Lucy is a bright five-year-old girl from Tanzania. She enjoys playing with her friends at her orphanage. She was born with clubfoot, which means her foot is twisted. Though she underwent previous treatment, her condition has relapsed. As a result, Lucy is not able to wear shoes. Lucy's treatment includes surgery and physiotherapy and is scheduled to begin on January 17. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,160 to fund X-rays, medications, surgery fees, Lucy's cast, and her hospital stay. "We look forward to when Lucy has finished her treatment and is able to continue with her studies like her friends," says Lucy's caregiver.

Meet Kan, a 68-year-old farmer. Kan likes to tend after her farm and do housework. Kan has developed a nasal obstruction, which causes her pain and limits her ability to breathe. She has been diagnosed with a nasal septal abscess, a collection of pus in the nasal septum. She has taken medicine from a pharmacy, but her symptoms have not improved. Kan traveled one hour to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). On January 13, surgeons at CSC will perform a needle aspiration to drain the pus and relieve Kan of her pain. CSC is requesting $224 to fund this procedure.

Saitoti is an eight-day-old infant from a family of five children in Tanzania. His father passed away last year, and his mother lives alone with the children. Shortly after Saitoti's birth, his mother noticed that something was wrong and took him to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. He was diagnosed with spina bifida, a defect in which the spinal cord is exposed through a gap in the backbone. If left untreated, Saitoti is at risk of acquiring infections and paralysis of the lower limbs. Fortunately, his repair surgery is scheduled for January 16. Saitoti's mother is currently unemployed and is therefore unable to pay for the surgery. For this reason, our medical partner is requesting $1,200 to fund the treatment. "I hope that my child will be able to grow like other children and go to school," Saitoti's mother says.

Julia is a 55-year-old widow from Malawi. She lives with one of her five children and has ten grandchildren. She runs a small groundnut and maize farm with her family. When she is not farming, she likes cooking, playing with her grandchildren, and chatting with her friends. One year ago, Julia began to experience pelvic pain and bleeding. As a result, she was unable to work on her farm and felt very weak. She went to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, where she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Julia needs a total abdominal hysterectomy, a surgery that will remove her uterus. Once her surgery is complete, she is expected to be cancer-free and make a full recovery. The surgery is scheduled for January 17, and our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $643 to fund the treatment. "I need God to be my hope during surgery, and I give thanks to the Watsi team," says Julia.

Hong Ly is a one-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and two siblings. In December, Hong Ly burned the middle finger of his right hand. He developed a contracture, which means that the skin around the burned area is painfully tight. This restricts his mobility and makes it difficult for him to use right hand. Hong Ly's parents knew about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, because his grandmother had surgery there before. Hong Ly and his mother traveled three hours to reach the center for care. Hong Ly is scheduled to receive treatment on January 17. Our medical partner is requesting $194 to cover the cost of the operation, in which surgeons will graft skin onto Hong Ly’s middle finger, allowing him to regain full use of his right hand.

Somaly is a two-year-old girl from Cambodia. She has one older brother and two older sisters. She likes to play with dolls and play games. Somaly was born with a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision and cloudy lenses. She has difficulty walking around independently. When Somaly's mother learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On December 22, doctors performed a lens aspiration in each eye to remove the cataract. After recovery, Somaly's vision will improve. Now, her family needs help to fund this $292 procedure. "I hope my daughter can see like other kids," says Somaly's mother, "so that I don't have to worry about her eyes having any problems. I want her to be able to play with her siblings and friends, and I want her to go to school to study like other children."

Dharam is a 32-year-old man from Nepal. Two years ago, he developed a hernia. Two months ago, the condition grew very painful, limiting his ability to walk and carry heavy loads. Despite the pain, he walked for five hours to reach our medical partner's care center, Bayalpata Hospital. On December 16, he underwent a hernia repair procedure. Dharam lives with his wife and his children. The family depends on agriculture for their living. When the going gets tough, Dharam moves to India to work as a laborer. The family cannot afford this treatment, so our medical partner, Possible, is requesting $451 in funding.

