Chhoeun is a 59-year-old retired soldier who is married and has three sons and four daughters. He likes to plant vegetables around his home and listen to the news on the radio. In 1982, Chhoeun stepped on a landmine. He was treated at a hospital for soldiers, where doctors amputated his left foot around the ankle. They used a "grass-killing" herbicide to treat the wound. However, the wound never healed, and he has been unable to work since the accident. Eight months ago, Chhoeun's chronic wound grew severely painful. When Chhoeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for seven hours to seek treatment. On December 14, surgeons at CSC performed a below-knee amputation to remove the unhealthy tissue and relieve Chhoeun of his pain. Now, CSC is requesting $446 to fund this procedure.

Immaculate is a 21-year-old woman from Uganda. She used to work as a maid, but she just finished a course at a local salon and now works as a hair dresser. While giving birth, Immaculate experienced complications and developed an uncomfortable condition in a sensitive area. This condition causes her discomfort and urinary dysfunction. On October 27, Immaculate underwent a repair surgery at our medical partner's hospital, Bwindi Community Hospital. Now, she needs help to fund this $547 procedure. "I am hoping that one day I will be able to work, save, and be able to support myself," says Immaculate. "I am so grateful to the people donating towards my care. May God bless you."

Nicca is an 11-month-old baby girl from the Philippines who is living with her parents in a rental house made of bamboo, sharing electricity with their neighbor. Nicca's father is a gardener, making barely enough to support the family. Due to lack of nutritional meals, Nicca is suffering from moderately acute malnutrition with thin limbs and a slightly bloated tummy. Her wish is to play dolls and bahay-bahayan (role-playing game with children acting as imaginary family members) with other kids. Watsi medical partner International Care Ministries' (ICM) Home-Based Feeding program will provide Nicca with nutrient enriched food packs to ensure she gets additional food to regain normal weight, and achieve optimum physical and mental development. Staff and community volunteers will make weekly visits to monitor Nicca's progress. To help sustain her health, ICM's professional staff will educate her parents about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and organic vegetable gardening. $184 will cover the costs of the care Nicca needs. Let's help raise the funds! Nicca's mother says, "I really hope that my daughter will become healthy so that she can finish her studies even though her father is only a gardener."

Meet Samphors, a 46-year-old farmer who lives in Cambodia with his wife and five children. He enjoys cleaning the land around his home, reading books, and watching TV. Earlier this year, Samphors fell from a tree and fractured his right femur. This crack in his bone causes him pain and makes it difficult for him to walk. Without surgery, his bone will not be able to properly heal, causing a lifetime of difficulty using his leg. Bone injuries such as Samphors' are very common in Cambodia, and are also relatively simple to fix. Unfortunately, most rural Cambodians do not have access to funds and adequate facilities for proper treatment. Samphors traveled three hours with his wife to reach Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for surgery. For $405, surgeons will perform an open reduction and internal fixation procedure to reposition Samphors' bone and secure it in place with pins while it heals. After keeping his leg wrapped in a cast for several weeks, the pins will be removed and Samphors will be able to walk easily and without pain again.

Pablo's vision has been slowly deteriorating for several years. He was told by a doctor that he likely had cataracts, which are complicating his vision and could make him blind if he does not receive surgery. He lives in an incredibly rural Guatemalan community - 12 hours away from the only hospital in the country capable of giving him the specialized care he needs. 54-year-old Pablo is a friendly and hardworking father - he drives a pickup truck transporting wood from the fields into the city to support his four children. He lives with his family in a one-room house with a tin roof in the northern jungle of Guatemala. He makes only a couple dollars per day and, until his evaluation with the eye specialist, had never been out of his home community. His favorite thing to do when he is not working is to go out and visit his neighbors. Recently, because his vision has gotten so bad, Pablo has been having a hard time at work is worried that he will have an accident if he does not get surgery soon. This surgery, which costs $1500 and will be done with doctors from Watsi's medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, will give Pablo clear lenses so he will be capable of seeing, giving him the ability to work safely without fear of accidents. This surgery will prevent him from becoming blind, and allow him to live a full and happy life in which he is able to provide for his family. "I have been looking for support for one year and so I am so appreciative for the help that I will now get," shares Pablo.

