely impossible.