Nancy is a small-scale farmer from Kenya. Together with her elderly husband, they grow food crops for home use on their half-acre piece of land. She is a mother of eight children who are all adults. All her children don’t have a stable source of income at the moment. She needs care but does not have medical coverage and hasn't been able to raise the required amount for treatment. In early July this year, Nancy was tripped by her dog and fell on a stone, hurting the left side of her hip. She sustained a left sub-trochanteric fracture that is making her immobile. This is a fracture of the proximal femur located a few centimeters from the hip. She was taken to a nearby health facility and had an x-ray done after review. She was then referred to our medical partner's care center Kijabe Hospital for surgery. She is unable to walk and is currently using a wheelchair and although jovial and smiling, she is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On September 30th, Nancy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will relieve her of her pain and help her walk easily again. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Nancy says, “I am unable to walk. I am desperate, and also struggling to pay for my treatment. I need this treatment to be able to get out of this wheelchair.”

Philomena was diagnosed with ARM at birth. With this condition, the little one was found to lack an anal opening and instead was passing stool through her vagina. A few hours after birth, Philomena, one in a set of twins, was noted to have a distended abdomen. The doctor quickly checked on the baby and discovered she lacked an anal opening. To keep Philomena from getting a fistula, the doctors put in a colostomy at three days. Philomena’s parents paid for this through some family savings they had. When they left for home, Philomena’s twin sister developed a persistent cough which was later found to be a hole in the heart. "I have never felt this drained ever in my life. Since I gave birth I am always in hospitals with either one of my two babies,” says Philomena’s mother. Due to lack of finances, Philomena’s parents shared their plight with their church members and one of them advised that they visit Watsi Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital. At BethanyKids a surgery to create an anal opening has been recommended. If not treated, Philomena will not lead a normal life and will be forced to use a colostomy for life. The surgery is a cost Philomena’s parents cannot bear. Philomena’s father is a carpenter while her mother closed her grocery store to tend to the children. Together they have five children with three currently in school. With very limited income and having exhausted their savings, Philomena’s parents are not able to raise the funds needed. They had defaulted on paying the national health insurance premiums as they could not keep up, but they’ve been advised to try to maintain this coverage in the future given their family's health needs. “Please help us. It is quite a stressful time for us but we believe we will come from it as victors,” says Philomena’s mother.

Loserian is a baby from Tanzania. For a few months, Loserian has been experiencing difficulty breathing. He was recently diagnosed with enlarged adenoids, which are the soft tissue behind the nasal cavity. Without treatment, this condition will cause Loserian's symptoms to persist and possibly even intensify. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $609 to fund an adenoidectomy for Loserian, which is scheduled to take place on July 4. Surgeons will remove his adenoids, hopefully relieving Loserian of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. Loserian’s mother says, “Please help my son if it’s possible.”

"It's a desire of every mother to see our children be in good health and happy and to feel accepted in the community, especially by their fellow children," Jon Michelangelo's mother says of her ten-year-old son. Jon lives with his family in the Philippines and was born with a congenital digestive tract malformation, which makes it difficult for him to go to the bathroom normally. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), shares, "Jon felt ashamed of his condition. In fact, right now he [has] stopped schooling because his classmates don't want to mingle with him." Jon should be in grade five but has missed a year of schooling because he says the anal malformation makes him feel alone. Despite the setbacks at school, Jon comes from a loving and supportive family. He shares, "I love my family very much, especially my siblings." ICM also points out that "his mother made an effort to pay more attention on Jon Michel to build his self esteem and confidence." As the sole-provider for her family, Jon's mother cannot afford the cost of his surgery. For $965, Jon will receive an operation to repair his intestine and colon so that he can eliminate waste without needing a colostomy. This surgery will allow Jon to return to school with confidence. Jon's mother says, "I am very grateful to know that there are people who have the heart to help the unfortunate like us. I am hoping that my son will be given a chance to live a normal life like other children."

Shwe Shwe lives with her grandparents in Burma. Her mother works as a day labourer at a construction site in Thailand, sending about $118 back to the family every four months. Shwe Shwe speaks with her mother on the phone, but has not seen her for three to four years. Because of her family's financial situation, Shwe Shwe's eye growth has gone untreated for nearly her entire life. The growth is benign, but it causes Shwe Shwe pain and impedes her vision. A few years ago, she was forced to drop out of school because of it. If left untreated, it will continue to increase in size and Shwe Shwe will be unable to open her eyelid. Burma Children Medical Fund submitted Shwe Shwe to Watsi for help funding the $1500 surgery to remove the growth and restore functionality to Shwe Shwe's eye. After receiving treatment, Shwe Shwe says she wants to join her mother in Thailand.