Eduardo, a baby boy from Guatemala, is only a month old, but is already having developmental trouble and has lost significant weight since he was born. At birth, his mother was unable to produce enough milk for him grow at a normal rate. More recently she has been able to breastfeed for 30-45 minutes at time, but Eduardo, unsatisfied, still cries afterward. His mother is doing everything she can to force production of breast milk, but Eduardo still hasn’t been receiving as much as he should. His mother cannot afford formula, so in some instances when she cannot provide milk, she gives her son water to stop him from crying. Eduardo is the youngest child of a single mother: he has a 4-year-old sister and a 2-year-old brother. They all live together with one of their mother’s friends. Eduardo’s mother has limited access to education; she stopped after her first year in secondary school because her family could not afford it. Now to earn money, she washes clothes for her neighbors. Eduardo is at risk of dehydration and starvation. “His mother is ashamed and afraid that she cannot produce sufficient breast milk to feed her child,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). With $1,016, medical intervention will be possible for Eduardo. His mother will be given formula to provide her son with the calories he needs to grow. She will also receive one-on-one health education to prepare her the time when Eduardo will begin eating solid foods. The doctors are certain that the simple treatment will strengthen Eduardo’s immune system and allow him to become a healthy, energetic baby. “I just want him to grow,” Eduardo’s mother shares.

“I want to fight for my little one. I want him to be healthy and strong like his siblings,” says the mother of Luciano, a three-year-old boy from Guatemala who loves looking at picture books and playing make-believe with his sister. Luciano came to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), with developmental delays. “Luciano was born normal and healthy but over time began to have regular seizures and fevers,” explains WK. “Luciano also suffers from malnutrition. He is hospitalized every 15 to 30 days, and his mother is running out of money to afford his medical care.” The financial impact of Luciano’s care has made it difficult for his mother to buy food for the family and school supplies for his five siblings. Her time away from work to accompany Luciano to the hospital also decreases the amount of money available to support the family. $1,385 will fund a thorough diagnostic work-up, treatment, and ongoing therapy for Luciano. “This treatment will allow Luciano to receive medical visits, the correct anti-seizure medication and physical/speech therapy,” says WK. “This will improve his quality of life, ability to communicate, and potential for success. His health will improve, and he will not have to go to the hospital regularly.” Let’s help make that happen for Luciano!

Meet Thi Win, a 29-year-old woman who lives in Thailand. While initially from Burma, Thi Win “moved to Thailand three years ago to look for better employment opportunities," shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). She now lives with her husband, parents, brother, and two nieces. To earn an income and contribute to the family, Thi Win and her husband both work as farm laborers. Over the past two years, Thi Win has experienced increasing abdominal pain due to an ovarian cyst—a semisolid mass that develops within the ovaries. Since Thi Win and her husband earn a modest income, Thi Win avoided going to a clinic, hoping that the pain would subside on its own. Instead, “Thi Win’s pain gradually got worse,” BBP tells us. Finally, the pain forced Thi Win to visit a medical clinic, where an “ultrasound showed a cyst on Thi Win’s ovary that requires surgery." Without intervention, ovarian cysts can grow larger over time, increasing pressure in the abdominal area and causing discomfort throughout the body. BBP reports, “Thi Win has pain in her lower back and abdomen that makes it difficult to sleep and has forced her to stop working for the past several months. She has difficulty breathing, tingling in her legs, and dizziness.” With $1,500, Thi Win will undergo an operation to remove the ovarian cysts. In addition to surgery, funding will cover seven days in the hospital, transportation costs, and an outpatient follow-up appointment. Completely removing the cyst will prevent the same tissue from growing back in the future, “putting Thi Win’s mind at ease,” BBP states. They add, “surgical removal of the cyst will allow Thi Win to live without pain and return to work.” Following surgery, Thi Win is enthusiastic to begin a new chapter in her life. She shares, “once I am well, I would like to have children. I hope to keep working to provide for my parents and other family members.”

Meet Chai, a very active nine-year-old boy who lives in Thailand with his parents and older brother. He and his brother attend school, and his parents are farm laborers. Chai enjoys playing football despite being born with a malformed right leg and foot. “His right leg is stunted and significantly shorter than his left, and his foot is swollen and clubbed,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “He has difficulty walking, and his foot frequently becomes infected.” BBP adds, “If left untreated, Chai will continue to suffer from infections and will likely develop hip problems in the future.” Chai’s parents do not have enough money to pay for treatment for their son. They already find themselves sometimes needing to work extra hours or take loans from their employer to support their family. To prevent future infections and hip joint issues, doctors recommend amputation of Chai’s right leg. $1500 will cover the cost of the surgery as well as travel to and from the hospital, inpatient pre-operative and post-operative care, and follow-up appointments. Chai, who wants be a police officer when he grows up, looks forward to one day being able to wear shoes on both feet with a prosthetic.

Kervenson is a sweet and curious boy who loves to play with stickers. He is five-years-old and lives in Haiti, where he's always by his mother's side. Kervenson was born with a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of fallot, which prevents proper blood circulation between the chambers of his heart. Our medical partner says, "As a result of this condition, he is constantly sick and fatigued without the oxygen his body needs to function well. He is also at constant risk of sudden death from the condition." Fortunately, Kervenson has received $15,000 for surgery to fix his heart in the U.S. But he’s counting on Watsi donors to raise another $1500 for surgery prep and transportation to the hospital. "I am scared to get on a plane and go with him for surgery, but I put everything in the hand of God and know all will be well!" his mom says. Let’s help Kervenson out so he can grow up healthy!