Nancy is the youngest in a family of two children from Tanzania. She was born on April 16, 2016 with a congenital disorder known as hydrocephalus - a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in her brain. Nancy cries a lot, and her mother often feels helpless. Nancy’s parents have taken their daughter to different hospitals without getting proper treatment, as they are unable to afford the cost. Nancy needs surgery to help regulate the amount of cerebral spinal fluid in her head. If not treated, Nancy is at risk of going blind and the size of her head will continue to increase. She will not be able to support her head, and thus will never be able to walk, and will be dependent on other people. Nancy’s mother is a homemaker and her father works at a local mine. His income is not stable and he is struggling to support his family. As much as he would like his daughter to be treated, he cannot afford the $775 cost of surgery his daughter needs to get healthy. “I just want my baby to be well,” said Nancy’s father. Let's help make it possible!

Meet Dickson, a three-year-old boy from Uganda who enjoys running around with his friends and singing and dancing to music on the radio. “Dickson has severe acute malnutrition,” our medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation, explains. Along with preventing him from being as active as his peers, “his symptoms include extreme oedema (or excess fluid in the body), skin sores and diarrhea. He also has a fever and cough.” “Dickson lives with his grandparents and five other cousins about 8 km from the hospital. His grandparents are retired church ministers and currently subsistence farmers growing beans, millet and cassava,” the Kellermann Foundation continues. Due to their age, his grandparents are unable to grow enough food for the family and provide Dickson with a hearty diet. $375 will cover the cost of Dickson’s malnutrition treatment. “Dickson will be enrolled on therapeutic feeds, given antibiotics and de-worming tablets," his doctor explains. Along with medical care for his immediate symptoms, Dickson's grandmother will also enroll in nutrition classes to help her ensure her grandson's long term health. “My grandchild has been very sick for the last month and this has made me very worried," Dickson's grandmother said. "I wish to thank everyone supporting the care of my child. And may God bless you all.”

“Iqra is just four months old from the coastal region of Kenya,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “The last born in a family of five, Iqra has had sleepless nights due to the pressure on his brain due to the excess fluid in his head. His mother is a stay at home mother while the father is a motorbike transport operator who earns an average of $4 a day.” At only four months old, Iqra has congenital hydrocephalus. This means that he has inherited a condition causing his brain to drain the fluid around it improperly. Hydrocephalus occurs when the fluid builds up, causing the head to increase in size and pressure on the brain. “Iqra has been experiencing high intra-cranial pressure which, if untreated, is likely to cause damage to his brain, eyes and potentially result in death,” reports AMHF. To prevent any of the serious consequences, Iqra needs surgery to correct the drainage problem. Doctors from AMHF will insert a small shunt into the base of Iqra’s brain, therefore allowing the excess fluid to drain out of his brain and into other body cavities where it can readily be absorbed. This will decrease the pressure on his brain and allow his head to return to normal size. “Since my son’s head started swelling I had to stop working to accompany his mother to and from the hospital, missing the chance to earn money to support my family,” explains Iqra’s father. With $615 in Watsi funding, Iqra will receive the surgery and be able to cover the costs of pre-operative care, surgery, a five day hospital stay, and medicines. The surgery is important to stabilize Iqra’s intracranial pressure, preventing the serious consequences such as blindness and death.

Meet Khon, an 81-year-old woman from Cambodia with a large family. She has four sons, four daughters, and 20 grandchildren. When she is not working around the house and caring for her loved ones, Khon enjoys visiting the pagoda, her place of worship. Two years ago, Khon developed a cataract in each eye -- a clouding of the eye's lens which has caused her to have blurry vision and tearing. “It is hard to see something well,” she says, “or go outside without help.” Khon's daughter took her to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, where doctors told Khon she was in need of a routine small incision cataract surgery (SCIS) and an intraocular lens implant in each eye, which will restore her vision to full clarity. In total, the procedure, supplies, drugs, and three days of inpatient care will cost $225. With her vision back, Khon will be able to return as an active member at the pagoda, attending regularly and joining in the ceremonies. Moreover, after two years of having blurred vision, she is excited to see clearly and spend time with her family. “I'm happy to get treatment and be able to see all my grandchildren,” Khon says.

For the past six months, 46-year-old Margaret from Kenya has been affected by backaches, dizziness, and heavy bleeding, subsequently causing her to develop anemia. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares that Margaret received a myomectomy in 2008 to remove fibroids from her uterus. "Due to the fibroids Margaret has not been able to conceive," AMHF explains. Instead, she chose to start her family by adopting her daughter, who is now seven years old. When her symptoms recently worsened, Margaret sought further medical care. "After taking different medications without success, the gynecologist suggested an ultrasound scan to be done which showed she has multiple uterine fibroids,” AMHF states. "The gynecologist said the best treatment now is a TAH (total abdominal hysterectomy)." This procedure will completely remove Margaret's uterus and cervix, relieving her of currently debilitating symptoms. Without treatment, "the anemia may get worse, requiring transfusion while the fibroids will continue to grow, causing more pain, bleeding and discomfort." $790 covers the cost of surgery, a five-day hospital stay, lab work, and the medicines that Margaret needs for a healthy recovery. Margaret "runs a small business of selling scrap metals," AMHF shares. "This business is not able to make enough money to meet the cost of the operation." “I have always wished to have a family of my own. Due to these fibroids I could not get a child," Margaret shares, "I adopted my daughter now aged seven years and I hope to get well and adopt a second child. I hope my surgery will be successful."