Danilo is a 40-year-old man from Philippines. He is married and his wife owns a small food business. He previously worked as a construction worker, and now he works as a tricycle driver. In February 2022, Danilo began to notice a small lump on his navel. Over time, the lump grew in size and he visited a doctor for further examination. He underwent an abdominal ultrasound and was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia and gallstones. He needs to undergo surgery to treat his condition. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and may put him at risk for health complications in the future. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Danilo receive treatment. On January 20th, he will undergo a hernia repair and a cholecystectomy to remove his gallbladder. A portion of the cost of his procedure is covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and he needs help raising the remaining $1,146 to cover the full cost of his procedure and care. Danilo shared, "I had to decline my colleague's offer to have a part-time construction job. It was an opportunity for me to bring more money to my family, but my condition is hindering me. This free surgery didn't just ease our worries about where to find the money to pay for the hospitalization but also gives me a chance to strive more for my family. Thank you so much, Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines!"

Sein is a 27-year-old man from Burma. He lives in Karen State which is in a state of emergency. He enjoys hunting, listening to the news and watching movies on his phone. In December 2021, Sein, and his five friends were walking home in the forest, when one of his friends stepped on a landmine. In the resulting explosion, his friend lost his left leg and Sein fractured his lower right leg. He received treatment and felt better, but in September 2022, he experienced severe pain in his right leg. He is now unable to stand or walk on his right leg, thus he uses crutches for walking. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Sein will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for December 16th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Sein recover from the pain and to be able to walk properly again. Sein stated, "Because of my condition, I feel like I am a burden as (my friends) have to bring me from place to place searching for treatment (for my leg)."

Lynemandy is a 28 year old woman from Haiti, who is studying for a business degree at a local university. She lives with her parents in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Lynemandy has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation, which is a result of a bout of rheumatic fever that she suffered as a child. One of the four valves in her heart was severely damaged as a result of this illness, and in 2018, Lynemandy underwent surgery to repair the damaged valve. The valve functioned well for four years, but now it needs to be replaced so she can live healthy in the future. The care she needs is unfortunately not available within Haiti, so Lynemandy will need to travel to undergo cardiac surgery in the United States on November 17th. Her surgery, during which a new valve will be implanted, is being funded by Baylor Scott & White Heart Hospital. Now Lynemandy and her family need to raise $1,500 to cover the costs of pre and post operative treatment, and for the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Lynemandy when she travels to the United States. Lynemandy said: "I am very grateful to everyone who is working so hard to keep me alive and healthy."

Shedrack is two years old, and lives in Tanzania with his parents and one sibling. His mother stays at home to care for the children, while his father is a small scale farmer, whose earnings cover the family's basic needs. Five months ago, when Shedrack was in the kitchen with his mother, he pushed over a pot of boiling water, burning his left arm and left leg. Shedrack's mother rushed him to a local dispensary, where they were sent on to the hospital. As the family lives in a remote area, Shedrack's treatment required extensive travel. And, while the burns ultimately healed, Shedrack developed contractures, which limit his ability to straighten his leg, or to use the fingers on his left hand. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Shedrack receive treatment. On October 13th, surgeons at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre will perform burn contracture release surgery, which will enable Shedrack to walk easily, and use his fingers again. Now, he needs your help to fund this $874 procedure. Shedrack’s mother says: “The burns were so bad that I thought I was going to lose my son. I am glad that now I am going to be able to help finish his treatment and all thanks to you.”

Joyce is a 52 year old, small-scale farmer. She relies on the proceeds from her small farm, and from the milk that she sells from the one cow that she and her husband own. Her husband is also a farmer, and together, they have five adult children. In October 2017, Joyce began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain in her neck - especially during swallowing - and difficulty in breathing. She went to a nearby health facility, and underwent several surgical procedures on her thyroid and esophagus, but her condition did not improve. In May of this year, Joyce presented at Kijabe Hospital with progressive difficulty in breathing. After she was evaluated and scans were done, Joyce was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. While she has an excellent prognosis, Joyce needs to be treated quickly, to prevent the cancer from spreading. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Joyce access the care that she needs. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on September 20th, at our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. During this procedure, surgeons will remove all or part of Joyce's thyroid gland. This operation will cost $949, and she and her family need help raising money. Joyce says, “I am almost losing my voice. I have been through several hospitals seeking treatment. This cancer is threatening my life.”

Faith is a very cheerful and friendly 9-year-old student from Kenya. She is the youngest in her family. Her father works as a casual laborer, and her mother works as a vegetable vendor. Her mother shares that she is limited in seeking more job opportunities due to her daughter's required care. Faith was born with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition that results from damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. She also has clubfoot of her right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Faith is currently unable to stand and walk on her own, but she can sit comfortably. Her parents have visited different hospitals in search of treatment for her without success. Fortunately, Faith recently traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 22nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), is requesting $1,286 to fund Faith's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will hopefully be able to stand and walk without support. Her parents will also be able to seek more job opportunities to further provide for their family. Faith's mother shares, "We are not in a position to raise the estimated hospital bill. We are seeking help from AMHF for my daughter to undergo surgery. God will bless you."

