Meet Miria, a 17-year-old young lady who is expecting her first child. Miria lives with her parents and younger sister. Her parents work as farm laborers. Miria enjoys cooking and sharing meals with her family and going to church. Miria has been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a serious complication associated with pregnancy. She needs to be closely monitored by doctors during her prenatal care. Doctors consider Miria to be a high-risk pregnancy case, so she may need to undergo a C-section to deliver her baby safely. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, has arranged for Miria to receive prenatal vitamins and regular checkups, starting on March 25. Miria will deliver her baby at our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital. Both she and her baby will receive postnatal care. For $241, we can help Miria to safely deliver her baby. Miria shares that she is looking forward to nursing her baby.

Eva is fourteen months old and has malnutrition, a dangerous condition that occurs when the body doesn't get enough nutrients. In the short term, malnutrition means Eva has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak. If Eva does not receive treatment, she will also face malnutrition’s long-term consequences, including increased risk of chronic diseases, delays in cognitive development, and irreversible stunted growth. Fortunately, malnutrition is very treatable. Eva lives in rural Guatemala with her parents and five older siblings. She is shy with new people, but her family reports that once she knows a person, she is smiley and warm. Eva likes to plays cars with her older sister, and when she hears music on the radio, she tries to dance. Her favorite foods are eggs and watermelon. The family wants the best for baby Eva, but their limited resources are already stretched thin. Her father works in agriculture in the countryside, and her mother takes care of the household. Eva will begin treatment on January 19, and the family needs help to raise $437. With growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation, Eva's treatment will give her a chance to grow healthily. This life-changing treatment will give Eva the opportunity to play and grow, supported by a healthy brain and body.

Alex is a 44-year-old man from Uganda. He and his wife, Rosemary, have seven children, all of whom live at home. Alex provides for his family through farming. He is also the volunteer chairperson for the local savings group in his village. Alex has been living with an inguinal hernia for the past 14 years. Recently, the pain has grown severe. An inguinal hernia occurs when the intestine breaks through a weak point in the abdominal muscles. This hernia inhibits his ability to farm and walk. On January 14, Alex's doctors will perform a herniorrhaphy, during which they will repair the weakened muscle. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting $229 to fund Alex's hernia repair surgery. “I would like to wish the donors well," says Alex, "and thank them for helping people they are not related to and don’t even know.”

Tes is 72 years old and has two daughters and four grandchildren. She likes to play cards, listen to monks pray at the pagoda, and watch the news, sports, and dramas on TV. Two years ago, Tes developed a pterygium in each eye, causing her blurred vision and tearing. It became difficult for her to see things clearly, work, and go anywhere on her own. Tes traveled for one hour with her niece to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. On December 23, eye surgeons at CSC removed the pterygium from each eye to allow Tes to see clearly again. Now, CSC is requesting $148 to fund this procedure. "I hope I look better and feel more comfortable," says Tes, "so that I can do any work easily and watch TV well. I also want to be able to go anywhere by myself."

Moeun is a 63-year-old farmer who is married with three sons and two daughters. He likes to feed his animals, plant vegetables, and listen to the news on the radio. Moeun has been diagnosed with Buerger's disease. The small blood vessels in his right leg are inflamed, which causes a reduction in blood supply and tissue death. This condition is often caused by smoking. Moeun, who has smoked since the age of 16, began to cut back on smoking two years ago. In July 2016, Moeun hit a toe on his right foot on a rock. The injured toe became infected and was eventually amputated. He first visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), when the other toes on his right foot grew infected and painful. On November 29, surgeons at CSC amputated the toes of his right foot at the metatarsophalangeal joint. Recently, Moeun returned to CSC because the wound had grown infected. He was in pain and could not walk. On December 9, surgeons performed a Chopart amputation on Moeun's right foot to remove the forefoot and the midfoot. This procedure will heal the infection and relieve Moeun of his pain. Now, CSC is requesting $450 in funding. "I hope that I can walk better and not have pain," says Moeun.

Meet Vanny, a 65-year-old woman from Cambodia. “Vanny is married without children. She enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to monks pray," shares our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Two years ago, Vanny developed mature cataracts in each eye. A cataract occurs when a thin, cloudy layer forms over the eye’s lens. "This causes her blurred vision, discharge, tearing, and fear of bright lights. It is hard for her to see clearly, do work, or go anywhere outside," CSC explains. "I hope my eyes can see everything clearly again,” shares Vanny, “Then, I can work at home and go anywhere outside." After learning about CSC, Vanny and her husband travelled three hours to visit their clinic. They learned that a simple surgical procedure may restore Vanny's sight. With $292, Vanny will undergo cataract surgery, during which her old lenses will be removed and replaced with sheer artificial implants, allowing her to see again immediately after her operation.

