Kabamu is a 34 year old farmer from Uganda, who specializes in cultivating maize on a small scale. He has five children that are in school and live with their mother. In addition to farming, he owns a business that allows him to support the education of his children. He went to school up to Primary Five, but had to drop out due to lack of school fees. Seven years ago, Kabamu started feeling pain in his right inguinal area, and later swelling developed in the same area. Pain worsens when he walks and when he lifts heavy items. He has never reported his condition to a hospital because of lack of money for his treatment. He uses herbs, but they give him a little relief. If left untreated, Kabamu may suffer many complications. Until now, Kabamu has not been able to receive treatment to repair his hernia. For $249, Kabamu will undergo hernia repair surgery at Holy Family Virika Hospital. “After surgery I hope to continue working in my gardens to get money and support my children," Kabamu shared.

Wanyama is a 31-year-old porter from Uganda. He is single, and has no children. Both of his parents died when he was very young, and he was raised by his maternal aunt. He works as a porter, and sometimes loads sand on trucks for builders. Wanyama has a long history of epigastric swelling and pain. He had never visited a hospital because he cannot afford treatment. Wanyama feels pain after meals, when he bends, and while sleeping. If left untreated, Wanyama may suffer many complications. For $249, Wanyama will undergo the hernia repair surgery he needs. After surgery, Wanyama hopes to work hard and build himself a house. “I’ve overstayed with a hernia. I will be very happy when I get assistance to remove it," shared Wanyama.

Romart is a 17-month-old boy from the Philippines, who is dearly loved by his parents. He enjoys playing and entertaining his mother by dancing, and he giggles a lot. Romart was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. His parents are worried for him, but they could not bring him to a doctor because their limited source of income is from collecting garbage and selling it in a small junk shop. On occasion, Romart's father works as a "sakada", a sugarcane laborer in the fields near their town to earn $3 a day. His parents just want what is best for Romart, and after surgery they hope Romart will grow up normally like other children. "We really couldn't believe that help could be given to us. At first, we were afraid that Romart needed surgery, but the doctor explained to us that this is the best way for Romart to heal. I am very thankful for your help and I pray for a successful surgery for my son," his mother shared. $1,437 will fund the hernia repair surgery that Romart needs. Let's help make it possible.

Elvis, an 18-year-old boy from Guatemala, started to get seizures when he was eight years old. Now he gets about one seizure every week, and they are often severe--he has had to be hospitalized following many of his seizures. He has not been able to study because of his mother's fear of him having a seizure during class, and also because his mother cannot afford to pay for both his treatment and his education, forcing her to choose to pay for his medications. Elvis is the youngest of three children. He was raised by a single mother who is incredibly hard working and strong, and who wakes up at dawn every morning to wash the neighbors' clothes, helping her to earn a few dollars per day. Elvis and his mother have tried to seek out treatment in Guatemala City, but since they live in a rural, mountainous community that is far away from the city, they have not been able to afford to continue traveling several hours for each appointment, and have run out of money to pay for medications. Elvis loves to sing along to Christian ballads on the radio, and his faith has helped him stay strong through his health problems. For $967, treatment will be possible for Elvis. This treatment will give him access to the medications he needs to get his seizures under control. He will undergo comprehensive diagnostic work to determine the cause of his seizures and see if he has any other related conditions. His mother will not have to live in fear of her son having a seizure, and she will no longer have to choose between sending him to school and paying for treatment. This will give Elvis the chance to be a normal teenager, go back to school, and his mother will be able to feel secure that his condition is more stable. "I want my son to stop suffering. Every time he has a seizure he suffers, and I suffer with him. I want him to study and become a great professional," shares Elvis's mother.

Meet Boniface, a 26-year-old who lives in Kenya with his mother and five siblings. His father and brother passed away a few years ago, so Boniface works in a vehicles' spare shop to help support his mother's income working on their small farm. Last year, Boniface began experiencing painful head migraines. He took over-the-counter medicines to try and alleviate the pain, but when he recently went to the doctor he was diagnosed with both hydrocephalus and a brain tumor. Hydrocephalus is an accumulation of water in the brain that causes increased pressure in the skull. In conjunction to this condition, the tumor has made it difficult for Boniface to see, and he needs assistance with walking because he cannot keep his balance very well. He also had to stop going to work. Boniface already received surgical treatment to drain the accumulated fluids and reduce the cranial pressure, but now surgeons recommend a crainiotomy to remove his tumor. If not treated, Boniface will continue experiencing migraines and risk complete blindness. Furthermore, he will be at risk of the tumor growing and causing more severe complications, even resulting in death. After his operation, Boniface will be able to return home to his family and continue supporting his mother and siblings. "I want to be free from the migraines and continue helping my mother," Boniface shares.

