Un is a 70-year-old grandmother from Cambodia. She is married and has four sons, five daughters, and ten grandchildren. Un enjoys listening to monks pray on the radio and participating in ceremonies at her local pagoda. About three months ago, Un developed a cataract in each of her eyes, causing her blurred vision, burning, and cloudy lenses. Her condition has made it difficult for her to see things clearly, do any type of work, and go outside by herself. On May 15, Un will undergo surgery at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, our medical partner's care center, to receive intraocular lens implants in each of her eyes to improve her vision. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is asking for $292 to cover the cost of her treatment. After surgery, Un will be able to see clearly again!

Arniel is a 12-month-old baby. He lives with his parents and three siblings in the Philippines. Arniel loves to play with his siblings. His father works in an amusement park in Dapitan. Arniel has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens his growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, he will begin $184 malnutrition treatment on February 20. Arniel will be treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s home-based feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM’s professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. "I am glad he will receive a feeding treatment. I hope that Arniel will recover from malnutrition and that he will grow up healthy," says his mother.

Arafat is a six-year-old boy from Tanzania who likes singing, reading, and drawing pictures. His father works as a casual laborer who sells onions in the marketplace, and his mother is a stay-at-home mom. Arafat has one sister, and the family of four depends on the father's small income. When Arafat was four years old, his mother noticed that he had a regular flu, coughing, and a fever. He could not breathe or eat properly. She decided to take him to the hospital, where she learned that he had enlarged adenoids—the glands located in the roof of the mouth that help fight infections. However, Arafat could not get treated due to lack of financial resources. Arafat continued to experience persistent flu-like symptoms, coughing, and difficulty breathing and swallowing. His condition affected his ability to attend school regularly. Finally, his family was referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Our medical partner has scheduled an adenoidectomy to remove the enlarged adenoids for April 6. The treatment will allow Arafat to breathe and eat normally, and he will no longer experience constant infections. To fund the surgery, our medical partner has requested $609. Arafat's family has subsidized the cost by $50. “I will be very happy if Arafat gets treatment and is able to attend school properly," says Arafat's mother. "He is so smart. I would love to see him grow up and become a doctor.”

Michael is a 17-year-old herder from Tanzania. He is the youngest of seven children. He lives with his father and his mother, who sells onions in the market. Michael spends most of his time herding his father’s cattle, and he owns one cow of his own. He is excited to increase the number of cows he owns, so that he may start his own family someday. Early last year, Michael started noticing his leg bending inward. One day, while playing football with his friends, he felt extreme pain and was taken to a nearby health clinic. He was given painkillers, which he has been using to date. A former teacher learned of his condition and brought him to another facility for help. Michael has been diagnosed with genu valgus, commonly called knock knees. This is a condition in which the knees angle inward. If not treated, Michael will have difficulty walking, which will limit him from doing his day-to-day pastoral activities. Fortunately, he will undergo corrective orthopedic surgery on April 11. He needs help to fund this $838 procedure. Michael says, "I will be happy to get better so that I may continue playing football and participate in my family’s pastoral activities."

Enifa is a 51-year-old woman from the Central Region of Malawi. She lives with her daughter and helps on her farm. During the day, she cooks, cleans, and looks after her grandchildren. In October of 2016, Enifa was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Finding herself unable to receive treatment at the large public hospital, Enifa came to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, to seek treatment. "I have tried to get treatment and could get no help. I will now finally get better," she says. Enifa is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on March 7. This procedure will remove her uterus to fight the cancer. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $650 to fund her operation. After surgery, Enifa looks forward to returning to her family healthy and well.

Meet Tabitha, a single mother of two children who lives with her cousin in Kenya. Tabitha washes clothes for a living. In November of 2016, during a routine screening, doctors discovered Tabitha had some abnormal cells in her cervix. She had a biopsy done in December. After the biopsy, doctors recommended she undergo surgery to remove the abnormal cells, which can be a precursor to cervical cancer. Without treatment, Tabitha is at risk developing cancer. Fortunately, Tabitha is scheduled to undergo surgery on January 12. She cannot afford healthcare, so she is asking for help to fund this $156 procedure. Tabitha says, “I want to be treated to avoid getting cancer of the uterus."

