Chan Phalla is a 68-year-old woman with two sons, one daughter, and two grandchildren. She likes to watch Khmer, Thai, and Chinese dramas on TV. Four months ago, Chan Phalla developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision and cloudy lenses. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, working, and going anywhere on her own. When Chan Phalla learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 21, doctors performed an extracapsular cataract extraction and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly again. Now, Chan Phalla needs help to fund this $292 procedure. "I hope to see clearly again, so that I can do my housework, look after my grandchildren, and watch TV easily," she says. "I want to be able to go anywhere outside by myself."

Sokna is a 47-year-old farmer from Cambodia who plants rice and vegetables. She is married with five sons. She likes to listen to the radio, watch Khmer dramas on TV, and go to the pagoda to listen to monks pray. Sokna knew about the Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), a Watsi medical partner, because her sister had surgery there before. She traveled for three hours with her sister to reach CSC for treatment. Sokna developed a pterygium (growth) in each eye about five years ago. This has caused her to have blurred vision, itching, and tearing. It is difficult for her to see things clearly, do work, and go places on her own. It also makes her feel uncomfortable. Eye surgeons will remove the pterygium in each eye to relieve her of her symptoms. $148 will cover the cost of the surgery and care Sokna needs. Sokna says, "I hope to feel comfortable with no more cyst so that I can easily do work and go anywhere outside by myself."

Gerald is a four-year-old boy from Uganda who is living with from malnutrition. He has an oedema (or excess fluid retention), fevers, symptoms of respiratory distress, and is very lethargic. Gerald lives with his parents, Pascasia and Medard, and four brothers and sisters in a village about 50 km away from the hospital. His mother traveled on motorcycle taxi to bring him to the hospital. Gerald is not in school yet, but will be attending next year. At home, he enjoys playing and dancing with the other children in the village. He also enjoys making things out of mud and sticks and playing soccer. His mother and father are small farmers and grow their own vegetables and tea and sell the tea for extra money. When she has leisure time, Pascasia enjoys nothing more than talking with her children. Gerald needs inpatient treatment for his malnutrition, which includes therapeutic food and antibiotics. This treatment will cost his $316. Gerald's family needs financial assistance to pay for this treatment. After the treatment, Gerald will be able to play with his brothers and sisters again. “I could see that Gerald was not feeling well and playing like he normally does," his mother shared. "So when the other women in the village told me he could be treated at the hospital, I was very grateful. I want to take good care of him and learn what he needs to eat. Thank you very much for the help."

Meet Blessing, an adorable baby girl born to loving parents in Kenya. Her mother is a housewife while her father works in a hardware store. Ever since she was born, Blessing has had a series of health complications. Born with a mass swell on her lower back, Blessing underwent surgery which repaired her back two weeks after birth. A few weeks later, Blessing developed an infection and was readmitted in hospital for care. Just as she was getting better, the doctor diagnosed her to have hydrocephalus, a condition where one is found to have excess fluid in her skull. This condition is associated with a progressive increase in head circumference, headaches, and irritability. The resulting increased intracranial pressure can lead to brain stem compression. All the while, Blessing’s parents have been looking for financial support from family and friends, so that Blessing can receive the treatment she needs. Her parents are now in a dilemma as they are not in a position to raise the funds required for surgical care, let alone repay the debts. Watsi's medical partner will provide the surgery she needs to divert the excess fluid from her brain to her abdomen. The excess cerebrospinal fluid will then be drained and can relieve the overwhelming pressure on her swelling brain. In tears, Blessing's mother shared: "Blessing has spent most of her life in the hospital. We have incurred so much debt and we are not even close to clearing any of it. Watsi will be life saving."

Fedrick is a polite sixteen-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the sixth born in a family of eleven children, but ever since he was a little boy he has been living with his grandparents. Fedrick’s grandparents are elderly, and can no longer manage the cattle herd that is their livelihood. So, for some time now, Fedrick has missed out on school so that he can help them. Apart from herding cattle, Fedrick also enjoys playing soccer with other children. Fedrick has become very good at herding cattle, but recently he has developed a physical problem that makes it hard for him to do this work. His right limb has begun to bow inwards, and is now bent to a point where it is difficult for him to walk without knocking his knees. This condition has reduced Federick’s efficiency in cattle herding, and he sometimes feel pain in his right knee. Fedrick needs corrective surgery to restore his normal gait and ability to better perform various activities. However, coming up with enough money for Fedrick’s treatment has been a challenge for his family. His parents, who are small-scale farmers, can already barely meet the basic daily needs of their eleven children and of Fedrick’s grandparents, whom they also support. That’s where we come in. $940 will cover the cost of the surgery that Fedrick needs to restore the bones of his right leg back to a normal position. This funding will also pay for Fedrick to receive two weeks of physical therapy and a three-month stay at Plaster House, a recovery center for children who have undergone major surgery. After these treatments, Fedrick will be able to walk again comfortably. Someday, Fedrick says, he would like to be an organic farmer. We can help him pursue this dream by ensuring that he can walk without pain.

