Alex is a student and is a very ambitious and active teenager from Kiambu, Kenya. He is the only child of a single mother, who is a hawker of different items. He is in high school and his mother shared that he has a passion for football and running. After schools were closed in March, Alex decided to go and visit his aunt who lives near Nazareth Hospital. Being playful as he is, he took a bicycle from his aunts’ house and decided to have a ride on last Saturday. Unfortunately, while riding, he tried to avoid a collision and he fell. He sustained an injury to his left hand. Now Alex is in pain, unable to use his hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 12th, Alex will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. Alex's fracture will heal, he will be able to use his hand and also resume school. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. “I am feeling for my son, and hope he could receive the sponsorship so that he can be well before the school opens,” said Alex’s mother.

Malachi is a 5-year-old preschooler and the only son of a single mum. Their family hails from Nakuru County in Kenya. His mother is currently sick, and his family is being taken care of by his grandmother. Malachi's grandmother does small jobs, such as farming, washing, and weeding in their neighbor’s farms. She does this on a day-to-day basis in order to support the family. Malachi suffers from a condition known as lower limb deficiency. This hinders him from walking straight and squatting, which also impacts his self-esteem. Fortunately, Malachi was able to travel to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform surgery on May 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Malachi's treatment, which will help him to be able to walk, engage in school, and play. His family also hopes this will boost his self-esteem. “I want to become a doctor so that I help other sick people and my mum,” Malachi says.

Xyrie is an adorable 18-month-old girl from the Philippines. She loves to watch educational videos and is learning the alphabet. Her mother, who works as a public school teacher, is the sole breadwinner of their family. With her mother's income, Xyrie's family has tried hard to access care for her medical needs. Xyrie was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Xyrie is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on April 6th. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,279 to cover the total cost of Xyrie's procedure and care. After her recovery, Xyrie will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. “It will be so much more convenient for Xyrie to move without the colostomy bag, and we don’t have to buy her colostomy supplies anymore. I also won’t have to worry that she’ll be bullied when she grows up,” Neriza, her mother shared. “The help provided by WSFP and Watsi are really of big help to our family,” added Neriza.

Misael is a smiley nine-month-old baby boy from Venezuela. His family moved to Medellín in Colombia after he was born, where his father works in construction and his mother is caring for Misael and dedicated to giving him all of her love. His smile is contagious and his energy is endless! Misael has clubfoot on his left foot. Clubfoot is a congenital musculoskeletal condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Misael and his family traveled to visit our medical partner, Clínica Noel, where they can offer him the life-changing treatment he needs. Fortunately, on March 14th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery to correct his foot. Our medical partner is raising $1,422 to help fund Misael's surgery. After treatment, he will be able to walk and wear shoes as he grows up and eventually run around and play with his friends! His mother said, "Thank you so much for everything you are doing, being in Medellín and finding you has been a blessing."

Emmanuel is a jovial boy who lives with his mother who is a housewife, and his stepfather who works as is a taxi motorbike rider. Emmanuel was brought to the our Medical Partner's Care Center Cure International Outreach Clinic by a social worker who found him under a tree, where he had been left after his step-father mistreated him. The social worker who helped Emmanuel works with a USAID-supported program that promotes better health by rescuing children who are physically impaired and mistreated by their parents, mostly in the Maasai area of Kenya and northern Tanzania. Emmanuel was born with clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a congenital musculoskeletal malformation in which the foot is twisted out of shape. As a result, Emmanuel has difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Fortunately, Emmanuel has now come to AIC Cure International Hospital for treatment. On February 28th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Emmanuel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Emmanuel will be able to walk, put on shoes, and hopefully live a happier life. Emmanuel's social worker says, “Our desire is to see Emmanuel lively and happy, walking on his feet and joining school like other children.”

Votey is a 30-year-old woman who has worked in a factory in her local province of Cambodia until recently. Votey shared that she has experienced difficult tragedy in her family over the past year. She was married with a son and daughter, but her husband and daughter passed away in a road accident in 2020. Then in October 2021, Votey was in a motorbike accident and fractured her left humerus (upper arm). As a result, she has pain and nerve damage in her left hand and wrist and now cannot work or dress on her own. Votey shared that she is trying to care for her 10-year-old son but it has been hard to keep him well fed and in school. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help Votey receive the treatment she needs. On January 5th, she will undergo a fracture repair procedure that will heal her fracture so she can use her arm again. CSC is requesting $465 to fund her procedure. Votey said, "After surgery, I hope I can use my arm again. It is very hard to care for my son, and I feel very sad about my life."

Movin is a 14-year-old social and jovial boy. Movin likes playing football with his friends. His favorite subject in school is English; he aspires to be a doctor in the future to help those who need surgical care, mostly those with physical conditions. Movin is the 5th born in a family of seven children. His mother is a housewife while his father is a farmer. Their family lives in a two-roomed grass-thatched and mud traditional house in a village in Kenya. Movin was born with bilateral clubfoot deformity. This condition has affected his mobility, he gets tired easily, feels pain out of straining, falls whenever he plays football, and cannot put on shoes well. Movin needs surgery, however, his family is not in a financial position to finance the surgery and they are appealing for financial assistance. Fortunately, Movin traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Movin's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will continue with his education uninterrupted in pursuit of his dream of being a doctor. Movin says, “I would like my foot to be treated so that I can walk like my friends and continue with my education.”

