Zion is an adorable four-month-old baby boy from the Philippines. Despite being so young, Zion loves interacting with people and already responds when his name is called. Zion's mother is a full-time mom, while his father is a contract-of-service worker. Zion's father's income helps to sustain their family's daily needs. In March, Zion's family brought him to the hospital as he has skin tags on his body and they were concerned for his future health and development. This condition can be severe, especially at his age as it may cause discomfort that leads to itching, wounds, and infections. On May 4th, Zion is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is helping Zion's parents raise $1,196 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. After recovery, Zion will no longer have multiple skin tags or be at risk of developing related health complications in the future. "Once this surgery is done, we don't have to worry about his condition, and we can focus on taking care of Zion," his father shared. "Thank you so much World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi for your help. May you help other people in need like us," he added.

Sudes is an adorable baby boy who loves to smile and play with his mother and his older brother. Sudes is a happy child, especially when he is taking a bath. Sudes is the youngest child with one brother five years older. Sude and his brother are being raised by their single mother with limited support from his father. He works as a security guard in a government building, occasionally sending financial support to Sudes's mother. Sudes was born with a congenital malformation that causes an abnormally functioning segment of the bowel. Sudes requires corrective surgery so that he can grow to be a healthy boy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare is helping Sudes's mother raise $1,500 to fund this life altering surgery. Sudes's mother shared, "When I knew about his condition, I was so surprised and confused. I was scared and worried. Whenever I think about it I cry and cry.”

Kaliyan is a 27-year-old construction worker. He is an only child and his parents are divorced. He is currently living with his aunt. In his free time, he enjoys playing on his phone, playing football with his friends, and singing along to music. In May 2020, Kaliyan fell off of a motorbike and experienced paralysis of his right shoulder. He was offered physiotherapy at a government hospital, but his condition did not improve. He has since been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his right side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He has no movement in his right upper arm, and is unable to move his fingers or flex his wrist and elbow. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Kaliyan receive treatment. On February 28th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he hopes to regain use of his right arm so that he can work. Now, he needs help raising $696 to fund his procedure and care. Kaliyan shared, "I am hopeful that I can return to work to help my family. This injury has been very difficult for me because I can only stay home now and am not useful to anyone."

Ko Myo lives with his mother in a village in Burma. He used to be a motorcycle taxi driver but stopped working two months ago when his health deteriorated. His mother and wife currently care for him, washing clothes and working in a clothing factory in Yangon, earning income to support their family. With the help of Watsi donors, Ko Myo underwent his second round of laser treatment in January 2020, at Mae Sot Hospital in Thailand, to breakup stones in his left kidney. He was scheduled to undergo a third round of laser treatment however, when the Thai-Burma border closed in March 2020 due to increasing COVID-19 cases, Ko Myo was not able to go back to the hospital. He felt better until the first week of December 2021 when he started experiencing a lot of pain in his waist when he sat for a long time. With the border still closed and without enough money to go to a hospital, Ko Myo sought advice. He then went with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, in Yangon to a clinic in January 2022 and was able to visit our partner's care center, Shin Par Ku Hospital. The doctor has told him he will need surgery on his left kidney to remove the stone and has scheduled him to have the procedure on February 6th. Currently, Ko Myo has little appetite and experiences pain in the left side of his back. He is eagerly awaiting surgery. He shared, "I pity my wife because she has to work hard and support me. Now, I am so happy that I will receive surgery soon," he said. "One day I want to open my own shop in the market and sew children's clothing."