Chou is 24 years old and lives in Cambodia. He has five siblings, and enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his friends. Chou developed a pterygium, which is a lesion, in both eyes two years ago. It has triggered a series of eye problems, including irritation, redness, burning and blurry vision. Chou's condition has left him uncomfortable and unhappy about his appearance. It is also affecting his ability to work as a motorcycle repairman. Fortunately, Chou is eligible for pterygium excision surgery. A successful surgery will remove the lesion in each eye, and his symptoms should fully resolve.

In February 2016, Leng was burnt by hot water on his left hand. His 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers have limited movement because of a burn contracture, which causes muscles, tendons, and other tissues to harden and shorten. It is difficult for him to use his left hand. Leng is a one-year-old baby boy from Cambodia with 3 older brothers who enjoys playing with toys. Leng traveled for one hour with his parents to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Surgeons will perform a contracture release and an FTSG (full thickness skin graft). $280 will cover the cost of Leng's surgery, which his family is unable to afford. After he heals, it will be easier for him to bend his hand normally. Let's help make it possible!

On April 10, 2016, Neema was born with a lesion on her lower back which is leaking cerebral spinal fluid. "If not treated," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) tells us, "Neema will be at risk of easily contracting infections. She is also at risk of developing hydrocephalus." Neema is the youngest of four children and lives with her parents and siblings in Tanzania. Neema's mother is a homemaker and her father owns a small business where he sells mats. Although they both work hard, their combined incomes are not enough to cover the operation that Neema needs, as well as the cost of rent and expenses related to their other children. $1,200 will ensure that Neema receives the treatment she needs, which will keep her from developing hydrocephalus - a more serious brain condition - in the future. “I pray that my baby will get well and grow up like her siblings,” said Neema’s mother.

"There are times that he is crying because of pain and it causes us to worry about him," Joel's parents say of their four-year-old son. Joel has an inguinal hernia, which has caused his scrotum to swell, and additionally causes him a great deal of pain and discomfort. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), tells us that when Joel was only one year old, his family sought treatment from a medical mission in their home country of the Philippines, but they could not afford the surgery the doctor recommended. ICM adds, "Joel is very active and playful, he also requires attention from his parents according to his mother." His father works as a sugar cane farmer and his older sister as a store clerk so that together they can support the family. There is no extra money to go towards Joel's treatment. His mother shares: "I am asking for your help for my son's operation; this operation will cure my son of this condition and we as his family will not worry anymore about him and for his future." For $465, Joel will undergo an operation to repair his hernia, eliminating his swelling and pain. This operation will also prevent Joel from developing any further complications related to his hernia. "I am so thankful for all your help and for making my son's operation possible," his mother adds.

When Sina was 7 years old, she began experiencing hearing loss and discharge in both ears. Although she received surgery on her left ear in 2007, and a subsequent mastoidectomy on her right ear in 2015, she still experiences difficulty with her left ear. Sina now needs a mastoidectomy surgery on her left ear to improve her hearing and stop the discharge. Sina is 21 years old and lives in Cambodia. She works in a factory to support herself. She learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), on the radio and traveled for two hours with her mother to reach CSC. “I am unhappy that I have pain in my left ear," Sina told the CSC staff. "It is difficult to communicate with other people. Sometimes, I cannot go to work because of the pain.” With $809, Sina will recieve mastoidectomy surgery on her left ear. These funds will provide for the costs of surgery, medication, and post-operative care at the hospita. “After a mastoidectomy surgery on her left side, Sina’s left ear will stop producing discharge and her hearing will improve," CSC says.

Jordy is a four-year-old boy who “nearly constantly smiles and laughs,” shares our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). He is very attached to his mother, and his father is a church minister. “Jordy was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole in the heart which normally closes shortly after birth remains open. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak,” explains HCA. The Haiti Cardiac Alliance transports patients to overseas locations to receive heart surgical procedures that are not readily accessible in Haiti. In this case, Jordy will be transported to the Cayman Islands for his treatment. $1,500 funds treatment that will restore normal blood flow to Jordy’s heart and prevent further cardiac symptoms. An additional $5,000 to fund the treatment is being subsidized by Health City Cayman Islands. In the words of Jordy’s mother, “I am excited for Jordy to have more energy and to be healthier after his surgery is finished.”

Thaw is an 18-year-old student from Burma. Thaw is in the 11th grade and hopes to one day become a building engineer. His favorite pastime is playing football. "In November 2010, Thaw and his mother noticed signs that he was not healthy," shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). His symptoms, often exacerbated by playing football, included shortness of breath and tiredness on exertion. After being diagnosed with a heart condition by a local clinic, he and his mother traveled to a specialist who told Thaw that he would require cardiac surgery for his condition. BBP tells us, "Thaw is suffering from lethargy, back pain, abdominal and chest pain, and sometimes has difficulty breathing. Sometimes when he is unwell with fever, his lips and fingertips turn a little blue." Due to Thaw's condition, he is no longer able to go to school. Thaw lives in Burma with his mother, aunt, and grandfather. Their combined income is just enough to cover the cost of food. $1,500 will cover the cost of complex cardiac surgery for Thaw's congenital heart valve defects. Burma Children Medical Fund has contributed $13,525 towards his treatment cost. "I hope I can get help with my problems so I can continue my studies in the future," says Thaw.