Nine-month-old Yonathan has been losing weight and not growing taller for the past couple of months. This is because he is malnourished, and is not getting the calories, protein, and nutrients he needs to grow. His mother is worried that he is not growing, and has noticed that his appetite has decreased. His energy level has been lower than normal, and he hasn't wanted to play as much as he used to. In the long term, he could face risks such as decreased IQ, chronic diseases, and subsequent low earning potential if he does not receive treatment. Yonathan lives with his family in a one-room adobe house in Guatemala. If this story sounds familiar it is because Yonathan's twin brother, Kenneth, is also a Watsi patient dealing with malnutrition. His father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops such as corn, beans, and squash. His mother works at home taking care of Yonathan and his brother. Together they live on about two dollars per day, making it impossible to afford fruits, vegetables, and eggs for Yonathan and Kenneth. However, for $512 treatment will be possible for Yonathan. Growth monitoring, micronutrients and food supplementation will help Yonathan recover from malnutrition--saving his life now and putting him on track to live a better life in the future. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake, preventing him from having any life-threatening situations with diarrhea and fevers. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. His parents will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give Yonathan the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Yonathan the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place. "I am worried because my son is not eating like he should," explains Yonathan's mother. "I am interested to know what I have to give him to improve his diet."

Joshua lives in the Philippines with his family. The family lives in a crowded area wherein they have many neighbors. But despite their living condition, they have harmonious relationship with each other and the people in their community. Joshua currently lives with an anorectal malformation. He experiences discrimination among his friends, classmates, and peers because of his condition. His teacher often sends him home whenever he does not bring an extra plastic bag for his colostomy. Whenever he eats fruits like pineapple, he suffers from stomach pain. When he exerts effort like playing vigorously or lifting heavy objects, his colostomy site becomes tender and bleeds. He thus has problems concentrating in school, and his studies and social interactions are very much affected. Joshua's family is also very concerned with Joshua's problem. Joshua sometimes roams around the market with his bike and collects bottles and scrap iron to be sold in junk shops to help his parents in their finances. His father is working at a fruit company and is the only provider of the family. For $965, Joshua can receive the colostomy closure he needs to recover from his condition. "I just want to see my child live normally just like other children," his mother said. "We as a family desires so much that Joshua will be treated but we really can't afford his treatment. As the matter of fact, we are struggling to provide our daily needs. We are hoping and praying that somebody would help us to provide for his surgery."

Catherine is a 24-year-old woman from Kenya. "Her mother separated from her father and thus has been raising Catherine and her siblings alone," reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "Catherine dropped out of school after completing eight classes due to lack of school fees. She works as a house help to earn a living." "Catherine has been having hearing problems since she was a little girl of age five. She was not able to access hearing aids due to lack of funds," continues AMHF. "Catherine has difficulty communicating. She is not able to perceive sound well and often requires one to shout or repeat conversations. This affects her daily interactions with people. When Catherine came to the hospital for treatment, hearing aids were recommended, but Catherine is not able to meet the full cost." With $712, Catherine can receive the hearing aids necessary to improve her hearing capability. "If not assisted with the hearing aids, Catherine will have poor sound perception and will continue having poor communication and social interactions," explains AMHF. Catherine shares, “My wish is to get the hearing aids and be able to establish my own tailoring shop." Let's help make it possible!

Meet Willy, a 54-year-old man from Kenya who is a father and primary school teacher. He had also been the primary provider for his parents, especially funding their treatment costs as they are sickly. Willy's wife operates a small grocery shop from which she gets a low income. Willy had cardiac complications in November 2015 and had to stop teaching. In February 2016, Willy was taken to a general hospital and had a CT scan and an MRI on his head that indicated he has a pituitary tumor. He was referred to Kijabe Hospital and was scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor. He is therefore appealing for Watsi's financial assistance so that he can undergo this surgery. Willy experiences painful head migraines. He previously had a stroke and his memory has been failing consistently, and his vision has been partially impaired too. Since February 2016, Willy has had poor vision and memory loss. He thus cannot do any work or communicate well. With the stroke affecting him, his state has been affected adversely. Willy needs a craniotomy to remove the tumor, which costs $1,205. If not treated, Willy risks having total memory loss, the head migraines will persist and there is risk of the tumor increasing. He may also become totally blind. Allan, Willy's son said: “I want my dad to be well again and to continue providing for our family.”

