Kim is a 81-year-old rice farmer. He has two sons, four daughters, and six grandchildren. His wife is also a rice farmer, but now they stay at home mostly while their children farm. Kim enjoys listening to the monks praying on the radio. One year ago, Kim developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Kim learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours with his wife seeking treatment. On December 23rd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Kim said, "I want to be able to go back to the pagoda with my wife after my surgery. I really hope I can see well. I'd like to take care of my grandchildren again."

Nuon is a 37-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. Nuon has been married for 12 years and together they have two sons. His wife works in a local factory. In his free time, Nuon likes to spend time with sons, cook, and feed their chickens. He also likes listening to music and singing. In January 2020, Nuon was in motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture of his right femur and tibia. He first sought treatment at a provincial hospital but the fracture did not heal. His neighbor told him to come to Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) where doctors discovered a non union fracture of his femur and tibia. He is in pain and cannot walk without crutches. On October 2nd, surgeons at CSC will perform a dynamization and bone graft procedure to heal the bone, eliminate his pain, and allow him to walk again. Now, Nuon needs help to fund this $518 procedure. Nuon said, "I hope my leg will be better after surgery so I can walk easily and have no pain. I want to return to work so I can support my family."

Naw Ree is a 49-year-old woman from Thailand. Naw Ree has lived by herself in a refugee camp in northern Thailand since 2009. As a camp resident, Naw Ree receives 243 baht (approx. $8 USD) each month from an organization that supports refugee camp residents. She also works as a maternal and child health worker, receiving 900 baht (approx. $30 USD) per month. Naw Ree raises chickens and grows vegetables. Despite receiving free health care services in the camp, Naw Ree is struggling to make ends meet. On December 16th, 2020, Naw Ree went to see a woman who had recently given birth, to remind her about vaccinating her baby on time. After sitting and talking to the woman in her home, Naw Ree stood up to leave but felt light headed and fell. She put out her left hand to stop her fall, and hurt her left arm. She went to the hospital in the camp, run by Malteser International [MI] Thailand, and received pain medication and her arm was put into a sling. The next day, she was referred to Mae Seriang General Hospital for further treatment. At the hospital she received x-rays and the doctor told her that she had fractured one of the bones in her left forearm. She was then referred to Chiang Mai Hospital for further treatment, but her transfer was delayed for over two weeks due to an outbreak in COVID-19 cases in northern Thailand. Since Naw Ree lives by herself, she has to cook, wash her clothes, and feed her chickens without anyone's help, a difficult feat with her broken arm. Currently, she is in pain but has no fever. She can only fall asleep if she takes pain medication. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Naw Ree will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for January 6th and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Naw Ree will no longer be in pain. She will be able to go back to work as a health worker and she will be able to complete her household chores without pain or discomfort. Naw Ree shared, "My greatest wish is that I recover and that I may be able to use my left arm again."

Nhang is a 73-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has four children and ten grandchildren. Her husband died five years ago, and since then she has been living with two of her daughters, helping to keep the house in order and taking care of her grandchildren while her daughters farm. In her free time she talks to neighbors or listens to the radio. Two years ago, Nhang developed entropion of the eyelids. This means that her eyelids turn inward, causing her eyelashes to scrape the surface of her eyes. This causes severe irritation and tearing. Nhang traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 9th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to repair her eyelids. Now, Nhang needs help to raise $225 to fund this procedure. Nhang's daughter shared, "My mom loves to see my children and play with them and make them food, but since her eyes got bad she has a hard time doing these things. I hope she can get better quickly."

Phearum is a 36-year-old man from Cambodia. He has one son and three daughters. When he is not busy helping around at home he enjoys exercising, reading books, and listening to music on the radio. His family runs a laundry business from their home. In 2008, Phearum was in a motor accident that caused a fracture on his left humerus. He went to a local hospital where doctors fixated hardware to heal his fractured humerus. After a long recovery time, the bone healed. The remaining hardware prevents him from having full function of his arm. It is hard for him to move his shoulder in any direction and makes working for his family difficult. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On April 22nd, Phearum will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $230. With this procedure, he will be able to move his arm easily again. The surgery will remove the plate and screws in his arm that are no longer necessary. "I hope that I am able to use my arm better and then I will look for a job to support my family. My wife is worried for me to have another surgery but I believe the surgeon will help," Phearum said.

