Meet Sam Ang, a 28-year-old father and husband who works in construction. In his free time, Sam Ang enjoys listening to the news, playing pop music, and watching TV. One year ago, Sam Ang was in a motor vehicle accident that fractured his left femur and tibia. After the accident, a private clinic in his province performed a procedure on Sam Ang, fixating hardware to heal his fractures. Sam Ang still experiences pain, and he has trouble walking. Sam Ang heard about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from his neighbor. His sister traveled two hours with him to receive additional treatment. The doctors at CSC will remove the hardware to decrease Sam Ang's pain and increase his mobility. The procedure will happen on June 5, and CSC is requesting $143 so that Sam Ang can return to work without discomfort and provide for his young son.

“I am thankful to the donors for supporting my treatment,” says Aloysius, a 56-year-old man from Uganda. “Bless you for everything you do to support needy people like me.” Aloysius and his wife are the proud parents of seven children. The couple works hard to provide for their daughters and sons—all of whom are in school—by growing crops such as coffee and tea. Aloysius also holds a second job as a motorbike taxi driver, and still finds time to act as a local leader of the village where he lives. Recently, however, Aloysius has been forced to take a hiatus from all of these duties. On his way back home one evening, Aloysius was knocked over by a speeding motorist, and he broke his left wrist. Aloysius sought help from a clinic near his home, but his condition could not be managed there. He has been experiencing discomfort and limited mobility. A recent X-ray revealed that his arm needs to be put in a cast in order to recover fully. Although Aloysius and his wife do not have enough money to pay for this treatment, we can help. For $133, we can fund his casting procedure on March 16, as well as the associated lab tests, medications, and three-night hospital stay. Aloysius hopes that when he recovers, he will be able to resume working, spending time with his family, and serving as village leader. Let’s work together to make these hopes feasible for Aloysius.

Zet is a 13-month-old baby from Guatemala. He is the first child in his family, and his parents are thrilled to have him. Zet's mother is a homemaker, while his father is a farmer and fisherman. Zet's soccer ball is his favorite toy, and his parents suspect he may be a great athlete in the future! Zet has been unable to gain weight, and has thus been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. On February 7, Zet will begin treatment at our medical partner's care center, Clinic Panajachel. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $782 to cover the cost of his nutrient and food supplementation. This will also pay for an educational program that will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet with limited resources. "We hope that our son grows healthy and that he is able to realize his dreams," say Zet's parents.

Laiheng is a 67-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has four sisters and one brother. She enjoys watching the news and comedy programs on TV and listening to monks pray on the radio. About five years ago, Laiheng developed cataracts in both eyes, causing her blurred vision, tearing, light sensitivity, and cloudy lenses. It is difficult for her to see things clearly and do any type of work. Laiheng worries about going blind in the future. On March 23, surgeons will perform phacoemulsification cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation in both eyes. After the procedure, Laiheng will be able to see clearly again. Out medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $292 to fund this procedure.

Renz is a four-year-old boy who lives with his grandparents. They do not have access to electricity and obtain water from the water district. His grandfather works as a laborer and has difficulty providing for the basic needs of the family. Renz has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens his growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, he will begin $268 malnutrition treatment on February 22. Renz 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 will do everything just to send him to school so he can finish his studies and will have good future," says his grandmother.

Kabadaaki is a 73-year-old farmer and single mother of three children. Last February, she began to experience discomfort and bleeding in a sensitive area. Over the next few months, she visited two hospitals, but she was repeatedly told she had no sickness. Her condition caused her to lose weight and put her at risk of anemia. Following the advice of her daughter's friend, Kabadaaki went to our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. There, she was finally diagnosed with benign endometrial hyperplasia, an overgrowth of uterine lining. On December 15, Kabadaaki will undergo a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding and discomfort. Kabadaaki and her children are farmers without any stable source of income. For this reason, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, has requested $268 to fund her procedure and hospital stay. After recovering from her surgery, Kabadaaki knows she will be strong again and hopes to resume her work.