Linet is a three-year-old girl from Tanzania who was born with unilateral clubfoot. "She uses the lateral aspect of her left foot for walking, which has affected her gait," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), reports. Clubfoot is a developmental disorder characterized by an inward turned foot, due to short tendons connecting the tissues to the bones. Though difficult for her to walk, Linet loves to play with toys and the other children in her village. "She is a serious little girl, but when around other children she has a beautiful smile," AMHF shares. To treat her condition, Linet will undergo a tenotomy surgery to release the overly tight tendon. She will then receive a cast to realign the foot and ankle joint. Without treatment, Linet is at risk of developing early onset osteoarthiritis. The treatment, plus a four month stay in the Plaster House rehabilitation center, will cost $1,160. After treatment, "Linet's gait will improve and the risk of developing osteoarthiritis will decrease," AMHF explains. "All I hope for is that my daughter will have the ability to walk properly," Linet's mother shares with us.

When Sina was 7 years old, she began experiencing hearing loss and discharge in both ears. Although she received surgery on her left ear in 2007, and a subsequent mastoidectomy on her right ear in 2015, she still experiences difficulty with her left ear. Sina now needs a mastoidectomy surgery on her left ear to improve her hearing and stop the discharge. Sina is 21 years old and lives in Cambodia. She works in a factory to support herself. She learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), on the radio and traveled for two hours with her mother to reach CSC. “I am unhappy that I have pain in my left ear," Sina told the CSC staff. "It is difficult to communicate with other people. Sometimes, I cannot go to work because of the pain.” With $809, Sina will recieve mastoidectomy surgery on her left ear. These funds will provide for the costs of surgery, medication, and post-operative care at the hospita. “After a mastoidectomy surgery on her left side, Sina’s left ear will stop producing discharge and her hearing will improve," CSC says.

“Wai is an 18-year-old Burmese man who suffered burns over half of his body six months ago in a work-related accident,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) tells us. Wai worked in a gas station where he was moving supplies in the storeroom, when an explosion from fumes in the room went off. “When he regained consciousness, 18 hours later, he found himself in a critical care ward. The owner of the gas station and a friend had transported him there,” shares BBP. Wai has third degree burns on his arms and legs, but luckily his head was spared and he suffers no pulmonary damage. “Wai was in the hospital for two months and the doctors recommended a longer stay, but the gas station owner, who paid the bill for two months, refused to take on any further hospital expense. The owner didn’t extend any further compensation to his former employee,” adds BBP. “Wai has largely lost the use of his left hand and his right hand. He is capable of walking, although slowly and with a deliberate pace. He can no longer play cane ball, his favorite pastime, as he can no longer run,” BBP says. Wai needs surgery to remove the damaged tissue from the burns. This procedure will cost $1,500 and will give him increased motion and flexibility in his hands, legs, and joints. “I want to get back to helping my family," Wai shares.

Ruth lives in the mountains of Haiti with her mother, grandmother, and four siblings. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us that eight-year-old Ruth "does not attend school, but likes helping her mother around the house, playing with her brothers and sisters, and singing." Ruth loses her breath and energy quickly, however, because she was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. "A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart," HCA says. "Ruth also has down syndrome." Ruth's heart condition makes it difficult for her body to circulate and process her blood efficiently. HCA explains that "because she has lived for so long with this condition, there is a chance it may no longer be repairable, but the only way to determine this is by inserting a catheter into the chambers of her heart. Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring her to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that she can have heart surgery soon." For $1500, Ruth will be taken to the Dominican Republic for the catheterization procedure that will determine whether she is a candidate for heart surgery. If she is operable, she will be prepared for surgery as soon as possible. "We are very happy that there is hope for Ruth, and hope that she will be able to have surgery," her mother says.