Clement is a small-scale farmer from Kenya. He was born and raised in a small village called Bugar where most of the people living in the area are farmers or find other casual jobs. He is married and has six children: two girls, and four boys. He did not attend school and communicates only in his mother tongue, called Keiyo. His family lives in a small mud house with a thatched roof and grows their food from their small farm, which mostly consists of maize and beans. Last week, Clement sustained a severe injury on his right leg after he was involved in a road traffic accident while going to the market. He was a passenger on a motorcycle that lost control and fell into a ditch leaving him and the rider with severe injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital where they received first aid and were later referred to our medical partner's care center for treatment. An X-ray revealed an open right tibia fibula fracture. Quickly Clement was rushed to the operating theatre for surgical debridement of wounds and casting. He was admitted to the hospital and is awaiting fracture surgery. He is unable to walk and is in great pain. Clement likes spending his days on his farm and as the breadwinner of the family, he's now feeling distressed because he can’t provide for them due to his condition. He is worried about the obstacles his family would face if his leg is not treated, having also been diagnosed with arthritis. The family doesn’t have funds to pay for his surgery and he's appealing for support. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 6th, Clement will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will reduce his pain and help him walk easily again. After complete recovery, he will be able to resume his work and support his family. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,145 to fund his treatment to help him heal. Clement says, “I want to be pain-free and healthy. I hope to be happy again and have a good life. My family needs me the most.”

Movin is a 14-year-old social and jovial boy. Movin likes playing football with his friends. His favorite subject in school is English; he aspires to be a doctor in the future to help those who need surgical care, mostly those with physical conditions. Movin is the 5th born in a family of seven children. His mother is a housewife while his father is a farmer. Their family lives in a two-roomed grass-thatched and mud traditional house in a village in Kenya. Movin was born with bilateral clubfoot deformity. This condition has affected his mobility, he gets tired easily, feels pain out of straining, falls whenever he plays football, and cannot put on shoes well. Movin needs surgery, however, his family is not in a financial position to finance the surgery and they are appealing for financial assistance. Fortunately, Movin traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Movin's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will continue with his education uninterrupted in pursuit of his dream of being a doctor. Movin says, “I would like my foot to be treated so that I can walk like my friends and continue with my education.”

Jhonatan Mercado is a creative four-year-old from Venezuela. A year ago his family moved to Medellin in Colombia seeking for a better future for their kids. Jhonatan is an older brother in a family of two children, his little brother is one year old. Jhonatan he loves to play with his mom with Legos. He already loves soccer too. Jhonatan Mercado has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Jhonatan Mercado's family traveled to visit our Medical Partner Clínica Noel. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 20th. Our medical partner, Clínica Noel, is requesting $1500 to fund Jhonatan Mercado's bilateral clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk without pain or further complications. His mother said "We are really glad that finally we found help, we have been in different treatments since he was 6 months old but now we have a lot of faith in this procedure and in Doctor Miguel."

Sarafina is a small scale farmer and a mother of six, with five living children. She shared with us that she attended school up to the first grade when she was young and since has farmed, while her husband is a retired soldier. They own a three-room semi-permanent house for shelter. Their oldest child is now 45 years old and dropped out of school due to mental illness while their youngest recently got married. Sarafina receives a little support from her children and relies on her farm produce to meet her daily needs. For two years, Sarafina has been experiencing lower abdominal pains along with itchy arms. She used herbal medication for the itching but she never got relief. She visited Rugarama Hospital and the scan showed uterine fibroids. Sarafina has stopped farming because she can no longer bend down, and has had to miss some follow-up appointments due to limited funds. Her symptoms have worsened and she has been diagnosed with large uterine leiomyoma. An exam revealed a cervical mass highly suspicious of cervical cancer. If not treated, Sarafina could develop chronic pelvic pain and there is a risk of cancer spreading, poor quality of life due to chronic pain and organ failure. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus, but her family cannot afford the surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $319 to fund Sarafina's surgery. On September 4th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Sarafina will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Sarafina says, “I pray that I may be considered for treatment because I am in severe pain and my condition could get worse. I hope to be normal again so that I may get back to farming and taking care of my family.”

Boaz is a small baby boy and the last born in a family of three children. Boaz’s father is a teacher and his mother is a housewife. Boaz was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition he was born with. If left untreated, Boaz has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Fortunately, Boaz is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on September 6th. Boaz will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). AMHF is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care so he can grow up healthy. Boaz’s mother says, “When we heard that we were not in a position to be covered with support for his surgery, we had no choice but to go back and gather some funds which would take a long time. We are grateful for your help.”