Eight-year-old Vannarith lives with his parents and two brothers in Cambodia. He likes to read books, play football, and watch movies on TV. When he was a baby, four of the fingers on Vannarith's left hand were burned. Those fingers now have burn contractures, which make it difficult for him to use his hand. Contractures, or hardened muscles, limit mobility. Vannarith has difficulty learning to write and participating in school activities. Fortunately, on October 24, he underwent surgery to release the scarred tissue. Vannarith's family needs help to fund this $194 procedure. Once his hand heals, he will be able to freely move his fingers. Vannarith says, "I hope to have normal fingers."

Two years ago, Augustine was kicked by a donkey on the head as he was preparing to go fetch water at a long distance from their home in Kenya. He was immediately taken to the hospital. A scan was later to reveal that Augustine had some of the veins in his head blocked. Drugs were administered as his parents could not afford a more specialized treatment. All seemed well up until seven months ago when Augustine began complaining of headaches and blurred vision. He was referred to an eye clinic where a second scan revealed that Augustine had a growth in the brain. A surgery was required the soonest possible. A shunt was administered in the local hospital they went to, to reduce the increased intracranial pressure, but that did not help the situation as Augustine's sight was deteriorating fast. A friend recommended that they visit Bethany Kids, a Watsi partner hospital, for specialized treatment. Augustine is 14 years old, and is experiencing progressive visual loss, persistent headaches, vomiting and gait walking abnormalities. If not treated, Augustine is at high risk of increased intra-cranial pressure, which is likely to cause brain damage or even death. He will continue to have persistent headaches and not be able to resume schooling. Augustine is the last born in a family of five children. He is calm and collected and it is not until you move around that you notice he cannot see you. Augustine was not born blind, he has had the pleasure of seeing much and hopes that one day he will regain his sight. Augustine is meant to be in primary school class eight but he is way behind in school due to absenteeism. He aspires to be a doctor, a dream which he still has. Augustine’s parents are subsistence farmers and they sell very little of their produce which brings them a minimal income. They live in a two roomed house in Eastern Kenya. They have exhausted their savings, but they are however hopeful that they are at the right place and that their son will be well. If treated, Augustine will be relieved from risks associated with high intra-cranial pressure like brain damage or even death. Augustine will be free from the headaches, gait abnormalities and may possibly have his vision restored and have a longer and better quality of life. Augustine will also resume school and follow his dream of becoming a doctor.

Veasna is a 23-year-old electrician. He has seven sisters and three brothers and he enjoys watching Thai movies on TV, playing football, and cleaning around his home. Veasna was born with congenital clubfoot of his right foot. This makes it difficult for him to walk long distances. Veasna traveled three hours to reach Children's Surgical Center for clubfoot repair surgery, after which it will be easier for Veasna to walk normally and without pain. "I will return home and continue my work as an electrician when I am healed," shares Veasna.

It was a usual workday for Naku, a 28-year-old truck driver who lives in Nepal. He was transporting a truck load of sand from the river to the construction site. With two people sitting in the back, Naku drove off a bridge once he felt a sudden loss of control over the truck. The steering wheel had failed and, in a matter of seconds, one of the people on board had lost his life, one had become unconscious and Naku was lying on the bride with an open fracture. Naku had taken up this job, which was far from home, after his wife, and the mother of their three children, died. He is worried about his injury and is concerned about how long the treatment may take and if it will hinder his mobility. "I feel overwhelmed," shares Naku. "I am extremely lucky to have survived this accident."

Gabriela is an 18-month-old baby, living with her parents in Tanzania. She is the second born out of two children. Gabriela’s parents are small scale farmers, and her father also is a religious teacher. Gabriela likes playing catch with the other children, and also scribbling things on paper. Ever since birth, Gabriela has had stuffy nose. She has trouble breathing especially at night when sleeping. When she was five months old, her mother took her to the hospital, where she was prescribed some medications. They did not seem to help, and a few months later, she took Gabriela to a different hospital for a more thorough medical examination. Gabriela was then diagnosed with enlarged adenoids. Adenoids, along with tonsils, are masses of tissue that trap contaminants as they pass through the nose and mouth, as well as produce antibodies to fight infections. Sometimes they will become inflamed and infected, and the swelling will compromise breathing. When this happens frequently, it is often better to have the tissues surgically removed. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, tells us that for $488, Gabriela can have her adenoidectomy procedure. The total cost covers the procedure itself, supplies, medications, and inpatient care for three days. Following her recovery, Gabriela will no longer have difficulty breathing with exercise or while sleeping. “My hope is that my daughter will be able to breath without any problems, and continue with normal growth,” Gabriela’s mother shares.

Meet Willy, a 54-year-old man from Kenya who is a father and primary school teacher. He had also been the primary provider for his parents, especially funding their treatment costs as they are sickly. Willy's wife operates a small grocery shop from which she gets a low income. Willy had cardiac complications in November 2015 and had to stop teaching. In February 2016, Willy was taken to a general hospital and had a CT scan and an MRI on his head that indicated he has a pituitary tumor. He was referred to Kijabe Hospital and was scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor. He is therefore appealing for Watsi's financial assistance so that he can undergo this surgery. Willy experiences painful head migraines. He previously had a stroke and his memory has been failing consistently, and his vision has been partially impaired too. Since February 2016, Willy has had poor vision and memory loss. He thus cannot do any work or communicate well. With the stroke affecting him, his state has been affected adversely. Willy needs a craniotomy to remove the tumor, which costs $1,205. If not treated, Willy risks having total memory loss, the head migraines will persist and there is risk of the tumor increasing. He may also become totally blind. Allan, Willy's son said: “I want my dad to be well again and to continue providing for our family.”

"Dina, a 16-year-old girl from Tanzania, is the fifth-born in a family of eight children," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. "She barely managed to complete the last year of her primary school education due to the condition of her legs." Dina has a condition commonly known as knocked knees. Despite the pain, she "did well in her final exams and was chosen to continue with secondary education," continues AMHF. "Dina had no problems with her legs at all until two years ago when her limbs slowly started to bow inwards causing her to knock her knees when walking." Dina currently walks with difficulty, and is unable to run. "She complains of feeling pain on the knees after walking a long distance," AMHF explains. "If not treated, Dina will be at risk of developing osteoarthritis at an early age." Dina will need surgery to treat her knocked knees, but her parents are small-scale farmers and can only afford supporting their family's basic needs. "Dina’s mother also buys and sells charcoal, but still what they earn is not enough to cover the cost of corrective surgery which their daughter needs," says AMHF. $940 will enable Dina to undergo surgery to correct the alignment of her legs so that they no longer hit one another when she walks and runs. This will eliminate her discomfort and prevent her from prematurely developing osteoarthritis. "My wish is to one day become a secondary school teacher," Dina said.

Mary is a confident, 12-year-old girl who likes to run and skip rope. She is the youngest in a family of eight children in Tanzania. She cannot remember when exactly her left leg became weak and gradually bent outwards. Mary was born with bilateral genu varus, commonly known as knocked knees. As a result of her condition, Mary frequently has pain when running. If her condition is untreated she could develop early osteoarthritis. Her parents are not able to afford surgery, as they are small-scale farmers and only earn enough to support Mary and her siblings' basic needs. For $940, Mary's legs will be surgically aligned to prevent them from hitting one another when she walks and runs. With this operation, Mary will be more mobile and free from pain so that she can concentrate in school. She will be able to more easily fulfill her dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher.