Meet Sindy, a baby girl from Guatemala. Sindy's mother is unable to produce breast milk, and cannot afford to buy formula as a substitute. She has been giving her daughter boiled water with sugar and white rice bits to help her stop crying, but she is worried because her daughter has not grown since she was born two months ago. Sindy is losing weight since she is not receiving the protein and nutrients she needs to grow—making her immune system weak and her body unable to fight off sicknesses. At such a young age, malnutrition is life-threatening. Lactation failure can lead to the child becoming starving, dehydrated, and provoke electrolyte imbalances that can cause seizures. Brain development occurring during this delicate time is compromised and the baby is at risk of long term deficiencies. Sindy lives with her parents and two older siblings in a one-room house made of cinderblocks with a tin roof. Her mother works taking care of Sindy, cooking, and cleaning, as well as looking for firewood on the mountains near their home to sell when she has time. Her father works as a farmer, only making a couple dollars per day by harvesting crops and selling them. Although they want the best for her, even if they spent every sent they had, they would not be able to afford live-saving formula for their daughter. Lactation failure, while dangerous, is easy to treat. By supplying the baby with formula and the mother with health education, Sindy will receive the calories she needs to grow and thrive. One-on-one education with Sindy’s mother will prepare her for when she needs to start eating solid food, as well as help her watch for further signs of malnutrition and other illness. Sindy’s immune system will strengthen and she will grow up to be a healthy energetic baby. “I dream that my daughter will study and become a teacher," Sindy's mother shared.

Nith is a baby boy from Cambodia with one sister. He traveled 3 hours with his mom to reach Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) - Watsi's medical partner - for treatment. Nith was born with an extra thumb on his hand. His parents first brought him to CSC when he was 1 month old and our doctors advised he return when he was 1. He is now old enough to have surgery to remove the additional thumb. "It is difficult for him to hold things," his mother shared. For $296, surgeons at CSC will remove the extra thumb. Nith will regain proper function in his hand.

Chanthoeun is a 28-year-old farmer, with two older sisters and one older brother. Chanthoeun spends his time playing football and helping his parents. He traveled 3 hours with his sister to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Chanthoeun began experiencing ear discharge and hearing loss in both ears when he was 8 years old. The tympanic membrane is perforated on both sides. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors discovered a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal growth, on the left side. $809 will cover the cost of Chanthoeun's treatment. ENT surgeons will perform surgery, or a mastoidectomy, on his left ear first to remove the cholesteatoma. When he has healed, he can return to have his perforated eardrum repaired, or myringoplasty surgery, on the left side. After the procedures, his ear pain and discharge will stop. Over time, Chanthoeun's hearing can improve.

Esupat is a very sweet two-year-old girl from Tanzania. Her mother is a housewife and her father a janitor. Esupat's legs are deformed due to a condition known as genu valgus, a condition in which the knees angle in and touch one another when the legs are straightened. Due to her condition, Esupat experiences pain when walking and her legs have become progressively bent inward. Genu valgus is a condition common to the region due to the excessive flouride in the drinking water. Esupat loves to play with her friends and her siblings, but her condition makes it difficult to keep up with other children her age. Her father heard about our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) through work. AMHF determined that Esupat is in need of corrective surgery and rehabilitation in order to allow her to walk properly. For $940, doctors will perform a procedure to straighten her knees and afterwards Esupat will participate in physical therapy to learn to walk again. Without this surgery, Esupat's gait may worsen and she will be very limited in where she can walk. Esupat is expected to make a full recovery and be able to play and keep up with other children her age. "I want my child to heal and study to become a nurse when she is older," says Esupat's mom.

Meet Ana, a 23-month-old girl from Guatemala. Ana and her four siblings live in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof in a rural mountainous community. She loves to play with her doll with her older siblings, and sing to her little brother. Her parents are farmers, and they cultivate cabbage, cauliflower, and green beans which they sell at the market, and eat what does not sell. Although her parents work hard, they do not make enough money to support a healthy diet for Ana and need support to help her get well—they cannot afford to give her even one egg or piece of fruit per day. Ana is not growing like she should because she has acute malnutrition. She is nearly three and a half standard deviations below the normal size for her age. This is because she has not had access to a healthy diet—her body has not gotten the protein, calories and nutrients that it needs to grow normally. Her energy is low, she has little appetite, and she has been getting sick more often than the other kids that live in the neighborhood—in the past two weeks alone she has had a fever and cough. Diarrhea, cough, and fevers can be life-threatening for children like Ana, whose immune systems are weak due to their poor diet. Her mother is worried about her, since she has noticed that she is not growing as well as her older kids. In the long term, Ana could be at risk of stunted neurodevelopment, behavioral problems, and a greater risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Ana gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age. All of this can be accomplished with treatment, which costs $512. Treating her now will have a large impact—she will likely be able to reach developmental milestones just like healthy kids her age. This treatment will strengthen her immune system, increase her overall caloric intake, and allow her to have more energy to play and learn. Her parents will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give her the diet she needs to grow and develop--they will receive intense and motivational nutrition classes to learn what, when, and how to feed Ana the best diet possible. This will help her start to develop better both physically and mentally, giving her the chance to live a healthy and productive life, escaping the cycle of malnutrition that is making her sick. "I hope that one day she can graduate and become a teacher," Ana's mother shared.

Meet Khoeun, a 67-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia with four sons, two daughters, and 11 grandchildren. When he is not farming to support his family, he enjoys reading Buddhist texts. “Khoeun developed a cataract in each eye 4 months ago," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) tells us. "This causes him blurred vision, tearing, irritation, and he is afraid of sunshine. He can't see everything clearly, do work well, or go anywhere outside.” The cataracts have clouded his vision to the point that it is difficult for him to work. As he works to provide for his family, it is difficult to make enough income to afford the surgery that would restore his eyesight. $225 funds cataract surgery that will remove the cloudy lenses from both of his eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. These funds will cover the costs of post-operative care, where he will be given eye drops to apply daily to prevent infection and help his eyes heal. After one or two days of recovery, Khoeun will be able to see clearly again.

