Akram is a cute, curious 3-year-old from Tanzania. His mother is the family’s sole provider and works as a vendor at a local market, selling vegetables and fruits. Currently, Akram and his mother live in town to help save on living costs as he receives medical treatment, while his three siblings live with their grandmother in the village. Akram was diagnosed with bilateral genus varus, a condition in which his legs bow outwards so that his knees do not touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Akram receive treatment. On January 6th, he will undergo surgery that will restore his mobility, allow him to participate in various activities, and significantly decrease his risk of future complications. AMH is requesting $880 to fund this procedure. Akram’s mother shared: “As a single mother struggling to provide for my children, Akram’s condition has been weighing on me.”

Marivel is a hardworking and loving daughter from the Philippines. She is a 2nd-year college student. While studying, she tried to look for jobs to support her family. Unfortunately, to date she has been unable to pass the medical (health) requirements. The only breadwinner in the family is her father who works as a pedicab driver. Her father's income is often not enough to bring food to the table. In 2018, Marivel began to experience troubling symptoms, including a mass on her neck that is growing in size, and episodes of difficulty breathing. Due to the inadequate family resources, she did not seek treatment. By the time she finally had a chance to be checked by a doctor, her condition had worsened. She was diagnosed with Nodular Non-Toxic Goiter, a thyroid gland enlargement with no disturbance in the thyroid function. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Marivel receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 10th at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $890 to cover the cost of Marivel's procedure and care. Marivel shared, "I'd like to thank Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines. You're not just giving me surgery, but also a chance to support my family. After my treatment, I'd be able to find a decent job and provide for our needs."

Kheng is a 59-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. Her husband passed away many years ago. She has two sons, five daughters, and many grandchildren. At home, Kheng enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio and playing with her grandchildren. A year ago, Kheng developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she cannot go places on her own. When Kheng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 15th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund this procedure. Kheng shared: "After surgery, I hope I can see well, go outside, and recognize the faces of my grandchildren."

Thet is a 35 year old husband and father, who lives with his wife, son and in-laws in Mon State in Burma. Both Thet and his wife work in his uncle's grocery store, while his in laws are farmers. When he isn't working, Thet enjoys spending time with his son and reading. In November 2018, Thet started to experience tiredness when working, and frequent headaches. He also had a rapid heartbeat, and he couldn't sleep well. He went to a hospital in Mawlamyine, where he was referred to a different hospital in Yangon for further treatment. At the hospital in Yangon, Thet was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation and stenosis, which would require surgery to correct. Thet was sent home with medications to manage his condition. In March 2022, Thet went back to the hospital in Yangon, because of continuing fatigue, headaches, coughing and fever. The doctor told him they would contact him to schedule his surgery in May, but Thet never heard back from the hospital. When Thet told his neighbor about this, his neighbor gave him the phone number of a heart patient who had been helped by our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Thet followed up, and thanks to the assistance of Burma Children Medical Fund, he is finally scheduled for surgery to replace the valve in his heart on October 13th, at Pun Hlaing Hospital. Now Thet needs your help to fund the $1,500 to cover the cost of this surgery. "I have sold all my jewelry to pay for the cost of traveling to the hospital. I feel less stressed since I met the BCMF staff,” said Thet.

Chorn is a 33-year-old father of three. Chorn is married; he and his wife both work in a local factory. Chorn's children are all in public school. When Chorn and his wife have free time, they grow vegetables around their house to support their daily meals. When he was a child, Chorn had a severe ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in his right ear to perforate. For this reason, Chorn experiences pain, fevers, and frequent ear discharge. It is difficult for him to hear in the busy factory and he often misses work because he feels poorly. Chorn traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 6th he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Chorn shared, "I hope the doctors can help me so I will no longer have infections and can hear better. It is important for me to work to support my family."

Nath is a seven-year-old boy from Cambodia. He is the youngest child in his family and has an older brother and older sister. To support their family, his parents both work as rice farmers. Due to being diagnosed with Down syndrome, Nath does not attend school. One of his favorite ways to spend time is playing with toys. When Nath was a newborn, he had several injections of medication in his thigh. These injections left him with a stiff right knee and contracture of his quadriceps muscle, which led to a dislocated knee. He now experiences difficulty walking and often cries due to pain. When Nath's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On August 3rd, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty procedure of his right leg. The goal of this surgery is to improve knee flexion, making it easier for him to walk and decreasing his pain. Now, Nath's family need help funding this life-changing $482 procedure. His mother says, "I hope after this surgery my son will be able to walk normally and not be in pain."

Nada is a 3-year-old girl and the youngest born into a family of three. She is a friendly and playful girl. Nada's parents are farmers of maize, beans, and vegetables. They rely entirely on what they harvest for food and sell off any surplus for income for their family. Nada's father also does small jobs on the side to generate extra income. Nada was diagnosed with acquired bilateral genu varus. Her legs bow inward so that her knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Nada has a hard time walking and complains of pain after a long day of play or when it gets cold. She is sometimes unable to stand due to severe pain in her knees when she wakes up in the morning. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Nada. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 21st. Treatment will hopefully restore Nada's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Nada’s father says, “My family and I cannot afford to get our daughter treated. We need your help to ensure that she is well and is not in constant pain.”

