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.

Owembabazi is a bursar from Uganda and a single mother of a 4-year-old. She is not married yet because, she shared, she has not yet met a suitable man. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and works as an assistant bursar at a secondary school in Uganda. She currently lives with her mother and likes listening to Gospel music during her free time. Three weeks ago, she developed severe abdominal and back pains that restrict her from even bending down easily and sleeping. She decided to come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice. At Rushoroza, she presented with a history of left severe pain associated with an ovarian mass that has been progressively increasing in size. If not treated, severe pain could stop her from doing her day to day activities. It could also be cancerous thus spreading to other body organs. Owembabazi has been sidelined by the COVID19 situation because she no longer receives a salary since the schools closed in March. She is currently on her own and seeks financial support. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Owembabazi receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a curative laporotomy, a surgery to remove cancerous tissue, on October 7th at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $284, and Owembabazi needs your support. Owembabazi says, “I pray that I get well through surgery because I am in severe pain. I will resume my usual duties as an assistant bursar once the government lifts the ban on secondary schools.”

Mas is a 52-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has one brother and three sisters. She does rice farming with her sister and at home, she likes to cook, do some housework, and enjoy reading the Gu'ran book. Five months ago, Mas developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision preventing her to work in the rice fields. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Mas learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On April 21st, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. She shared, "I hope that I can see everything clearly, I will continue to work at rice field again."

Michael is a baby from Tanzania, and the last born child in a family of five. He is a jovial boy and happy most of the time. Michael’s father has been away to a different city working as night guard while the mother is a stay home wife looking after their five children. His father is able to send some little money every month to help support the family. Michael has clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Michael traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 11th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Michael's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk without difficulty. Michael’s mother says, “Please help correct my child's foot so that he can learn how to walk like other children.”

David is a young student from Kenya who will start sixth grade next year. He aspires to be an engineer in future. The second-born of two children, he lives with his parents and elder siblings in a two-room rental house. David’s mother is a full-time mom, while his father is employed casually in a barber shop, with an average income of $1 a day. David was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, David has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. David will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 19th. AMHF is requesting $535 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I want to be an engineer when I grow up,” says David.

B. Kuma, a beautiful and adorable six-month-old girl, lives about 500 kilometers from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Her parents are poor farmers and their income is not enough to feed the family well. Thus far, B. Kuma has been fed exclusively on breast milk. B. Kuma was born with an anorectal malformation called imperforate anus, which means she has no opening where the anus usually should be. As a result, she cannot pass stool in a normal way. Due to her condition, B. Kuma developed a bowel obstruction and had to have an emergency colostomy. A colostomy is a surgical procedure in which a piece of the colon is redirected to an alternative opening in the abdominal wall so that waste material can exit the body. However, B. Kuma has had numerous issues with the colostomy, including complications such as leakage and irritation. Her family has suffered throughout this process. They went to a number of hospitals in search of treatment, and they are very worried about their daughter's condition. Children born with birth defects-- and indeed, their parents too-- often fall victim to social stigmas and discrimination. For these reasons, B. Kuma and her parents risk social and psychological problems if she cannot be treated. "I can't pay for my child's medical bill and that worries me for the past six months," says B. Kuma's father. "I did not know what to do. But we heard from another hospital that our child can get the treatment for free at Bethany Kids (a facility run by Watsi's medical partner), and we came here hoping for help." Fortunately, we can help fund B. Kuma's $1,500 procedure, during which doctors will surgically repair her malformation. After her surgery, B. Kuma should be able to pass stool normally, eliminating the risk of future health complications and social barriers.