Kilion is a two-year-old boy who lives in a remote village in Kenya. In his home area, he does not have access to healthcare facilities, which is why his parents have brought him to Bethany Kids (a Watsi partner hospital) seeking specialized treatment for their son. Kilion has been having abdominal pain, but previously he was too young for his parents to know exactly what was wrong. They took his occasional cries to be normal for a child. But when the cries intensified and Kilion would cry clutching at his stomach, his parents decided to take him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with undescended testes. The family of nine children, five of whom are from Kilion's father's first wife who passed away, live in a two roomed house. Kilion’s father works as a casual driver while his mother does minimal farming. With the many needs of the family, Kilion's parents are not able to raise funds needed for his surgical care. If not treated, Kilion is at risk of developing testicular cancer or a hernia, and he will be at risk of infertility in the future. Kilion needs surgery to move the undescended testicles into the scrotum and permanently fix them there. The treatment cost is $570. “The pain is too much for my son and it is heartbreaking to see him go through this experience. I will be happy if Kilion gets help and becomes as normal as all his siblings,” said Kilion’s father.

Soe is a 27-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Burma. Soe came to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), seeking treatment for gallstones. The gallbladder—a small, pear-shaped organ that sits under the liver—stores and drains bile. When an individual has gallstones, bile drainage may be blocked, causing irritation, spasms, pain, nausea, and vomiting. “Soe is experiencing stomach and lower back pain making it difficult for her to sleep and eat,” BBP tells us. “Usually, when she eats, she feels nauseous and needs to vomit.” Until recently, Soe had a job as a waitress at a hotel restaurant in Thailand, but her symptoms made it impossible for her to work. Facing financial trouble, she and her husband returned to Burma in the hopes of finding treatment for Soe and receiving support from their family. For $1,500, Soe will undergo a laparotomy, a surgical procedure to access the abdominal cavity and remove the gallbladder. Funding also covers the costs of an eight-day hospital stay, transportation to and from the hospital, pre- and post-surgical consultations, and blood tests. “Soe should fully recover following her gallstone surgery,” says BBP. “She should be able to return to her family and again find a job so that she and her husband can save money for their future.” Soe looks forward to a successful operation. “I will work and save money for the next few years, and then, one day, we will have a happy family,” she shared in her pre-operative interview with BBP.

"Solanie has been getting coughs and fevers ever since she was born,” shares Solanie’s mother. “We have been very worried about her.” Seven-month-old Solanie, a baby girl from Haiti, was born with a cardiac defect called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). With this condition, “a hole in the heart which normally closes shortly after birth remains open,” explains our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “Blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak.” If left untreated, PDA can eventually cause problems such as high blood pressure in the lungs, infections in the heart, or heart failure. In order to avoid these complications, Solanie needs to undergo cardiac surgery. However, Solanie’s family cannot afford to pay for the treatment she needs on their single income—her father’s construction job. Gift of Life International has already subsidized $5,000 towards this treatment. Solanie needs to raise $1,500 through Watsi to fund surgery preparation and overseas transportation, as this specialized heart surgery is not easily accessible in Haiti. “Following surgery, Solanie should be able to lead a normal life with no further cardiac symptoms,” HCA tells us. She will be able to return home to her parents and three siblings, who love playing with her, and look forward to seeing her regain full health.

Meet Delinor! At four years old, Delinor is the oldest child in his family. He and his parents live in Haiti, where his father earns a wage as a road-side vendor. His mother is currently looking for work to help support the family. “Delinor was born with a condition called severe subaortic stenosis, in which part of the heart new the aortic valve is unusually narrow, causing blood to back up and leaving him sickly and weak,” explains our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “If not stretched to a normal size, this condition could eventually become fatal.” The vast majority of Haitian people cannot access the care they need. The existing healthcare system was mostly destroyed by the major earthquake in 2010, and the services that are available are unaffordable to the average Haitian citizen. To correct his heart condition, Delinor needs care that is only available in the Cayman Islands. Pre-operative care, transport to the treatment centre, passports and visas, and the cost of the stay at the centre total $1500, a cost that is out of reach for Delinor’s family. Once there, the treatment centre will subsidize his operation that will restore normal blood flow to his heart. After the surgery, he should experience no more symptoms from his condition. “We have known that Delinor had a heart problem ever since he was a baby but we were very sad because we thought there was no way to fix it,” shares his mother. “We are glad that God is answering our prayers.”

Two-month-old Whithines is a quiet, active baby girl who lives in Tanzania. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us, “Whithines was born without problems and was feeding and growing well until two weeks ago, when her mother noticed her daughter’s forehead was increasing in size. Her head was getting heavier and softer.” Whithines’s increasing head size is the result of hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. In an infant, too much fluid—the result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect—can increase pressure on the brain and inside the skull, leading to an enlarged head and developmental issues. Treatment for Whithines is a shunt to drain the excess fluid from her brain. In this procedure, doctors place a shunt into the ventricles and connect it to a tube that runs under the skin and empties into the abdomen, where the excess fluid can be resorbed by the body. Whithines’s grandparents support her and her young parents financially, but they do not earn enough money as small-scale farmers to pay for the procedure that Whithines needs. $775 will fund surgery to place the shunt, as well as five days of hospital care and two weeks’ accommodations at The Plaster House, a home where children can recover after surgery. AMHF says, “Whithines’s head will no longer continue to increase in size, and she will no longer be at risk of losing her vision.” “We love her dearly,” says Whithines’s mother. “We hope she will get better and later on have the ability to go to school and get a good career.”