Zar is an 18-year-old from Thailand. He lives with his family in Mae La refugee camp. He likes to play football and cane ball in his free time. Four months ago, Zar began to experience blurry vision. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for him to see clearly. Zar was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, he could lose vision completely. Zar is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his retina on January 22. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. After his surgery, Zar's vision will hopefully be restored, and he will resume his daily activities comfortably.

Thu is a 16-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his family in Umpeim Mai refugee camp. Thu was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. The doctor explained that Thu needs surgery even though he appears to be doing well right now. This condition will only get worse over time. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Thu. The treatment is scheduled to take place on December 11 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Thu said, “I am very worried about my health. Although I seem to be healthy, the doctor said I must have surgery. What if I get worse? I don’t want to suffer so I want to have surgery if I must.”

Kyel is a 15-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his two younger brothers in an orphanage in Mae Sot. Two days ago, Kyel was playing football with some friends. He slid and his friend tripped and landed on top of his arm, fracturing it. Kyel is in a great deal of pain and is unable to sleep at night. He is sad that he won’t be able to play football in the foreseeable future. He also won't be able to do his laundry or garden. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Kyel will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 18 and will cost $1,500. After recovery, Kyel will be able to return to school. Kyel says, "I my dream of being a professional singer one day."

Evenson is a 14-month-old little boy from Haiti. He lives with his parents in Port-au-Prince. His mother stays at home to take care of him, and his father works to support their family. Evenson was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a heart condition involving several defects, including a hole between two of his heart's chambers and a muscular blockage in one of the heart's valves. As a result, not enough oxygen is delivered to his body, leaving Evenson feeling weak. On August 9, Evenson will be flown to our medical partner's care center, Health City Cayman Islands. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,343 to cover the cost of Evenson's transportation from Haiti to Cayman Islands where he will receive heart surgery. Eveson's family is looking forward to him being healthy!

Abibatu is a girl from Sierra Leone. Abibatu lives in Freetown, the capital, with her parents and two older brothers. She likes to dress up and to go to church with her family. She has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, a heart condition involving several related defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage in one of the heart's valves. As a result, not enough oxygen is delivered to her body, leaving her sickly and weak. Without surgery, the condition would be fatal. Abibatu will fly to the Narayana Institute Of Cardiac Sciences in Bangalore, India to receive treatment. On July 27, she will undergo cardiac surgery. Abibatu's family also needs help to fund the costs of travel. The $1,343 bill covers her flight to the hospital. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, will also provide support to the family as they travel overseas. Her mother says, "Our family is all very excited that there is hope for Kamara to become healthy!"

Yerbinson is a 17-year-old boy who lives with his mother, father, brother, and sister in a small town in the Dominican Republic. He is in eleventh grade, enjoys math, and would like to become an engineer or a teacher. Yerbinson was born with a cardiac condition called Ventricular Septal Defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Yerbinson is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on May 23, and although he is not from Haiti, his surgery is taking place in partnership with our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance. Even though Gift of Life International is subsidizing a large portion of his treatment, Yerbinson and his family are in need of $1,500 to cover the costs of medications, exams, and his hospital stay. "I am excited for my surgery so that I can play baseball with my friends," shares Yerbinson.

Catherine is an 11-year-old girl who needs eyeglasses. Catherine lives with her parents in Guatemala’s rural highlands. Catherine’s parents worry that their daughter can no longer see well with her old glasses, which has caused Catherine to struggle in school. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is seeking $552 to fund an eye exam and glasses fit with prescription lenses for Catherine. These glasses will fix Catherine’s nearsightedness and help her thrive in school again. Catherine’s parents say, “We are very grateful for the organization for supporting people like our family. Our daughter is very happy because she could not see with the other glasses, and she is excited to receive new ones.”

Gladson is a 59-year-old man who lives with his wife in central Malawi. He works as a small-scale farmer and also runs a small business selling dried fish. He and his wife have seven children and five grandchildren. Since November, Gladson has had difficulty urinating. This problem has made working difficult for Gladson. At a visit to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, it was discovered that he has an enlarged prostate—known as benign prostatic hyperplasia—and will need an operation. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a common condition in older men due to hormonal changes. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. As the prostate gets larger, it squeezes the urethra, causing urinary dysfunction. Treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia is an operation—transurethral resection of the prostate—in which doctors insert an instrument into the urethra to remove the part of the prostate that is blocking urine flow. Gladson cannot afford this surgery without the help of Watsi and our medical partner, World Altering Medicine. $733 pays for Gladson's operation, transportation to and from the hospital, 17 nights in the hospital, lab tests, and medicine. Gladson is currently scheduled for surgery on March 9. Gladson and his family are very excited for him to get his operation and go back to a healthy, normal life.

Erick is a one-year-old boy living in Kenya. He has a twin sister and two hardworking parents. Although Erick’s parents work tirelessly to provide basic necessities for the family, they are struggling financially. Erick has a condition known as coronal craniosynostosis. The skull of a young child is made up of bony plates that allow for growth of the skull. But this condition puts pressure on his brain and can prevent him from fully developing. Erick’s mom is afraid, and says she prays “his bulging forehead is treated as soon as possible to prevent further damage to his brain.” Without this treatment, doctors are concerned that the major milestones in Erick’s life may be delayed, preventing his full development. We can help Erick and his family by funding the cranial expansion treatment he needs! This treatment will give his brain the room to properly grow. For $1,500, we can help Erick develop right along with his twin sister. Let's do this!