“Pista is our only child with problems of the feet. It is our prayer that her feet can be straightened so that she can walk like other children and have the same opportunity to go to school and efficiently perform other activities,” Pista's parents tell us. Meet Pista, an active and talkative five-year-old girl from Tanzania. Pista is the youngest in the family and “everybody loves her,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “While at home, she has a special place which is her imaginary kitchen and where she prepares meals for her dolls,” AMHF continues. “Pista likes humming while ‘cooking’ and carrying her dolls on her back.” Pista has bilateral clubfoot. As AMHF explains, “Pista walks by using the lateral aspect of her feet, which terribly affects her gait. If not treated, Pista will never be able to walk properly and chances of developing osteoarthritis at a young age will be high.” Pista’s parents are small-scale farmers and work very hard to ensure their four children have the opportunity to attend school. However their earned income is not enough to cover all of their needs, as well as pay for the treatment Pista needs. $1,160 will cover the entire cost of Pista’s treatment, from the surgery and hospital stay to her painkillers and physiotherapy. Let’s help Pista access the healthcare she needs to grow up and lead a healthy life.

Meet four-year-old Pius. Pius lives with his parents and four siblings in Kenya. When Pius was just nine months old, his left foot was badly burned in an accident. As the burns started to heal, scar tissue formed that caused the surrounding skin to become stiff and inflexible. Now, Pius cannot wear shoes. When walking, only his left heel reaches the ground. In addition to the physical pain this causes, Pius’ peers often tease him. “All we want is for his foot to step down so that he can start wearing shoes like his siblings," his father says. "It does not make sense to buy him just one shoe, so we have never bought him any.” For $1,000, doctors can perform a contracture release and skin graft that will allow the damaged skin tissue to be replaced with healthy new skin around his foot. This will allow Pius to walk normally and reduce the pain that has been caused by walking on his heel. Let's make sure Pius can slip into a new pair of shoes and show off his regained mobility!

Meet Ganesh, a fifth-grade student in Nepal. Ganesh is at the top of his class, and his favorite sport is volleyball, which he plays with his two siblings. Unfortunately, Ganesh experienced severe second degree burns on his hands and has not been able to go to school or play sports with his friends and family. For $1,415, Ganesh will receive procedures to remove damaged tissue and heal his hands. Let’s give Ganesh the opportunity to take many more exams, and play many more games of volleyball.

At seven years old, Jane is absolutely adorable. Despite the bright smile shining out from under her hat, that hat is hiding a serious medical issue. When Jane was just eight months old, she fell into an open fire and sustained serious burns on her scalp. For years, Jane has covered her head to conceal her still-painful and damaged skin. Jane's mother says that all she wants is for her daughter to be healthy again. Jane needs a $1,500 surgery to treat infection-prone areas on her skin and reconstruct her burned scalp. We can help Jane get the medical care she needs to live the happy, carefree life every seven-year-old deserves.

Hellen is a 60-year-old widow and mother of 3 with a rare condition her doctors tell us is “much studied in medical school but uncommonly seen.” Hellen’s condition, pheochromocytoma, is a benign adrenal gland tumor which produces chemicals that cause severe hypertension. In addition to hypertension, Hellen suffers from vomiting, pain when swallowing, abnormal weight loss, general weakness and fatigue, and sweat spells. Without treatment, her high blood pressure will cause her major organs to shut down, and her doctors say she will not live. Fortunately, there's a good chance doctors at AMHF can cure Hellen by removing her adrenal gland. With surgery, they believe it's possible for Hellen to go on to live a normal, healthy life. Hellen is a hardworking woman. She makes a modest income by farming in her small garden and tending to her two cows. She raised her 3 children single-handedly has taken immense pride in seeing them grow up. Hellen and her children have scraped together $385 to contribute towards her medical care. It’s up to us to raise the remaining $850 she needs to receive treatment. Let’s do this!

Emiliana is a 52-year-old mother of three young school children fighting non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She has powered through most of her chemotherapy like a champ, and has just three more rounds to go before she is finished with treatment. Emiliana has a large and devoted family that has been able to scrape together enough cash to pay for her medical expenses so far, but their financial resources are now exhausted. Without medical insurance or a safety net to catch her, Emiliana is out of options. If Emiliana gets these last three rounds of treatment, she will have a fair shot at getting back to being the strong and healthy mother that her young children need. It’s up to us to make sure Emiliana makes it to the finish line. Let’s help her kick cancer’s butt!