Seraphin is a 36-year-old woman from Kenya who has two children—one in nursery school and the other in high school. In July 2015, Seraphin started complaining of diminishing eyesight in both eyes. She sought medical care that month, and doctors recommended a CT scan. Because she was not able to raise the amount of money needed for the scan, she did not obtain the scan until May 2016, when her nephew took her to the hospital. After the CT scan, she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. As a result of the tumor, Seraphin has lost completely lost her vision in one eye and has partial vision in the other. She complains of migraines and loss of balance. A former domestic worker, Seraphin has been unable to work to provide for her children. Since January 2016, she and her children have lived with her parents. To remove the tumor from Seraphin's brain, doctors plan to perform a craniotomy to remove a portion of her skull to access the tumor. Seraphin cannot afford to pay for the surgery, but if not treated, she may become completely blind and unable to take care of her children. $1,205 pays for surgery for Seraphin as well as six days of hospital care—two days in intensive care and four days in the general ward—after surgery. Funding also covers the costs of medicine, blood work, and pathology. Seraphin's family and friends are contributing $313 to pay for additional costs associated with her care. “My hope is to have my eyesight restored to be able to provide for my children," shares Seraphin. "I want the best for them."

Mutabaazi is a 17-month-old boy from Uganda whose family describes him as a very jolly kid. He has one sibling-- a three-year-old sister. Mutabaazi's mother is a housewife and his father is a cattle keeper who works for someone else. Both are migrants originally from Rwanda, and they have no piece of land or house of their own. When Mutabaazi was six months old, his mother noticed a swelling on his right scrotum. She took him to a health center where he was given injections and told that the swelling would go away, but nothing happened. Mutabaazi has since been diagnosed with a right inguinal scrotal hernia, a condition in which part of the intestine protrudes through the lower abdominal wall and into the scrotum. The swelling increases in size when Mutabaazi laughs or cries. Mutabaazi's mother is worried about her son's condition. When he is in pain he cries a lot and sometimes he stops playing and appears sickly. At these times, Mutabaazi's mother cannot get her work done as she has to pay him full attention. However, she was not able to bring her son to the hospital because she knew she wouldn't be able to afford the bills. If not treated, Mutabaazi may suffer intestinal incarceration, obstruction, or strangulation. The salary Mutabaazi's father earns is not even enough to sustain the family, and they therefore seek assistance to cover the cost of hernia repair surgery for their son. During the surgery, which costs $220, doctors will return Mutabaazi's herniated tissue to his abdominal cavity and repair the weakness in his abdominal wall. This procedure will eliminate the aforementioned risks and put an end to Mutabaazi's pain. After surgery, Mutabaazi’s mother hopes to have peace of mind, do her house work without interruption, and to know that her son is in good health.

Than Dar is a 27-year-old woman who lives in Burma with her parents, her eight-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, and her two sisters. She enjoys listening to music in her free time. Than Dar has been healthy her entire life. However, a month ago she began experiencing abdominal pain and excessive bleeding that prompted her to visit several clinics. Than Dar received a blood test and ultrasound, which she paid for herself, and these exams revealed a uterine mass. After her examinations in April, Than Dar was referred for further care, where another ultrasound confirmed previous reports of the presence of a mass close to the ovary. As a result of her mass, Than Dar is experiencing pain in her lower abdomen and back, tenderness upon pressing the area, and excessive bleeding. She hasn't been able to work for a month but she can help her mother with light household chores. Than Dar is scheduled for surgery to remove her mass, but she requires financial assistance to cover the $1,500 procedure that will eliminate her pain and rid her of future risks associated with the growth. She has been living and working as a shop vendor in Thailand for the past two years. Her work enables her to send money home to support her children and other family members. The family's total income is sufficient for their day-to-day needs and they can pay for minor medical expenses; however, they are unable to put any money away for savings. Than Dar hopes to get back to work to support her children after her surgery. "I want my children to go to school and become educated," she says. "I only completed third grade and I want them to do better. Whatever they decide to do with their lives is fine, as I only want them to be happy with their lives."