“I want to be able to work so that I can provide for my husband,” 68-year-old Jane shares. A native of Kenya, Jane supports her spouse and their two youngest children by farming. However, she has not been able to work since December of 2016, when she fell and broke her left tibia and ankle. Although a splint was applied to her leg after the accident, the injury continues to make it difficult for Jane to walk. As a result, she has had to rely on her husband and children to complete basic daily tasks. Jane’s doctors have told her that in order for her leg to heal completely, she needs to undergo a surgical procedure known as an open reduction internal fixation. Doctors will reposition her bones and secure them with screws, plates, or other devices to ensure that the bones heal properly. Without treatment, Jane is at risk of arthritis and permanent disability. Jane will undergo treatment on January 12. Jane’s family—including her six working-age children—have been able to raise $208 to contribute to the costs of her operation, hospital stay, and medications. They need our help raising an additional $1,451 to fully fund her healthcare.

48-year-old Khee Lar lives with her husband in a village near the Thai border. Originally from Burma, they moved to this village looking for better work opportunities. A few months after Khee Lar was married, she began to experience some unusual symptoms. She did not seek treatment at a hospital because she could not afford travel or healthcare expenses. Six years later, her symptoms worsened, so she visited a clinic in Thailand. A medic at the clinic performed a blood test and an ultrasound. Khee Lar learned that she had a mass in her abdomen, and she was referred to our medical partner's hospital, Mae Sot General Hospital. Khee Lar's mass is steadily growing. She has lost her appetite, and the pain prevents her from sleeping. On September 6, she underwent a CT scan to confirm her diagnosis. Hopefully, doctors will be able to develop a treatment plan. Khee Lar used to work with her husband as a day laborer, but her medical condition has forced her to stop working. Her husband's income is not enough to cover the cost of this $414 scan, and they need our help. I want to recover," says Khee Lar, "return home, help my husband with house chores, and go back to work as a day laborer with him."

Andrea is a 19-month-old, from the Philippines and suffers from severe malnutrition and loves to play. Andrea's parents have no stable jobs and they live is a small hut. One out of every five children under the age of 5-years in International Care Ministries (ICM) communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. Andrea was enrolled into ICM's Home-Based Feeding program on October 19. Andrea needs help to fund this $268 treatment. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the additional food to regain normal weight, and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child being malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and organic vegetable gardening. "I hope that Andrea will be well," her mother Jenny.

Elizabeth is a 16-month-old baby girl from Uganda who just started walking. Both her parents are subsistence farmers growing cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, and sorghum. Elizabeth has malaria and her symptoms include vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, headaches, and fever. Elizabeth was referred to the hospital from a local clinic after she had been there for two days and her condition was not changing. She is the fourth child in her family. Two of her siblings attend a local school while the other will start school next year. When she is feeling well, Elizabeth enjoys playing with her siblings and being carried by her father. Her favorite food is mixture of sweet potatoes with beans. Her favorite color is white, and she especially enjoys wearing her white dress when going to church. $120 will cover the costs of the care Elizabeth needs to treat her malaria. Let's help raise the funds! Elizabeth's mother shared, “I am looking forward to my daughter health again and able to get back and be with my other children. Thank you to the hospital and all the people who are helping me.”

This is Kan, a 60-year-old farmer who is married with three sons and two daughters. He enjoys working on his farm field, relaxing at home, and watching news on TV. Kan came to Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), complaining of severe right hip pain. He traveled three hours with his son in search of treatment. Doctors discovered a right hip fracture and arthritis. Because of his pain, Kan cannot walk. For $430, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Center will perform a right hip replacement. The arthritic hip joint will replaced with an artificial one, reinforced with metal rods. After a recovery period, Kan will be able to walk easily again and without pain. After treatment, Kan will be able to care for his family in good health.