Talusha is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents, brothers, and sisters in a coastal town in northern Haiti. She is in the fourth grade and enjoys going to school, especially studying math and science. Talusha has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect. A hole exists between the two upper chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through the hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. Talusha will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On November 4, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will use a catheter to close the hole in her heart with a device. Another organization, Health City Cayman Islands, is contributing $12,000 to pay for surgery. Talusha's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Talusha's family overseas. We are also fundraising for her [transportation costs](https://watsi.org/profile/a2d3bef5c7ed-talusha). She says, "I am excited to get to ride in a plane and see a new country!"

Ester is a one-month-old little girl from Tanzania. She has a twin sister named Anna who is doing very well. Ester's mother stays at home with her and her siblings, and her father works as a farmer. Ester was born with a condition called spina bifida, which means that she has a developmental defect in her spinal cord, causing cerebro-spinal fluid to bulge from her lower back. This protrusion causes Ester to be vulnerable to infection and she regularly has a fever. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $966 to fund Ester's treatment. This will be added to the $48 that her family has been able to raise. She is scheduled for surgery at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, on August 2. After treatment, she will be able to grow and develop normally. "Please help my child get better," Ester's father says. "She is a sweet little girl, and we now believe that she can be cured."

Thein is a 43-year-old man who lives with his family in Burma. Thein and his wife are both farmers and occasionally sell betel nuts for extra money. They have five children, and they are all attending school. Their combined family income is sufficient to cover basic daily costs, but they must borrow money to put their children through school. In June 2017, Thein and his friend were on their way to a wedding. He traveled for nearly two hours, riding on the back of his friend’s motor bike. According to Thein, his friend was driving really fast and lost control. His friend walked away without injuries, but Thine was not so fortunate. After breaking his tibia, he attempted to heal it using natural medicine. When this did not work, Thein visited the hospital and received an x-ray. The doctor informed him that he required surgery to repair the fracture. Thein was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, for financial support. He needs help raising $1,500. “I hope that I can recover as soon as possible and return to farming. I need to support my family and cannot afford to take time off due to medical problems," shares Thein.

Kim Sreang is a 65-year-old housewife with two sons, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. During her free time, she enjoys listening to monks pray and watching a good show. Three years ago, Kim Sreang developed a cataract in each eye. A cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque and cloudy. Kim Sreang is experiencing blurred vision and extreme sensitivity to light due to this condition. She also has trouble seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and traveling outside. Kim Sreang traveled two hours to reach our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Surgeons at CSC recommended replacing the lenses with artificial ones. On June 15, Kim Sreang will receive this procedure, and CSC is requesting $292 to help fund it. Post-surgery, Kim Sreang will be able to see clearly again.

Gustavo is a ten-month-old baby boy from Guatemala. He has one older sibling and a mother who is the sole provider of the family. Gustavo is experiencing symptoms of malnutrition, a dangerous condition that results from consuming too few calories and nutrients. In the short term, this means that Gustavo has little energy to grow, and he also gets sick more often than other children. The long-term consequences of malnutrition include increased risk of chronic diseases and delayed development. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $492 to fund treatment for Gustavo. On March 28, Gustavo will begin routine growth monitoring and nutrient supplementation. Local health workers will also teach Gustavo’s mother about nutrition. These interventions will ensure Gustavo grows up strong and healthy. Gustavo’s mother is optimistic about her son's future and says, “I hope that my son can grow up well and one day become a doctor.”

Cielo is a five-year-old active and playful child from the Philippines. He loves writing and drawing, and his favorite food is bread. When he was born, it was discovered that he had an abnormal bowel condition. He was immediately referred for surgery. Six days after he was born, he had a colostomy, which diverts a piece of the colon to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall. Ever since his procedure, Cielo's parents have taken extreme care to ensure that he does not get an infection. When Cielo reached the age of one, he had an intestine prolapse. He was brought back to the hospital for surgery, where the prolapsed intestines were excised and removed. Cielo was supposed to have a PSARP, a procedure to repair the bowel condition, six months after his colostomy, but his parents were unable to fund the surgery. Eventually, his mother brought him to a pediatric surgeon for assessment. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), has scheduled the PSARP for April 28. ICM is requesting $1,500 to fund Cielo's treatment. "I want Cielo to have a normal bowel movement, so that when he goes to school he will be confident and won't be bullied by others, and also for him to to be confident about himself," says Cielo's mother. "I will protect him as long as I am with him."

