Six-month-old Cristhofer is the youngest of two children. He lives with his family in a one-room cinderblock house in Guatemala. His mother is raising him alone, and works cooking, cleaning, and taking care of him and his siblings, as well as washing neighbors’ clothes to earn a little money. Although his mom wants the best for him, she does not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to be able to overcome malnutrition. When he was born, Cristhofer had to spend the first weeks of his life hospitalized for pneumonia. Since then, he has not been able to catch up to a normal weight. His mother says that he is almost always sick and never has an appetite—that is because he hasn’t had a healthy diet filled with protein, calories, and nutrients. If he does not receive treatment, Cristhofer could face the consequences of malnutrition for the rest of his life—he could have a low IQ, trouble focusing in school, and a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension as an adult. All these consequences make it less likely he will have a well-paying job as an adult, meaning the cycle of poverty and malnutrition would continue if he decides to have kids. Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Cristhofer recover from malnutrition. 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. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to gain motor skills and learn new words instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. His mother will receive the support she need to feel empowered to give Cristhofer the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will give Cristhofer the chance to live a healthy and productive life and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.

Gregorio is an infant from Guatemala, and his mother has not been able to produce milk since her son was born two months ago. She has been taking herbs and natural medicines, which sometimes help her lactate, but her son still cries through the night from hunger. She has been giving him sugar water to try and fill his stomach and help him stop crying, but she is worried because she has noticed that he has been losing weight. Gregorio has not grown since he was born, and his weight will continue to drop if he does not receive treatment. Gregorio is the youngest of five children. He lives with his family in a one-room wood house with a tin roof. His mother works at home; cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Gregorio and his siblings. His father is a day laborer who works long and hard hours in the fields, harvesting crops. Although both of his parents want the best for him, they do not make enough money in a month to buy even one can of formula (that lasts one week). This has left them distressed, because they cannot afford formula and they see their son getting sicker every day. With $1,016, Gregorio will receive nutritional treatments that will save his life. With the formula, supplements, and nutritional education his parents will receive, Gregorio will to recover the weight he has lost and grow like a normal child. His brain development will continue normally, and he will no longer be at risk of seizures due to electrolyte imbalances, or diarrhea due to consuming water that has not been properly filtered. This treatment will give Gregorio the chance to live a healthy, and full childhood.

Iker is a playful, 10-month-old baby boy who lives with his parents and older brother in an adobe house in Guatemala. Iker enjoys eating fruit, bananas being his favorite, and he eats eggs and beans whenever his parents can buy them. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us that because of this limited access to the nutritious food he needs, Iker is living with malnutrition. "His height and weight are far below the average for his age, and he is lagging developmentally behind his peers.” Along with the lack of hearty and nutritional food, his condition is amplified by a gastrointestinal disease that has "prevented this little boy from absorbing the nutrients necessary to grow.” WK shares. “Without intervention, this will then affect Iker’s ability to build a strong immune system, thus increasing his susceptibility to other illnesses.” $512 pays for a thorough diagnostic work and treatment for Iker. A deworming medication will help his ability to absorb the micronutrient supplementation he will receive. "His immune system will strengthen, and his energy will increase," WK adds. "Over time, he will be able to recoup the weight and height he has lost, and catch up to his more healthy peers.” His family will also be paired with a nutritionist that will help plan meals and monitor his growth. “In this program, his mother will receive intensive nutrition education that will give her skills to purchase nutrient dense food options and prepare healthier meals." His mother shares: "Without this, I am not sure my little Iker would be able to get better.”

Kriscous is a jolly, four-year-old boy from the Philippines with cleft palate. Kriscous loves playing with his grandmother and other children. However, he become very shy because other children make fun of his appearance and altered speech. The attention from other children, and the frustration he experiences when his community can't understand him constantly puts him on edge, and he often gets into fights with other children and neighbors. In addition to worrying about his health, his family worries that Kriscous will continue to be unhappy if his condition persists. With $1,464, Kriscous will receive cleft palate repair surgery and follow-up care that will help him speak with less difficulty and give him the confidence to connect with other children. According to his grandmother, "Kriscous is very excited to be treated so he can have self-confidence and fulfill his dreams."

Meet Jeremias, a one-and-a-half year old boy from Guatemala. He is the youngest of seven children and loves to play with his toy car. Jeremias is frequently sick with a cough and diarrhea due to acute malnutrition. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), shares that if he does not receive a nutritional intervention, his immune system will likely weaken. He will continue to miss both physical and cognitive developmental milestones. Without support, Jeremias, "will be at risk of the long term effects of malnutrition and his family will probably be faced with the cost of sending him to a hospital." Jeremias' mother takes care of the household and earns money weaving and selling textiles. Jeremias' father works as a farmer. The combined income of both of Jeremias’ parents is not enough to afford his treatment. For $535, Jeremias will begin a nutritional regimen -- including micronutrients, food supplements, medications, and education for his parents about how to feed their child to improve his health. With this intervention, Jeremias will regain the height and weight he has lost and continue to develop physically and cognitively. His mother shares, "This is a great help. I am very grateful that he is entered in this program and that we will be helped economically. I am excited for what I will learn.”