Mesert is an eight year old boy, living with his father - a day laborer - in a war torn area of Ethiopia. Mesert's mother died ten months ago in an accident. Mesert loves to play football with his friends, and playing with toy cars. He dreams of becoming a driver when he grows up. Mesert was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms, and he will be at risk for cancer and infertility in the future. Mesert's father brought him to numerous hospitals in search of care, but he cannot afford to pay for the treatment that Mesert needs. Fortunately, a friend referred them to BethanyKids in Addis Ababa, where our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, can help. Now Mesert is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 27th, after which he will no longer experience his current symptoms, or be at risk for future problems. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of Mesert's procedure and care. Mesert's father says: “I hope my child will be healthy and I can work hard to raise him well. Since he loves cars, I will try to help him to learn about cars and be good with his education.”

Neang is a 67-year-old retired rice farmer, living with her husband and their youngest daughter. Altogether, Neang and her husband have one son, three daughters, and five grandchildren. One year ago, Neang developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, tearing, and sensitivity to light. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is unable to go places on her own. Neang traveled for three and a half hours to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, to seek treatment. On May 17th, doctors at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform cataract surgery, and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. This procedure will enable Neang to see clearly, and to become independent again. She is raising $253 to fund her surgery. Neang says: "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly. I want to help my daughter with housework and take care of my grandchildren well."

Samuel is a 38 year old casual laborer and single father of one son, who is six years old. As Samuel's income is modest, both he and his son live with Samuel's parents in Malawi. Samuel enjoyed good health until April 2022. He was visiting relatives at a distance from his home, when he developed a cough and lost his voice. He was treated for his cough, but in June, he noticed a small, painful swelling on the right side of his neck. Although he went to a local hospital, nothing was done, and the swelling continued to grow, causing Samuel more pain, difficulty swallowing, and occasional breathlessness. After visiting numerous hospitals, Samuel finally went to Partners in Hope Medical Center, where tests revealed the existence of a goiter on his thyroid gland. As the goiter was fast growing, the surgeons informed Samuel that he would need to have a thyroidectomy, to remove all or part of the thyroid gland. Thanks to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Samuel is scheduled to have surgery on October 4th, at Partners in Hope Medical Center. After the procedure, Samuel will be able to return to his work, and to caring for his child, which he has been unable to do since falling ill. Samuel and his family are seeking $1,015 to help fund Samuel's care. “I wish to get better and look after my child,” said Samuel while looking worried.

Sol is a 42-year-old man who works as a blacksmith, while his wife sells groceries from their home. They have three daughters, who are all students in the local public school. When Sol is not working, he likes to listen to the news on the radio or on his phone. Two years ago, Sol developed a pterygium in his left eye, causing him irritation, tearing, and difficulty seeing in low light. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, which is the mucous layer that lubricates the eye. These growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. As a result of this condition, Sol has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going outside. When Sol learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three and a half hours hoping for treatment. On May 2nd, he will undergo surgery to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent a recurrence. CSC is requesting $225 to fund this procedure, which includes medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. Sol said, "After surgery, I hope my eye can see better. I need good eyesight to work well in my trade."

Khin is a 40-year-old woman who enjoys growing flowers and vegetables in her free time. She lives with her husband, son, and four daughters in Burma. She is a homemaker and takes care of her youngest daughter while her husband sells snacks in front of their home. Her son works in a teashop and her three oldest daughters currently attend primary school. Khin shares that she hopes to run a fruit shop to further support her family once she recovers. When Khin was 22 years old, she developed an ulcer on her right heel that made it difficult to put weight on her foot and walk. Fortunately, she received multiple skin grafts and the ulcer eventually healed. However, the ulcer returned in 2019, and despite receiving the same treatment as before, she was only able to walk with a limp after surgery. Last April, Khin began experiencing severe pain on her right heel once again. She eventually sought medical attention and was told by her doctor that she has cancer in her right lower leg. Her doctor advised that she have her leg amputated below her knee, but due to financial constraints, she could not proceed with the surgery and returned home. After three months, the pain continued to worsen and Khin visited our medical partner's care center, Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital (MCLH), to request painkillers. After examining her leg, the doctor at MCLH told her that she would have to have her lower right leg amputated to prevent the spread of the cancer. Just as before, Khin refused the amputation. The doctor then referred her to the oncology department of Mawlamyine General Hospital and recommended that she receive a biopsy to confirm her diagnosis and need for surgery. The biopsy revealed that she has skin cancer. Khin decided that she wanted to proceed with the amputation despite being unable to fund the cost. The doctor admitted her that same day and fortunately referred her to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), for financial assistance accessing treatment. On September 1st, surgeons at MCLH's care center will perform a leg amputation. Now, BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund Khin's life-changing procedure. Khin shares, “I just came to MCLH for painkillers, and I did not know that the doctor would help me through donors. When I heard that I could have surgery with the help of donors, I felt so happy and my stress was relieved. My family also encouraged me to have the amputation so I can live a longer life with my children. I would like to say thank you to the donors for giving me a chance to live longer with my children.”