Poe is a 34-year-old man from Burma. He works as a border security guard and protects the Burmese border. While on the way to get a haircut, Poe hit a patch of loose gravel and was thrown off his bike. Poe landed on the side of the road and was knocked unconscious. When Poe woke up after the accident, he knew that his leg was broken. He was unable to stand, and a passerby helped him get to our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot Hospital, for an X-ray. The X-ray showed displaced fractures to the tibia and fibula of his right leg. The X-rays revealed that Poe will need surgery to fix the fractures. On January 27, Poe will undergo an internal fixation procedure to mend his broken bones. He needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. "Thank you for helping me. I hope I will recover from this very soon so that I can play cane ball with my friends," he says.

Glory is a three-year-old girl from Tanzania. She is the second oldest of three siblings. When Glory was one, her father noticed an unusual lump on the back of her neck. Since then, the lump has continued to grow in size. It was left untreated until recently, when Glory began to experience pain because of the swelling. Glory's father took her to their local hospital for assessment. There, they were referred to our medical care partner's care center. Doctors recommended that Glory should undergo surgery to remove the mass. If not, the mass would continue to grow in size, thus worsening the pain and swelling. Due to the family's limited income, Glory's father was not be able to afford the costs of treatment. As a solution, he sought help and began to work with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Glory will be receiving surgery to remove the mass on her neck on January 31. AMHF is requesting $920 to help fund Glory's surgery costs, medications, and hospital stay. "I hope that the swelling will go down and my child will be able to do things like other children," says Glory's father.

Chit is a 50-year-old man who was born in Yangon. He lives with his wife and son in a refugee camp in Thailand. Two years ago, a fragment of wood injured Chit's eye. He received treatment and was given eye drops from the medical clinic at the camp. Discomfort returned to his right eye shortly afterwards, and Chit's eyesight has begun to deteriorate. He is also experiencing headaches and pain. As a result, he has been unable to continue working as a farm laborer. Although the camp provides food rations, he needs income to buy more food for his family. During a visit from an eye specialist to the camp, Chit was advised to get a CT scan of his eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, has arranged for this to be performed on April 4. The CT scan will cost $414 and will provide detailed information about what is causing Chit's eye injury. This will assist his doctors in preparing an appropriate treatment plan. Chit says, "I hope to return to work to provide for my family and also start reading again."

Mark is a fearless and outgoing ten-year-old boy from Kenya. He loves science and aspires to be a neurosurgeon. His mother is a stay-at-home mom, while his father works as a long distance driver. Mark was born with an undescended right testicle. His parents were reassured that in time, it would descend. However, it was only during an anatomy class that Mark learned having one testis was not normal, leading him to remind his parents about his condition. On March 2, Mark will undergo an orchidopexy to correct the condition. He will undergo treatment at our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital (BKKH). Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is asking for $535 to fund his surgery. Mark's family has contributed $52 toward his treatment. Mark is looking forward to recovery, so he can grow up healthy and become a neurosurgeon!

Deborah is a newborn who is only three days old. When she was born, her doctors noticed that she had a sac on her lower back. She was diagnosed with spina bifida, a spinal cord malformation. The hospital immediately referred Deborah's mother to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, for treatment. On January 22, Deborah will undergo a $1,200 spina bifida closure surgery at the medical center. Without this treatment, Deborah is at risk of complications, such as tethered cord syndrome or lower limb paralysis. Deborah's parents cannot afford to pay for the care their daughter needs. They need help to pay her medical bill. "I hope that this treatment will help my child to be healed and she will be happy," says Deborah's mother.

Kosal is a 31-year-old farmer who is married and has one daughter and three sons. He likes to watch TV, relax in his garden, and clean around his home. In July, Kosal was in a motor vehicle accident that caused fractures in his left femur and left tibia. He went to a Khmer traditional healer for treatment. He was also treated in a hospital in Phnom Penh, where surgeons performed an external fixation procedure to heal the fracture. However, his symptoms did not improve. It became difficult for Kosal to walk, and he was in pain. When Kosal learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for four hours to seek treatment. On December 26, surgeons at CSC performed an open reduction internal fixation procedure on Kosal's left femur and tibia to allow him to walk easily again. CSC is requesting $411 to fund this procedure.