"I am always thinking about my condition and really worry about it," shares 46-year-old Aye. "I can't eat and sleep well. I want to get better soon and want to help my family." Aye lives in Burma with her husband, who works as a day laborer. Aye currently lives with a leiomyoma - or benign mass - on her cervix. This causes her pain, bleeding, and discomfort. “Aye and her husband didn't have enough income [to pay for Aye's treatment] so they tried to go and work in Bangkok to be able to support their two sons, and they left their two sons with their grandmother,” shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). BBP continues, “Aye couldn't work anymore because of the pain so she came back to Burma. She said she doesn't have medical card and the cost of the treatment is so expensive for her in Bangkok. She then heard about a local clinic through her friend and made a trip there. The midwife there examined her and told her that she has a mass in her uterus that need to be removed.” Surgery to remove Aye's mass will cost $1,500. With this procedure, BBP says, “Aye should be able to go work to her work and can help her family. She should be able to generate income and support her two sons.”

Two-year-old Hamza lives in eastern Ethiopia with his parents and six older siblings. His father used to work as a small-scale trader before getting sick one year ago. Now, the family relies on extended familial support for financial help. “Hamza was born with epispadias, a congenital defect on the penis which has his urethra opening along the penile shaft as opposed to the tip,” explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “As a result, Hamza leaks urine all the time, can’t pee in a standing position, and may be unable to have children in the future.” $1,105 covers surgery to repair Hamza’s urinary tract. “Once Hamza is treated, he will be able to pass urine from the tip of his penis, he will urine continent, and will have a higher chance of fathering his children in the future,” AMHF says. “It is extremely exciting to see people whom I don’t know support this medical bill,” shares Hamza’s mother.

Meet Thi Dar, a 43-year-old mother of four from Burma. “Thi Dar lives with her husband, three sons, and one daughter,” shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “Her husband works as an agricultural day laborer, and she sells fried snacks outside of her house. Her oldest daughter is 12 years old and has had to stop school due to family financial problems. Her other three children are still studying in primary school.” Thi Dar has a uterine myoma, a noncancerous, fibrous growth within the tissue of the uterus. “Currently, Thi Dar has abdomen pain and body aches. She is worried about her condition and also worried about her financial problem,” reports BBP. “She has had to stop working and now depends on her husband’s salary, which isn’t enough to cover their living costs.” For $1500, Thi Dar will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove her uterus and strengthen her pelvic floor, resolving her painful symptoms. This cost includes pre and post-surgical outpatient visits, hospitalization, transportation, and food. “Following treatment, Thi Dar should be able to go back to work selling snacks outside of the house, and she can take care of her children,” continues BBP. “She shouldn’t have any more abdominal pain or worries from her condition.” Thi Dar is eager to regain her strength. She tells us, “I want to get healthy and be able to support my family again.”

Meet Daniel, an eight-year-old boy from Ethiopia. Daniel lives with his mother and his younger brother. Daniel has a condition called Hirschprung’s disease, which makes it hard for him to pass stool normally. Several years ago “Daniel developed an obstruction and a colostomy (stool diversion) was done," shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Although Daniel’s previous surgery relieved the symptoms from the obstruction, it is not a long-term solution for his condition. However, as a single parent of two children, Daniel’s mother’s income is not enough to cover the cost of Daniel’s second operation. For $1,500, Daniel will receive surgery to correct his condition. AMHF states that after treatment, Daniel will be able to pass stool normally. “Despite everything, Daniel is a very happy boy and he has a very positive outlook on life,” AMHF shares. “He is dreaming that if he gets well from this condition, he can go to school and become a big government officer.”

Restetuta, a 54-year-old mother of 10, lives in Uganda with her husband and family. Restetuta was referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), for treatment for an inguinal hernia. An inguinal hernia occurs when soft tissue bulges through a weak point in the abdominal muscles. AMHF explains, "four years ago, Restetuta developed a painful swelling on her lower abdomen on the right side. She went to the hospital two times and was given medicine which did not help much. She was given medicine and was advised to go for surgery. However, Restetuta never went for surgery because she and her husband could not afford it." $220 will cover surgical expenses to repair Restetuta's hernia. Without treatment, AMHF shares, "Restetuta may develop severe life threatening complications. The hernia can get obstructed or strangulated causing intestinal perforation." "We expect after a hernia repair, Restetuta will recover completely. She will no longer be in pain and she will be able to take care of her family," AMHF continues. Both Restetuta and her husband Joseph say, “God bless the donors for their kindness."

Meet Kim, a 61-year-old grandfather from Cambodia. “Kim is married with five children and one grandchild,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “He enjoys current events in Cambodia and is always listening or watching the news.” “Kim has pterygiums that make his job as a construction worker basically impossible due to the constant burning sensations,” explains CSC. “He also has very blurred vision. Even when he stays inside, he still has discomfort all of the time.” A pterygium often occurs in patients whose eyes get unprotected exposure to the sun. As a result, a small growth develops on the inner corner of the eye, causing discomfort including burning sensations. Doctors can remove Kim’s pterygiums in a simple procedure. The small growth will be surgically removed and the area will then be repaired with extra tissue from Kim’s eye. $150 in Watsi funding will ensure that Kim receives the surgery and will cover all the operational costs as well as the medicines he will need. “After the surgery, he is looking forward to no pain, going back to his construction job, and he even says he will try to get a second job as a taxi driver to make extra money for his family,” shares CSC.