Rechael is a 38-year-old widow and mother of three children, who works in a small grocery store. Her husband died in a traffic accident in 2018, and her life changed dramatically as a result. Her husband's family sent her away with the children, and since her mother had also died earlier, she shared with us that she had nowhere to go. Her aunt agreed to have Rachael and her children come live with her. Rechael was accompanied by her aunt and uncle when she came to Nazareth Hospital this week. She was very anxious, and when she started narrating her story she began to cry. She had become depressed, had experienced periodic upper abdominal pains, and occasional vomiting. She has been admitted at hospitals three times, and a scan showed that she had gallstones. Doctors advised that she have surgery to heal her condition. Unfortunately, she is unable to pay the $788 needed for this surgery. If not treated, Rechael will continue to experience these symptoms, and could develop complications such as pancreatitis, or obstruction of the gallbladder among others. “I am desperate and don’t know what to do. I can only depend on my family, and they are not in a position to help. I pray for help so that at least my life can be normal again for the sake of my children,” said Rechael.

Edith is a 49-year-old mother from Kenya. To support their four children, she works as a homemaker, and her husband works as a driver. She shares that her husband earns enough to support their family's basic needs. As Edith does her family chores, she enjoys socializing with friends and neighbors. Two months ago, Edith began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling. After seeking medical attention at a hospital, she was diagnosed with thyroid hyperplasia, a condition that leads to thyroid enlargement. In order to alleviate her symptoms and prevent them from worsening, she must undergo thyroid surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Edith receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 15th at our medical partner's care center. During this procedure, surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. The surgery will cost $657, which she and her family need help raising. Edith shares, “The doctor said that with this surgery, this problem will be solved. I kindly request help so that I can be operated on soon. I also pray that the surgery will go on well.”

Joseph hails from Juhudi in Lamu county. He is married and had two children who passed away 2 years ago due to heart disease. His wife left home on losing the two children and due to the hardship they were experiencing in the family. Joseph is a farmer and a house attendant in one of the farms in Lamu. He lives in a one-roomed mud-house. Joseph has a condition called Blount disease causing bow legged. This condition has affected his normal life like walking; he complains of pain. He cannot walk for a long distance or work for many hours. Joseph is scheduled to undergo high tibial osteotomy, a surgery that will help him walk without difficulty as well as alleviate pain on her. . He cannot afford the estimated bill and thus requests support.

Farkia is a baby from Tanzania. Farkia is a second born child in a family of two children, her mother says she is a happy and very active baby. Farkia’s father works as a casual labor looking for day jobs and her mother is a stay home mother. Farkia has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Farkia has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Farkia will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,238 to cover the cost of surgery for Farkia that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 2nd and will drain the excess fluid from Farkia's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Farkia will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Farkia’s mother says, “I got so worried once I heard that I could not deliver normal, I knew then that something is wrong. I know that my child needs this surgery but I cannot afford to give her that, please help me be able to save my daughter’s life."

Guivens is a student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and older sister in a small town on the western coast of Haiti. His father is a fisherman and his mother is a vendor in the local market. Guivens has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves in his heart was severely damaged due to a fever he suffered earlier in childhood, and cannot adequately pump blood through his body. Guivens will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On September 2, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will first attempt to repair his damaged valve; if this is not possible, they will implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Mitral Foundation, is contributing $6,000 to pay for surgery. Guivens's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Guivens's family overseas. His mother says, "I am very thankful that God is answering our family's prayers and allowing our son to have surgery!"

Khouk is a five-year-old girl from Thailand. She goes to kindergarten at a local school. In early June, Khouk was playing on the slide at school with her friends. She fell off the slide and onto her right arm, breaking her right forearm. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Khouk will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for June 19 and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help her to have a pain-free forearm again. After Khouk has fully recovered, she will go back to school and continue her kindergarten class. Khouk's mother says, “If her broken arm heals, I will be very happy for her. Now I feel very sad when I look at her.”

Mun is a chicken and duck farmer from Cambodia. She has five children, one grandchild, and enjoys listening to music and the news on the radio. Two years ago, Mun developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurry vision and vision loss. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Mun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On April 30, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, I will be able to see clearly so I can go back to my work feeding the chicken and ducks, as well as planting crops."

Kerhi is a student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and two brothers in Gonaives, a city on the west coast of Haiti. His father is a bus driver, and his mother works in the market. He is in the fifth grade and enjoys math and science. Kerhi has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A blood vessel between the pulmonary artery and the aorta that normally closes soon after birth instead remains open. Blood flows through it, bypassing the lungs and depriving the body of the oxygen it needs. Kerhi underwent a surgery two years ago to tie off the duct, but unfortunately the defect has re-opened; he will now undergo a different type of procedure called cardiac catheterization to close it in a way that makes it very unlikely to ever reopen again. Kerhi will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On May 2, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use a device attached to the tip of a catheter to block the leaking duct. Another organization, Gift of Life New York, is contributing $6,000 to pay for surgery. Kerhi's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Kerhi's family overseas. He says, "I am excited to fly on a plane for the first time and visit a new country!"

Mary is a farmer from Kenya. She is married and a mother of seven children. In 1998, Mary began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, difficulty swallowing, and breathing. She was diagnosed with a multinodular goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mary receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 28 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $641, and she and her family need help raising money.

Rubera is a child from Uganda. Rubera’s parents are from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is a playful child. Rubera was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Rubera is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 5. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,231 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. His father says, “My income is limited to support all the needs of the family and now we learned our boy has this condition and he need surgery. We cannot afford for the medical bill. We learned from a physician about Watsi and its support for those who can’t afford medical costs. That is why we came here for support on your side.”

Bettcherly is a student from Haiti. He lives with his mother and two brothers in a small city in southwestern Haiti. He likes attending school and listening to soccer on the radio. Bettcherly has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral and aortic regurgitation. Two of the four valves in his heart are severely damaged due to an infection suffered earlier in childhood. As a result, his heart cannot adequately pump blood through his body. Bettcherly will fly to India to receive treatment. On February 26, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove his two damaged valves and implant artificial replacements. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Bettcherly's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Bettcherly's family overseas. His mother says, "Our family is very grateful to everyone who is helping our son to be able to have this surgery."

Beth is a farmer from Kenya. She is a mother of one daughter. Beth has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Beth. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 8. After treatment, Beth will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Beth says, “My hope is to have the treatment done. I want to fight the condition and finish victorious."