Marbella is one year old, and is the second daughter in her family. She lives with her parents and older brother in an adobe house in Guatemala. Her mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Marbella. Her father is a day laborer in the fields, who often does not have work. While her mother is working, Marbella loves to play with plastic dishes and pretend to make food. Although her parents work hard, they do not have the resources for her to reach a healthy height and weight. Marbella is suffering from malnutrition, meaning that she is much too small for her age. Not only has her physical growth been stunted, but she also has a weak immune system—in the past two weeks alone she has suffered from a cough and a high fever. Unfortunately, malnutrition also decreases her appetite--Marbella's mother says that she almost never finishes the food she gives her, and that she gets tired quickly when she plays. If Marbella does not receive treatment, she could face the consequences of stunted mental and physical growth for the her the rest of her life, making it more likely that she will have lower-paying jobs as an adult and have children who are also malnourished. Marbella will receive growth monitoring, food supplements, and deworming medication which will help her grow, develop healthily both mentally and physically, and overcome malnutrition. Her parents will receive nutrition education so they can learn how to best feed Marbella, even with the little resources they have. If she receives treatment now, she will be able to have normal mental and physical development. This treatment will give Marbella a better chance of escaping the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that she is caught in. Her parents share, "We dream that our daughter can go to university."

Luch is an 18-year-old student in 12th grade. Luch has three brothers and one sister. He enjoys staying at home and reading books. He traveled four hours to Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment with his mother. On November 23rd, 2015, Luch was in a moto accident. He was taken to a hospital and was unconscious for four days. The doctors there discovered a left forearm fracture but did not provide treatment. The hospital charged $3,000 USD for his hospital stay and a CT scan, but his family had no money so he returned home. Luch went to a tradition Khmer healer who provided a bamboo splint for his arm. He first came to CSC on March 25th for a consultation about his condition. His left arm has no shoulder, wrist, elbow, or hand movement. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury (BPI), which is when the network of nerves that sends signals to the arm for movement has been stretched, compressed, or even ripped. It can leave the arm paralyzed, as it has in Luch's case. Surgeons at CSC will perform a BPI repair surgery so he can regain function of his left arm. A BPI surgery at CSC will involve diverting a nerve from one destination and sewing it into the non-functioning nerve. It can take three to six months before full recovery of function is typically seen. The treatment will cost $392 and covers the cost of the surgery, the medical supplies that are needed, and two full days of housing and food for Luch and his mother. "When I am healed I will go home and continue my studies," Luch tells us.