Emily is a kind 26-year-old woman who recently got engaged to her childhood friend. She is the fourth born in a family of 7 and lives with both of her parents. One day in 2008, Emily started to experience severe abdominal pains. The pains kept increasing and she could not pass stool. On the third day, her parents rushed her the hospital where a diagnosis of bowel obstruction was made. She was taken to the operating room and had an ileostomy done as a temporary treatment for the bowel obstruction. An ileostomy is an opening in the abdominal wall that is made during surgery, part of the small intestines are diverted through an opening in the abdomen called a stoma. A special bag is placed over the stoma to collect fecal matter that are unable to pass through the colon out of the body. An ileostomy is reversible since it is only made to provide a temporary passage for the release of stools out of the body while allowing healing of the operated part of the intestines/ bowels. Emily was scheduled for ileostomy reversal in July 2008 and the parents took her back to the hospital where she was admitted. She was later discharged home and the surgery rescheduled since the there were many patients in the waiting list. She has since had more than 7 admissions for the procedure but each time she is discharged and the surgery rescheduled. They kept going to the hospital and in 2011 they gave up since they were not getting help and had already spent a lot on transport and meals. Emily eventually dropped out of school due to discrimination and the stigma associated with the condition. She now uses cheap thin plastic papers as stoma bags as the family cannot afford to buy the all the bags due to financial constraints. She has grown to live with this condition. Despite all that has been in her way, Emily is still very hard working and earns a living from washing clothes at people's homes. This enables her to buy the plastic bags for the stoma. Often, she runs out of money to buy the bags and is forced to stay indoors. Recently, one of their neighbors had a thyroidectomy done at Partners in Hope Hospital under a special program and urged her parents to bring her for assessment. The surgeon reviewed her and indicated that the condition can still be corrected through laparotomy where an ileostomy reversal will be done. This surgery will greatly improve Emily’s life, restore her dignity as a human being and remove the emotional pain and torture that Emily has lived with the past 13 years. Her parents are seeking financial support to help their daughter undergo the surgery. “I remember that when I was young, I used to use the bathroom normally in the pit latrine. I pray that one day I will be able to use the toilet again. I hope that when I get married I will be like all other women and will not have to embarrass my husband with this condition," shared Emily with a shy smile on her face.

Cristina is a 53-year-old woman from the Philippines. She works as a laundrywoman supporting both her mother and niece. She is the sole breadwinner of her household. In 2014, Cristina began to experience troubling symptoms, including a mass growing on her neck around 10 cm in diameter, followed by hoarseness in her voice and difficulty in swallowing. She was diagnosed with an inflamed mass in her neck. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is helping Cristina receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo surgery on November 10th at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Surgeons will remove the mass and her procedure will cost $1,323. She and her family need help raising money for this life-changing surgery. "We are very thankful to WSFP and WATSI for this surgery. Our mom will be able to continue with her life without difficulty speaking and swallowing her food." -Candy Soriano, Cristina's daughter

Jackline is a 36-year-old woman. She previously worked as a teacher, but since the pay was very minimal, she now works as a banana trader, as bananas are a staple food in her home country of Uganda. Her husband is a builder and, together, they have five children. They shared that their income is just enough to make ends meet. Jackline visited our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), for her antenatal care. Due to her previous pregnancy history, doctors recommend she deliver through an elective Caesarean section (C-Section) to reduce the chances of any complications. AMH is requesting $252 to fund this procedure, and Jackline and her husband hope she can undergo the planned surgery. Jackline shared, “I desire to have a safe delivery but the cost is limiting. I appeal for financial assistance."

Sarafina is a small scale farmer and a mother of six, with five living children. She shared with us that she attended school up to the first grade when she was young and since has farmed, while her husband is a retired soldier. They own a three-room semi-permanent house for shelter. Their oldest child is now 45 years old and dropped out of school due to mental illness while their youngest recently got married. Sarafina receives a little support from her children and relies on her farm produce to meet her daily needs. For two years, Sarafina has been experiencing lower abdominal pains along with itchy arms. She used herbal medication for the itching but she never got relief. She visited Rugarama Hospital and the scan showed uterine fibroids. Sarafina has stopped farming because she can no longer bend down, and has had to miss some follow-up appointments due to limited funds. Her symptoms have worsened and she has been diagnosed with large uterine leiomyoma. An exam revealed a cervical mass highly suspicious of cervical cancer. If not treated, Sarafina could develop chronic pelvic pain and there is a risk of cancer spreading, poor quality of life due to chronic pain and organ failure. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus, but her family cannot afford the surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $319 to fund Sarafina's surgery. On September 4th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Sarafina will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Sarafina says, “I pray that I may be considered for treatment because I am in severe pain and my condition could get worse. I hope to be normal again so that I may get back to farming and taking care of my family.”

Robert is a 37-year-old matatu taxi driver with two children. Recently, Robert was involved in a traffic accident where he sustained multiple fractures in his legs. He has difficulty walking and can no longer work as a driver. Fortunately, with the support of Watsi donors he was able to have his first surgery and now surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), are able to help with his final repair. On August 5th, Robert will undergo a second fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will allow Robert to walk with more ease. AMH is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. "I am hopeful I will be able to walk again. I am halfway there. I know with this surgery, I will be able to use my legs and get back to working again,” shared Robert.