Mateo is a toddler from Bolivia. He is his parents' first child. He lives with his mom, who is a homemaker, and his dad, who works distributing soda. When he was born prematurely at 30 weeks, Mateo had to be in an incubator where doctors detected his heart condition. Mateo has a cardiac condition called tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), a combination of four heart conditions, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart, as well as a blockage that affects how blood flows out of the heart. As a result, Mateo does not get enough oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. On May 6th, he will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, doctors will close the hole in his heart and remove the blockage so that blood can flow more normally. Mateo's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Mateo's mother shared, "I'm grateful my child is going to receive his surgery so he can grow and be a healthy boy."

Zabdiel is a young boy from Bolivia. He lives in Bolivia with his mom, who is a homemaker, his dad, who is a taxi driver, and his two older siblings. Zabdiel was born with a heart condition, as well as Down Syndrome. He has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This involves several related conditions, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These deprive the body of oxygen and cause heart failure. On April 23rd, Zabdiel will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, doctors will sew a patch over the hole and remove the blockage from his valve. Zabdiel's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Zabdiel's mother shared, "He is such a sweet and expressive child, so friendly and warm. I pray the surgery will be a success and he can return home healthy."

Monineath is an only child and lives with her parents in Kampong Speu province. Her mother works in a garment factory, while her father is a truck driver. She does not attend school yet, but her parents plan to start her in kindergarten soon. At home, she enjoys watching cartoons on her mother's phone and loves eating apples. Two weeks ago, Monineath's father noticed a mass on the right side of her neck, which is tender to the touch. After a medical consult, it was determined to be a third brachial arch cyst, a rare congenital condition resulting from incomplete development during fetal development, and usually presents in childhood as a mass on the lower neck. Sometimes the fluid in the cyst can become infected, resulting in the sudden appearance of a tender neck mass. Recently, the mass has been increasing in size, and her parents are worried. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 6th, Monineath will undergo right paracervical mass removal to prevent further growth and potential complications. Monineath and her family need your help to raise $416 to fund this procedure. Monineath's parents shared, "We are looking forward to the procedure being completed so she can feel better and be able to enjoy her childhood again."

Amani is a two-year-old boy and the youngest of eight children. Amani’s mother is a single mother and the sole provider for her family. She supports her children through farming and receives occasional assistance from her brothers to cover basic needs. Amani has clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual and this causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Amani's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Doctors will begin clubfoot treatment on January 7th and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341 to fund Amani's clubfoot repair. After treatment, with the proper care, Amani can look forward to walking, running, and growing up with full mobility. Amani's mother says: "When I heard about the chance to get treatment, I was filled with hope that my boy is going to grow up healthy."

Jayden is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the second born in a family of two children. Jayden's father is currently attending welding classes and relies on casual employment to make ends meet, while his mother also earns income through casual work. Jayden was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus or bow legs. When he began standing on his own; his legs showed a noticeable bow outward. The condition worsened as he grew older, prompting them to seek medical attention. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Jaden experiences difficulty walking, expending a great deal of energy, and often crying after walking for a while. Recently, while listening to the radio, they learned about Kafika House, which prompted them to seek consultation. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery and treatment for Jayden at their care center Kafika House. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 5th. Treatment will hopefully restore Jayden's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Jayden’s mother says, “Please help my son. I hope he gets treatment and grows up to be successful.”

Perepetua is a 40-year-old mother who needs surgery to heal an ovarian cyst. She and her husband are both small-scale farmers, and they have 5 children, ranging in age from 2 to 18 years old. They reside in a modest 3-room mud house. Unfortunately, her husband lacks financial support, leaving her to struggle to cover her children's school fees through farming. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. Two months ago, Perepetua began to experience lower abdominal pains, as well as backaches, discomfort when getting up, and difficulty turning comfortably in bed. She was diagnosed with a right ovarian cyst and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is helping Perepetua receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a curative laparotomy, a surgery to remove the cyst, on July 7th. Perepetua and her family need help with raising $284 to fully fund the surgery. Perepetua shared, “I pray for a successful surgery so that I may continue with farming and be able to take care of my family.”

Christmaelle is a beautiful toddler from Haiti. She lives with her parents, grandparents, and three older siblings in a small fishing village in southwest Haiti. The adults in her family all fish and raise livestock for a living. Christmaelle has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart; blood leaks through this hole without first passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. The surgery Christmaelle needs is not available in Haiti, so she will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On June 28th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in her heart with a patch so that blood can no longer leak through it. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $7,000 to pay for her surgery. Christmaelle's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and followup. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports the cost of getting passports and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Christmaelle's family overseas. Christmaelle's mother said: "Our family is praying for everyone who is helping our daughter to become healthy again!"

Nuriya is 2-year-old toddler from Ethiopia who loves his mom and dad very much and always wants to be with them. Nuriya enjoys chatting and playing with his parents. Now he also has a three-month-old baby sister. His parents are working hard to raise them both. They shared that they went through a lot as a previous immigrant in Saudi Arabia and their family now decided to stay in their home country to raise a family and support it from their homeland. Nuriya's grandparents gave his parents a small piece of land that they are now farming. However, the fruit that they farm is only enough to maintain the daily needs of the family. Nuriya was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Nuriya is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on July 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Nuriya was also born with another birth condition that Watsi donors supported for treatment and his family is tremendously grateful for support. Nuriya's mother is inspired by the care he is receiving, “I hope he will be a doctor in the future. Just as the doctor who treated him and changed his health in the past, I want him to grow and treat so many kids with sickness and disability.”

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.

Twijukye is a preschool student from Uganda. He likes playing with other children but his condition and pain makes it difficult for him to play. He is the third born in a family of four children, the two older children are in school while the youngest is still breastfeeding. His parents are small-scale farmers but oftentimes they work on other people's farms as a casual laborers. Four years ago, Twijukye developed a hydrocele, which is a swelling in a sensitive area. This hydrocele causes him pain and discomfort. Fortunately, on July 14, he will undergo hydrocele repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $146 to fund Twijukye's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Twijukye's mother shared, “I pray that my child gets relief from this condition so that he can have a better life and grow up healthy.”

Gift is one-year-old baby girl and the last born child in a family of two children. When Gift was two months old her parents noticed she was struggling to pass stool and urine, and her stomach would be very hard. They thought it was because she was still a small baby and that she would be ok as time goes by, but as time went on her condition kept worsening. Her parents are small-scale farmers of maize and vegetables for a living, and they are struggling financially. They were able to take Gift to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center ALMC Hospital, where she was diagnosed with A.R.M. and doctors advised that she would need surgery to correct the problem. She was able to get funding support for the first stage of treatment so Gift had a colostomy placed. She now needs the follow-up stage of surgery of pull through and later a colostomy closure and are seeking $1,500 to support the treatment. Gift’s mother says, “Our baby has been suffering from this condition for a while now but due to financial challenges we can’t afford the cost, please help us.”

Mujuni is a baby from Uganda. He is the youngest of three children. Mujuni’s parents are farmers. For five months, Mujuni has had an inguinal scrotal hernia. This hernia causes him pain and if not treated, it may result in intestinal tissue damage and death. Fortunately, on August 8, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Mujuni's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. His mother says, "After surgery my son will grow up in good health and I will have peace of mind."