Meet Denis, a 13-month-old boy from Uganda. He is the second born child to Obed and Agnes. Obed is a tea picker, and Agnes grows food crops such as cassava, potatoes, millet and bananas to feed her children. During her free time, Agnes enjoys dancing at church and singing traditional songs, which she teaches her children. Denis enjoys playing with his four-year-old brother when he comes home from school. Denis has malnutrition, and have been sick with a fever for the past two weeks. Agnes could not afford to take Denis to any clinics. While in the community, she heard about the Watsi program, and she brought Denis to Bwindi Hospital for treatment. For $316, Denis will receive the malnutrition treatment he needs to get better. Denis' mother Agnes says, "I want to thank the donors for this support."

"Horn is a 45-year-old woman who works in a cement factory," shares our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). She lives in Cambodia and is married with two sons and one daughter. About two years ago, Horn developed a noncancerous growth, or pterygium, in each eye. Also known as "surfer's eye," these growths occur on the conjunctiva of the eye. They cause burning pain, tearing and blurred vision. Pterygiums are caused by exposure to sunlight and are more common in countries near the equator. Treating them requires a simple, $148 surgery to scrape the growth from the conjunctiva and graft new tissue on to prevent them from recurring. Horn travelled three hours with her daughter to reach CSC for treatment. With our help, she'll be able to undergo surgery and regain her full vision.

Pheareth is a 28 year old man married without children. He enjoys watching TV and sports and using Facebook. He likes using Youtube to research and learn about medicine. Pheareth developed a pterygium in his left eye around 15 years ago. A pterygium is a thin growth on the clear tissue of the eye that eventually spreads to the cornea. This causes blurred vision, irritation, burning, itching, and photophobia. With $150, he can undergo pterygium excision surgery and be relieved of the irritation. He will feel more comfortable, and his vision will improve. Pheareth shares, "I hope I am better looking and more comfortable, so I can continue my work as a medical seller and watch videos easily."

"I want to be well and cancer free," shares Eunice, a 31-year-old woman from Kenya. In September 2015 doctors from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), found that Eunice had a precancerous lesion in her cervix. They performed a biopsy procedure and it has been determined that if left untreated Eunice is at risk of developing cervical cancer. Eunice is a wife and mother of three children. She lives with her family in a single-roomed rental house in Kenya. Eunice sells fish while her husband works as a cook to support the family. Their family income is low and they are not able to meet the treatment cost. Eunice is in need of a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove her uterus and reduce her risk of cancer. $800 will fund Eunice's surgery, and a four-day hospital stay to ensure a proper recovery.

Esupat is a very sweet two-year-old girl from Tanzania. Her mother is a housewife and her father a janitor. Esupat's legs are deformed due to a condition known as genu valgus, a condition in which the knees angle in and touch one another when the legs are straightened. Due to her condition, Esupat experiences pain when walking and her legs have become progressively bent inward. Genu valgus is a condition common to the region due to the excessive flouride in the drinking water. Esupat loves to play with her friends and her siblings, but her condition makes it difficult to keep up with other children her age. Her father heard about our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) through work. AMHF determined that Esupat is in need of corrective surgery and rehabilitation in order to allow her to walk properly. For $940, doctors will perform a procedure to straighten her knees and afterwards Esupat will participate in physical therapy to learn to walk again. Without this surgery, Esupat's gait may worsen and she will be very limited in where she can walk. Esupat is expected to make a full recovery and be able to play and keep up with other children her age. "I want my child to heal and study to become a nurse when she is older," says Esupat's mom.

19-month-old Jose is from rural Guatemala. He has a history of malnutrition, and his mother recently brought him to our clinic because he has still not spoken a word. He seems to follow only the simplest of commands, but it is unclear if he can hear or if he just follows others' gestures. His mother is worried that if he does not receive a workup and therapy he will not be able to ever speak or attend school. Jose lives with his parents and two older siblings. His parents work as farmers, harvesting bananas on a plantation. Jose's favorite food is beans, and he loves to play with his one toy, which is a ball. His parents work hard to give Jose the best, and fight to make sure he eats well, but his mother is worried that he will never learn to talk because they can't afford expensive medical care to diagnose him and give him the opportunity to go to therapy to learn to speak. Treatment will provide Jose with a full diagnostic workup to determine the extent of his inability to hear. He will receive transportation, and lodging so they can receive care in the capital, which is many hours away from the rural coastal community in which they live. This will help Jose's mother feel more confident that her son can attend school on day, and be a good student. "Thanks for the collaboration of all the people that will help my son move forward," Jose's mother said. "I hope he can study and be a good man when he is bigger."