Jenipher is a 48-year-old mother of three from Kenya. She is married and lives in Umoja area in Nairobi County.  In August 2020, Jenipher started experiencing heavy bleeding. She visited a hospital in Umoja, where the doctor suggested that the bleeding may be a result of menopause. She was put on medication for hormonal imbalance and hematinic for blood cell production. Unfortunately, the bleeding continued, so she was referred by a friend to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Nazareth Hospital. There, Jenipher had an ultrasound, which unfortunately showed that she had a cervical mass. The gynaecologist recommended that she undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. However, this procedure is very costly for Jenipher and her family. Currently, they depend on her husband’s income from his small business as a carpenter. Since she was let go from her job as a school secretary due to the school's bankruptcy, Jenipher has tried her hand in several small businesses. Lately, she is unable to do much because the bleeding leaves her feeling very drained and uncomfortable. She hopes to get better and help her 20-year-old daughter start a boutique business that can supplement their family’s income. If left untreated, Jenipher's bleeding will continue and may lead to severe anaemia. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $755 to fund Jenipher's surgery. On October 30th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Jenipher will be able to resume her daily activities free of fatigue and pain. Jenipher shared, “I am hopeful that surgery will help me get better so that my daughter and I can start a small boutique business to enable us to take care of my grandchild.”

Sary is a 35-year-old waiter from Cambodia. He has one son and one daughter. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer, cooking, and taking care of his children. In 2018, Sary was in a motorcycle collision, suffering injuries to his left foot. He initially received treatment at a local hospital, where he underwent a series of four operations to treat his injuries. However, he still experiences pain in his ankle, has pain after walking only 10 meters, and his shoes are unable to fit his foot properly. When Sary learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled there seeking treatment. On January 8th, surgeons at CSC will perform a joint arthrodesis procedure to fuse his left ankle and to help his walk easily again. Now, Sary needs help to fund this $518 procedure. "I hope that I will get better after my operation, and I will be able to walk without pain and return to work," he said.

Vy is a 33-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. Vy has four brothers and two sisters. He is the fifth child in his family. Vy enjoys playing football and drinking coffee with his friends. In July, Vy was in a motor vehicle accident that caused an open fracture of his left distal femur. First he sought treatment at a private clinic but their surgery unfortunately was not effective. It is difficult for him to walk and the wound is now infected. He shared that he is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On October 6th, Vy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will allow his fracture to finally heal and he will be able to walk easily again. Vy said, "I am happy to be able to come here for this surgery. I want to be able to walk again so I can return to work."

Sithol is a 28-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. She has one daughter, and she enjoys cooking, listening to music, and looking after her daughter. Five months ago, Sithol fell off her motorcycle and fractured her left arm. She experienced pain and swelling, and cannot move her hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 10th, Sithol will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. Surgery will allow Sithol's injuries to heal properly, and relieve her of any pain. "I hope that I will no longer have any pain or swelling after my surgery, and I will be able to return to work," Sithol shared.

Vanna is a 64-year-old government employee. He and his wife have six children together, all of whom are grown and started their own families. His wife was a rice farmer, but recently retired. He reads a lot of books, and has started to collect books to give to his grandchildren. He also enjoys watching news on TV. Vanna has had chronic back pain for over ten years. He has managed the pain with painkillers and light exercise, but recently it started to get worse. He experiences numbness in his legs, and has difficulty sitting and standing. He came to Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) on recommendation from a friend, and has been diagnosed with lumbar stenosis, a condition in which spinal nerves are pressured by the bone. Doctors will perform a laminectomy in order to relieve that pressure. This will allow him to walk easily with out pain. Now, CSC needs your help to fund this $1,027 procedure. Vanna shared, "I can't imagine life without back pain, so I am simply excited to feel what it will feel like when the surgery is done."

Sean is a 64-year-old farmer who makes a living selling her crops locally. Her husband died four years ago from heart disease, but she has nine children in the area. She lives with one of her daughters, and together they help take care of her nine grandchildren. In her free time she loves to visit the local pagodas and take part in celebrations and ceremonies. 2 years ago, Sean started to experience back pain. She was able to work despite this pain, but the condition got worse over time. She was able to obtain painkillers which helped her continue to function. However, she recently has felt her pain increasing again. She experiences too much pain to be able to walk or stand for longer than a few minutes, and has difficulty sleeping. Luckily, Sean has come to Children's Surgical Centre, for help and doctors will be able to perform a laminectomy to relieve pressure on the nerves in her spinal cord. She will feel immediate pain relief and will have a much easier time doing all of her daily activities. She will also be able to return to her work and take care of her grandchildren.

Doris is a 12-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the firstborn in a family of two. Her mother sells boiled eggs in their town to make ends meet. Currently, they are housed in a store-turned house since their house was swept away by floods in the recent heavy rains. She was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus but was lucky to receive treatment in our partner hospital, Bethany Kids. She, however, started developing pressure ulcers on her gluteal area which would become severe with time. She is in pain and if not treated, there is a risk of severe infection resulting in sepsis. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Doris receive treatment. On June 13th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to heal her chronic wound. Now, Doris needs help to fund this $1,242 procedure. Doris shared with us, “I want to be a doctor when I grow up.”