“I want to bring pride to my family by working hard at school,” says Kar. Meet Kar, a seven-year-old boy from Burma who has a cyst extending from his ear down to his chin. “Kar experiences a cold sensation under his jaw whenever he drinks liquid," reports our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). "He also complains that he cannot hear well from his right ear. The mass makes Kar shy away from other children at school who sometimes poke fun at him." Kar is in first grade, and has a three-year-old younger brother. “Both of Kar’s parents work in a small compound, near their rented apartment, where they make bricks for construction. Their job is not stable and it greatly depends on the season and the demand,” continues BBP. For $1500, we can fund the removal of the cyst, and help prevent further medical complications. BBP concludes: “Treatment will improve the appearance of Kar’s neck which will in turn improve his self-confidence. Treatment will enable him to succeed in school and hopefully improve his hearing from his right ear.”

"Life at the village requires one to walk a lot either going to school, to fetch water or doing other activities. We want our son to be able to help out and help himself too. We are worried that if he won’t be able to walk properly he will end up being dependent," say Furahini’s parents. Meet Furahini, a one-year-old boy from Tanzania. Furahini has a bilateral clubfoot, a condition that will force him to walk on the side of his foot as he learns to walk. The clubfoot is not only painful but "will put him at risk of developing early osteoarthritis later on, if not treated," reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Furahini is the second child born to a father who is a livestock keeper and a mother who is a homemaker. Most of the parents’ “earnings come from selling goats and not too long ago they lost most of their goats to disease,” continues our medical partner. “The small vegetable garden outside their house is the one that rescued them from not going hungry when they had no goats.” For $1,160 we can fund an orthopedic procedure for Furahini. The treatment will allow him to walk normally and prevent osteoarthritis later in life.

"Stael loves his pacifier, and won't let anyone take it out of his mouth for pictures!" shares our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Stael is not quite one-year-old and lives in central Haiti. He was born with a condition called ventricular septal defect - a hole between the two chambers of his heart. "Stael has suffered from shortness of breath, palpitations, and poor feeding ever since he was born," says HCA. "If left untreated, Stael's condition can lead to heart failure and become fatal." Stael has loving parents and two older brothers. Since Stael was born, his mother has stopped working in order to care for him, leaving the family with financial difficulties. Stael's mom tells us, “I am a little bit scared that my baby is having surgery, but I trust that God knows what’s best and that everything will go well!" Stael has received $5,000 toward the cost of heart surgery from a program called Open Hearts Haiti. All that's missing is the cost of getting him to surgery. For $1,500, we'll be able to pay for his overseas transport and prep, allowing him to receive surgery to close the hole in his heart.

Five-year-old Katiana lives in the Haitian countryside with her parents and four siblings. “Katiana was born normally, but when she turned two-months-old she became sick,” says our medical partner, Project Medishare. The doctors discovered that Katiana has hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to swelling of the brain. “I would love to see my baby doing good after the surgery,” Katiana’s mother shares. “I wish to see my baby normal like the other girls so she would be able to go to school.” $1,260 will cover a shunt placement for Katiana, which will “positively change her health situation and drain the excess fluids into her head,” says Project Medishare. “The baby will be able to have a good childhood.”

Esther is a seven-month-old from Haiti who lives with hydrocephalus, a life-threatening condition where fluid accumulates in her skull. She needs surgery to drain the fluid, get her out of harm's way, and allow her family to resume its normal routine. Esther's mother loves her, but she is worried about her ability to care for her. "I face a lot of problems with my child because she cries a lot and often," she says. "I cannot leave her, even for a moment, to do my daily tasks - to cook, do the washing or go out to do other activities." For only $1,260, we can fund a surgery to drain the fluid from Esther's brain and potentially save her life. Let's help get her healthy!

Three-year-old Neema was born with a bone condition that disfigures her legs and prevents her from walking normally. She is the youngest of five children from Tanzania. Her two brothers, Gerald and Oliver, have the same condition and are also being funded on Watsi. Neema's father is a casual laborer and her mother sells homegrown tomatoes to support their family. Her parents hope this procedure will allow Neema to “walk like other children and be able to make her dreams come true.” For $1,000, we can fund Neema’s surgery so she can look forward to a healthy future!

Ann is a hard-working 45-year-old mother who is taking care of herself and her children on her own. To support her family, Ann performs casual labor to raise money. Ann currently has cancer in her cervix, producing severe pain and discharge that does not usually occur. In the future, Ann “desires to get well so that she can see her children grow up to be independent and successful.” For $885, we can fund Ann’s surgery so we can make her wish come true!