Joshua is an eight-month-old baby boy who lives with his parents and older brother in Guatemala. His older brother loves playing with Joshua whenever he can. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “Joshua was born with Noonan syndrome, which is a congenital disorder that can lead to a plethora of physical and mental defects, including various heart murmurs, restrictive lung function, gastrointestinal issues and difficulty feeding, motor delays, learning disabilities, cryptorchidism, bleeding disorders, severe joint and skeletal pain, and neurological defects.” “Joshua has obvious physical deformations and cryptorchidism (an undescended testicle), but overall, he is a happy, calm child,” WK continues. “He currently has issues eating and could benefit from supplementation, as well as from physical therapies to help his muscular development.” Joshua’s father works as a grain trader to support the family, while his mother tends to the household. Joshua’s brother has a condition that required surgery by specialist, leaving very little money to pay for Joshua’s care. For $1,385, Joshua can undergo a thorough diagnostic work-up, which, WK explains, will “identify other potentially dangerous conditions Joshua may have, and allow us to coordinate critical care before it is too late.” Funding also covers the cost of treatment, therapy, and a case manager to help Joshua’s family manage his appointments and monitor his progress. “Therapy will help him to develop strength and be able to move more easily,” says WK. “This will increase his quality of life as he grows and ensure he can have the best future possible.” “We just want what is best for our boys,” shares Joshua’s father.

Jacob is a 43-year-old security guard from Kenya. He lives at home with his wife, a farmer, and six children. After heading home from work one evening, Jacob was hit by a truck. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares that a group of good samaritans brought Jacob to a local hospital. Doctors determined that Jacob has two fractured bones in his right leg, the tibia and femur, and requires surgery to treat the fractures. Jacob's family does not make sufficient income to afford the cost of surgery. “My wife and children all look upon me for any financial needs. I don’t know what they would do if I am not able to work again, " shares Jacob. $1,125 will fund an ORIF (open reduction internal fixation) surgery to repair the fractures, and thereby alleviate his pain and allow him to regain use of his leg. "I hope that God will help me to have a successful surgery so that I can be strong again to go back to my work," Jacob shares.

Nine-month-old Myson "has two very devoted parents," shares our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). "But he currently lives in an orphanage in Haiti due to his illness so that they can help keep him as healthy and stable as possible." Myson has three older brothers and sisters who like to visit him and play with him whenever they can. Myson currently suffers from a congenital heart disease called ventricular septal defect. "A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart," HCA tells us. "Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. If not corrected with surgery, the condition would eventually be fatal." $1,500 will fund overseas transportation and preparation for Myson's heart surgery. Health City Cayman Islands has already subsidized $5,000 of the treatment cost. "I am so happy that Myson can have surgery and I am praying that everything will go well," his mother shares.

Mongi is an 11-year-old boy living with his parents, grandparents and four siblings in Tanzania. His favorite activity is herding his grandparents’ cattle, but an accident a few years ago has made this difficult. The accident happened while Mongi was with his friend, burning a small pile of cow dung. Mongi was burned severely after being pushed into the fire, and the residual effects of the burns on his left side continue to affect him today. “The anterior burn contracture on Mongi’s left foot prevents him from being able to walk properly. He cannot run fast and he also can’t wear shoes because his toes are pulled up,” describes our medical partner regarding Mongi’s condition. To treat Mongi, physicians at African Mission Healthcare Foundation will perform surgery to release the skin contracture on his left foot. They expect that “after amputation of Mongi’s toe and release of the anterior ankle, Mongi will be able to walk properly and wear shoes.” “I don’t like when people stare at my foot and ask me what happened. I want to be able to walk like the way I used to, wear shoes, and someday start going to school,” Mongi tells us. For $550 we can make these opportunities possible for Mongi.