Lekitony is a kind 13-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the youngest in a family of nine children. He and his family are from a Maasai community in a remote village where people mainly practice livestock keeping to support themselves. He is very hardworking and helps his parents look after the cattle in search of pasture and water. Lekitony was diagnosed with right genu valgum, meaning his right leg is bowed inward, causing his knees to touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, often stemming from contaminated drinking water. As a result, he has a difficult time walking and experiences pain. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Lekitony. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 15th. Treatment will hopefully restore Lekitony's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Lekitony shares, “When I run, my knees knock and I fall. Also, most of the time my knees hurt.”

Tablut is playful a eight-year-old boy from Burma. In his free time, he enjoys playing football with his friends and hunting with a slingshot in the jungle. He lives with his parents and four sisters in a village near the border in Karen State, Burma. During the day, Tablut and his sisters go to school in the village, while his parents work as agricultural day laborers. They also grow rice for their family to eat, as well as raise chickens and pigs. Together they earn 5,000 baht (approx. 166 USD) per month. The income they earn is just enough to cover their monthly expenses and they cannot afford to pay for other costs that come up including basic health care. On April 26th, Tablut and his friends climbed up a mango tree to pick mangoes, however, Tablut slipped and fell out of the tree, fracturing his right leg. Right away his thigh looked deformed, and he experienced a lot of pain. His friends ran to get his mother who carried him on her back to a nearby clinic where he was admitted for four days. There the medic wrapped his right thigh in a bandage and gave him medication for his pain. While admitted, his pain lessened but his thigh became swollen and he began to develop a fever which caused him extensive pain and an inability to sleep. His mother was told by the medic that they would arrange transportation to take him to a hospital. On April 31st, Tablut and his mother were brought to our medical partner's care center Maharaja Nikon Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH). There, he received an x-ray confirming that his right thigh was fractured. In early May he underwent surgery to place an external fixation device onto his right thigh. Initially, after surgery his pain lessened, however as time has gone on the pain and swelling have returned and he's once again began to develop fevers at night, as well as blisters on his leg where the external fixation device is attached. Currently, he cannot shower by himself, and cannot move his right leg or walk anywhere without the help of his mother. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Tablut will undergo surgery on June 17th to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. After surgery, Tablut's pain will finally subside and he will be able to walk, play, and go back to school to be with his sisters and friends. Our medical partner is asking for $1,500 to fund Tablut's surgery and medical care. His mother said, “Now I am miserable. I want my child to receive surgery quickly so that we can go home. I worry for him and I also worry about my other children who were left behind [at home]. There is flooding in my village, and I am worried that they will go to the river to swim. Thinking about both Tablut and my other children, I can’t sleep at night nor eat. The school will reopen soon, but I have not saved any money for my children’s school fees yet. I want him to go to school when he recovers.”

Maureen is a small-business owner and a single mom to three children. She moved near the capital city of Nairobi to start her business as a food hawker, cooking and selling Asian, Islamic, and local cuisines. For about ten years, Maureen has been experiencing abdominal pain, headaches, dizziness, and other worrisome symptoms. This condition has made it challenging for her to operate her business. She visited our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), and doctors diagnosed her condition as cystic adenomyosis. To heal she needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Fortunately, AMH can help Maureen finally heal. On April 29th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at the care center, so she can resume her daily activities free of pain once she recovers. AMH is requesting $755 to fund Maureen’s surgery. Maureen shared, “This condition has affected my normal life, even taking care of my children is a problem, and the doctor told me surgery should be done soon. I am humbly requesting help so that I can be back to my normal self to continue caring for them.”

Esther is a sweet 2-year-old from Haiti. She lives with her parents, grandparents, and several siblings and cousins in a neighbordhood of Port-au-Prince. Esther's parents are both market vendors. Esther was born with down syndrome and later diagnosed with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. This means there is a hole between the two lower chambers of Esther's heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. On April 20th, Esther will fly to Dominican Republic to undergo cardiac surgery to close the hole in her heart using a patch. This surgery is not available in Haiti and her family has been waiting for her to be able to travel for this life-saving care. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $8,000 to pay for her surgery. Esther's family needs additional assistance covering $1,500 for labs, medicines, and follow-up appointments. This amount also supports passport obtainment and the social workers who will accompany Esther's family overseas. Esther's mother shared, "We are very hopeful that after the surgery, our daughter will have more appetite and less weakness."