Two weeks after his birth, Twahla’s mother noticed that he had not yet passed stool. From the nearest hospital, his mother was advised to use glycerine to lubricate his opening and aid in passing stool. However at six months, the glycerine was no longer effective. They were advised to try another treatment and at seven months, they were referred to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital where a biopsy was done. Doctors diagnosed Twahla with Hirschsprung's Disease. His doctors recommend a pull-through procedure to aid in passing stool normally. Twahla is the second born in a family of two children. His mother is a housewife while his father is a salesperson with a very limited income. The family lives in a two-room rental house in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. They had the national insurance health insurance coverage, but have exhausted their NHIF benefit kit and are not able to raise the additional funds needed. “Please help my son get through with this treatment,” shared Twahla’s mother.

Ranny is a 33-year-old in Cambodia who sells bags online to earn income. Ranny has one son, and enjoys listening to music, and playing on Facebook. Five month ago, Ranny developed a chalazion in her left eye, causing her blurred vision, irritation, and discomfortable look. A chalazion is an inflamed cyst in a patient's tear gland. She shared, "it is irritating me and makes it difficult for me to see clearly and get my work done." Ranny traveled to seek treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On May 5th, surgeons will remove the cyst through a chalazion excision procedure. After recovery, Ranny's symptoms should improve drastically. She needs help raising $187 to fund this procedure. "I hope that my eye will look much better after my operation, so I can go anywhere, especially I can continue to sell bags and other products online," Ranny said.

Keith is a 12-year-old from Kenya. He is the first born child in a family of two, both of whom are students in grade three. They hail from Kaptul village which is known to be a rural area with less access to medical and social services. His parents are peasant farmers and they depend on seasonal farm products like mangoes and cassavas for commercial purpose. The money they get from those farm products is not enough to sustain the family for their daily needs. Therefore they depend on well-wishers for food and clothing when they don’t have farm products to sell. Four days ago, Keith fell from a high height and sustained trauma with injuries on right leg. A right tibia fracture was revealed by x-ray on his arrival to the hospital. Keith was looking after his grandmother’s cattle when he fell into a ditch. He is now in pain and cannot walk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 20th, Keith will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him heal well and be able to walk again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. Keith’s mother says, “He is hardworking and he is liked by his grandmother for being honest and taking responsibility. He will be missed by his grandmother, who is wishing him quick recovery.”

Ayebazibwe is a farmer from Uganda. She is a married mother to one young child. Her husband is an accountant and his salary is the major source of income for their family. She earns a living through practicing small-scale farming and mostly grows beans and maize. She has a lot of family members dependent on her as many of her sisters are still in school. Six years ago, Ayebazibwe began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty swallowing. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Ayebazibwe receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 7th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Ayebazibwe says, “I hope to feel much better after my surgery.”

Seyha is a sixth-grader from Cambodia. He is thirteen years old and his favorite subject to study is Khmer literature. One of his favorite foods to eat is fried meat. Seyha has one older brother and one older sister and he enjoys reading books, watching television, and sleeping. Seyha has clubfoot on his left side. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Seyha traveled four and a half hours to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Surgeons will perform a circular frame external fixation on March 5th to help Seyha. CSC is requesting $385 to fund Seyha's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk with ease and will be able to wear shoes easily again. "My family is very worried about my clubfoot and that I have grown up abnormally and cannot walk well. I hope that the operation goes well so I will be able to walk normally."

Sichoeun is a 62-year-old housewife from Cambodia. Sichoeun lives with her husband who works as a construction worker. Together they had one son and daughter who unfortunately have passed away. In November 2019, Sichoeun was walking along the road when a motorbike hit her. The accident caused a fracture of her right humerus. First she went to a Khmer traditional healer but their attempts to heal her were unsuccessful. She experiences pain and is unable to use her right hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On April 28th, Sichoeun will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. The procedure will stop her pain and allow her to use her right hand again. "I hope that the doctor will perform surgery successfully so that I can use my arm properly. Now I cannot work but if I get better I will be able to help my husband make money for us," Sichoeun said.