Di is a nine-year-old boy from a village in Burma. He lives with his parents, grandmother, two brothers, and two sisters. His four siblings are in school. His parents lease a rice paddy field from a landowner, and they rely on rice cultivation as their primary source of income. During the off-season, his father collects seasonal vegetables in the forest to sell. When Di was three years old, his mother noticed that his skin was pale and he was less active than other children. They traveled to a free clinic in Thailand. There, Di was diagnosed with thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder that causes the body to make an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the compound that carries oxygen in the blood. Since then, Di’s condition has been managed through monthly blood transfusions. Di is in first grade, but he has been in and out of school for the past year. The blood transfusions exhaust him. On December 21, he will undergo a splenectomy, during which surgeons will remove his spleen. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Di is a polite boy who loves to play rubber band games with his cousins and friends. He loves going to school, and he wants to be a pastor when he grows up.

Chloui is an nine-month-old baby who lives in the Philippines. Her father is a construction worker. Though he works hard, he does not make enough money to feed the family. Chloui has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Fortunately, Chloui began $268 malnutrition treatment on October 18, 2016. Chloui is being treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under 5 in 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. 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.

Shaitra is a 10-month-old baby girl from Nepal who lives with her parents and siblings. Her father works in India to support his family, while her mother works in the field. The yield from their field is enough to feed the family for only seven months of the year. Shaitra was being carried by her sister when they slipped and fell, fracturing Shaitra's right femur. Her leg has swollen and she cries whenever her posture is changed. She used to stand and crawl around, but cannot anymore. Her mother took a six hour jeep ride to bring her to Bayalpata Hospital, a Watsi care center, for treatment. $195 will cover the costs of the care Shaitra needs for her femur to properly heal, including an x-ray, cast, and physiotherapy. Let's help raise the funds!

Meet Sokhom, a 52-year-old farmer from Cambodia. A mother of two sons and one daughter, Sokhom spends her free time cleaning her house and taking care of her children. When she was a child herself—only 10 years old—Sokhom developed an infection in her right ear. This caused her to develop a hole in her right eardrum. Since then, Sokhom has experienced discharge, pain, and hearing loss. Because of the symptoms, it is difficult for her to make out other people’s speech, including that of her children. Sokhom traveled two hours with her sister to reach the Children’s Surgical Centre where she was relieved to learn that her condition can be substantially improved with a myringoplasty, a procedure where doctors will repair her perforated eardrum and treat the infection. After surgery, her discharge and pain will stop, and over time, her hearing will improve. $423 will cover the cost of Sokhom’s operation. Let’s help fund the treatment to restore her ability to hear her loved ones loud and clear.

Benjie is a student (pictured in the green shirt) who likes to play outside with his friends and his four siblings, and help his mother do the household chores. His symptoms started last November 2015 and from that time on, he has suffered pain around his right inguinal area and his schooling has been compromised due to the pain. He has been confined at home to rest and he likes to rest and sleep in a prone position with a pillow underneath his lower abdominal area. Normally, Benjie is very active and attentive to school and during playtime. However, he had stopped going to school since January 2016 because of the pain he felt and has to repeat the same grade next school opening. After surgery, Benjie would like to continue his schooling. He is excited to play without restrictions - running and carrying stuff by himself. Benjie's parents both finished elementary education and they were both laborers at a farm nearby. His mother stopped working to look after Benjie when he started to feel extreme pain due to his condition, so his father is the only one earning for their family. "The only hope I have is that someone can help us," shares Benjie's mother. "This would be a great testimony to my family and to the entire community. I have great hopes that my son will be able to go back to school again, and I can help my husband to work so we can provide for the needs of our children."

Born just six months ago in Tanzania, Joshua is the first child in his family. During the first two months of his life, Joshua had no problems. He was a happy baby, feeding well and growing normally until he developed a severe fever. The fever was treated, but after he recovered, his mother noticed the size of her son’s head was increasing. His body now looks small, and he cannot control his neck at all. Joshua was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain as a result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect. He needs surgery to help reduce the intracranial pressure and prevent him from losing his eyesight and the ability to control his body. Joshua’s mother used to work at a small restaurant in their town, but she can no longer continue with work due to Joshua's condition. Now, she cares for her son at home while Joshua’s father, a self-employed carpenter, works hard to support the family. The little money that he earns is not enough to cover the cost of renting a room or other basic needs as well as the cost of the surgery that Joshua badly needs. For $775, Joshua will undergo surgery to place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain and transport it to his abdomen, where it can be resorbed by the body. Funding also covers the costs of five days of hospital care, dressing changes for his surgical wound, imaging, blood tests, medicine, and two weeks of accommodations at the Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation. Joshua’s mother looks forward to a successful surgery for her son and hopes that he will continue to grow like other children.