Phou is a 13-month-old baby boy who has two brothers and one sister. He likes to stay at home with his mother. When he was five months old, Phou was burned by a hot rice pot. The injury led to burn contractures on two fingers of his left hand. It became difficult for Phou to hold objects, and he was in pain. When Phou's mother learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), the family traveled for four hours to seek treatment. On December 14, surgeons at CSC performed a burn contracture release procedure and skin graft to allow Phou to use his hand properly again. CSC is requesting $194 to fund this procedure.

Flevian is a 14-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the third child in her family, and she loves to smile. Her siblings are in high school and college. They family lives in a mud house. Flevian was diagnosed with a hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. The size of her head affected her ability to walk, making her unstable. She also lagged behind her classmates in school. Without treatment, she was at risk of a fatal buildup of pressure in her brain. In July, Flevian began to experience troubling symptoms, and her mother brought her to our medical partner's care center. A CT scan revealed liquid accumulation in her brain. On December 2, she underwent a shunt insertion to drain the fluid from her brain. Flavian’s mother is a farmer, while her father works as a laborer on a flower farm. They cannot afford healthcare. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 in funding. "I want Flevian to be well and lead a much normal life," says her mother.

Saorith is ten years old and in the third grade. He has three older sisters and two older brothers. He likes to draw pictures and read books in his free time. When Saorith was four years old, he developed an ear infection that spread to both ears and caused a perforation of the tympanic membrane in both ears. He was treated with ear drops, but his symptoms did not improve. Since then, he experienced ear discharge, hearing loss, pain, and buzzing in his ears. He had difficulty hearing at school, and he was in pain. Saorith's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from an NGO in Phnom Penh that specializes in hearing disabilities. The family traveled for six hours to seek treatment. On December 13, ENT surgeons at CSC performed a mastoidectomy procedure in Saorith's right ear to relieve him of his symptoms. After recovery, Saorith's hearing will improve. Now, CSC is requesting $842 in funding. "I hope the operation stops the ear discharge and gives me good hearing," says Saorith. "I want to be a doctor."

Shila is a 20-year-old woman from Nepal. She developed an abscess on her right breast about three weeks ago. Not only has Shila’s abscess been causing her pain, but she has been running a fever, too. The abscess also makes it difficult for her to breastfeed her three-month-old son. Shila tried administering herbal medicine to her wound, but it has not healed. She walked to Bayalpata hospital—a three-hour journey from the town where she lives in Nepal. There, Shila was told she must undergo surgery to remove her abscess. However, Shila cannot afford to pay for this surgery on her own. She and her husband are entirely dependent on agriculture for their living. Their annual yield is only able to sustain them for about five months out of the year, so money is already tight. But for $157, we can connect Shila with the care she needs. This will pay for the operation that will cure her abscess. Let’s help make it possible!

Cristiano is an eight-month-old baby living in Uganda with his mother, father, and older sister. His older sister is in nursery school, and his mother works on a farm and also runs a tailoring business, altering and repairing clothes. Cristiano's father is unemployed, and relies on Cristiano's mother's income. When Cristiano was one week old, his mother noticed a small swelling in his right inguinal region. She took him to the local hospital where he was diagnosed with a right inguinal scrotal hernia, but was advised to delay surgery until he was older. Since then, Cristiano's hernia has increased in size and become intermittent. She tried giving him herbs, but they have not helped to reduce the swelling. A hernia is when an internal organ pokes through the abdomen wall, causing severe pain. Left untreated, a hernia can cause intestinal blockage or prevent blood from reaching vital parts of his intestines. Cristiano needs surgical intervention to repair the abdominal wall and reposition his herniated tissue. Cristiano's family needs financial assistance to afford the surgery, now that he is able to have it. Because of her child’s condition, Cristiano's mother has been unable to do most of her work at home or tend to her fields. She spends most of the time caring for Cristiano. For $220, Cristiano can receive the surgery he needs. The total cost covers the supplies, medications, procedure, and two weeks of inpatient care. After her child’s surgery, Cristiano's mother hopes to resume working in the gardens and running her tailoring business.