Nyiramukyo is a 66-year-old woman from Uganda. Nyiramukyo delivered all her eight children in her village without medical attention. After delivering her fourth child, her uterus came out. She was given herbal medicine, which she believes, pushed it back in its position. The same thing happened when she delivered her fifth child. However, nothing happened when she delivered the last three children. The uterus came out again four years ago. Nyiramukyo has been visiting basic health units and using herbs because of lack of money to go to a hospital. The medicine she has been receiving has not helped her at all. Now, the uterus is all out and it has ulcers. Nyiramukyo also has lower abdominal pain; cannot walk well; cannot dig; generally, she is unable to do any straining task because it makes the uterus protrude out more. If not treated, Nyiramukyo will get septic and she may pass away due to septicemia. Nyiramukyo was brought to Virika Hospital by a previous Watsi patient. Nyiramukyo is a widow and a mother of four living children; the other four children have passed on. She lives with her little grandchild and she doesn’t have any source of income. Kind people provide her with food and her grandchild cooks it for her. Nyiramukyo is in pain and worried about her condition. After surgery, she hopes to recover and resume digging to produce for herself and stop relying on other people. For $280, Nyiramukyo will undergo a transvaginal hysterectomy. Surgery will ensure that she has an improved quality of life, and she will be free from the pain and risk of septicemia. Nyiramukyo will be able to dig and provide for herself. “I am glad to hear that I can get help for my condition," she shared. "I have lived in pain and with a very uncomfortable condition."

30-year-old Savann lives in Cambodia with her son and daughter. "Savann began having ear discharge when she was 10 years old from an ear infection," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) reports. Her condition, cholesteatoma, has continued to cause her to experience daily ear discharge, pain, and hearing loss in her left ear over the past 20 years. As a factory worker, she often is unable to go to work due to her ear pain. She then spends her time working around the home and listening to the radio. She's hopeful that after being treated her hearing will improve so she can go back to work. After a fellow villager told her about CSC, she traveled with her father for two hours to reach the centre. In order to treat cholesteatoma, Savann will undergo a mastoidectomy surgery on her left ear. The surgery will remove the diseased mastoid air cells, which are behind the ear in a hollow section of the skull. The procedure will cost $809. After treatment, Savann's hearing is expected to improve, and her ear discharge and pain will stop. Her father shared in their pre-operative interview: "I hope that after the operation is done, my daughter will have better hearing and health."

Astania is two months old and lives in Haiti with her parents and four older siblings. She was born with a heart condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. "Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen," our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) shares. "This leaves her feeling sick and weak." Astania’s father works in construction, and her mother sells rice in a marketplace. Although they work hard, they cannot afford the heart surgery that their daughter needs. Her mother told HCA that “Astania has been sick ever since she was born,” and she is “very happy that [Astania] can have her surgery.” $1,500 will fund preparation and overseas transportation costs for Astania's surgery, which is also being funded with a subsidy of $5,000 from Gift of Life International. "A successful surgery will restore normal blood flow to Astania’s heart, and she will not have any further symptoms," HCA adds.

Khai is a 57-year-old woman living in Cambodia. She and her husband have two sons, two daughters, and one grandchild. “She spends her time doing housework and planting bananas and vegetables around her home,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “Khai developed a cataract in each eye one year ago,” explains CSC. Cataracts occur when one’s natural eye lens becomes increasingly opaque, making it difficult to see. Over 90% of blindness in Cambodia is preventable and mostly caused by cataracts. Khai’s cataracts are disrupting her everyday life: “[they] cause her blurred vision, tearing, irritation, and cloudy lenses,” says CSC. For $225, Khai can undergo a phacoemulsification surgery and receive intraocular lenses. In the phacoemulsification procedure, one’s cataract is emulsified and extracted from the eye. The intraocular lens is then implanted to replace the natural lens, which will allow Khai to see clearly again. “I hope I can see everything clear [after the surgery],” expresses Khai, “so I can do housework, cook food, and take care of my grandchild at home.”