Meet Shaniff, a quiet four-year-old boy from Ndumberi village in Kenya. Shaniff was diagnosed with clubfoot of his left foot at birth, a condition that causes his foot to turn inward. To compensate, Shaniff walks on tiptoe, with unstable gait. If not treated, he will never be able to wear shoes or walk for long distances without pain and discomfort. Shaniff currently attends nursery school. There, he loves playing with his friends, but faces difficulty doing so as his foot condition causes frequent falls. On September 5, Shaniff will have clubfoot correction treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, requests $1,224 for his medical care. His father, a casual laborer at construction sites, and mother, who takes care of the household, cannot afford Shaniff's treatment and are seeking assistance. “I would love to see my son walking well like other children, that’s my joy,” says Shaniff's father.

"Samuel's sickness has been very hard for our family,” shares Samuel’s mother. Samuel is a three-year-old boy from a small town in the Dominican Republic. He lives with his parents and three sisters, and his favorite activity is playing a toy drum set. Samuel was born with a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect (ASD), meaning that there is a hole between the two upper chambers of his heart. Blood flows through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving Samuel weak and short of breath. Although there is a surgical method that can close the hole in Samuel’s heart, his family cannot afford this treatment or the necessary pre-operative care. But we can help for $1,500. This sum will sponsor the cardiac exams, lab tests, and medications that Samuel needs to undergo on May 24, prior to his surgery. Another organization, Gift of Life International, has contributed $8,500 to fund his surgery. “We are looking forward to the day when he is healthy," Samuel’s mother says. Let’s make sure that that day comes as soon as possible for this toddler’s family.

Tumusiime is a 34-year-old primary school teacher and father of two. He has a history of hernias, and back in 1995, Tumusiime had a hernia repair surgery that improved his health until last year. Last year he began experiencing intermittent back and lower abdominal pain, swelling in his groin, and vomiting. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, determined that a hernia repair surgery would reduce Tumusiime's pain and discomfort. The $249 will fund a hernia repair surgery, scheduled for May 24, and improve Tumusiime's condition. Tumusiime says, "After surgery, I will continue with my teaching."

Meet Mpanzeuruvugo, a 33-year-old maize farmer from Uganda. Since the start of this year, Mpanzeuruvugo has been experiencing intermittent swelling in a sensitive area. The pain and swelling increase when Mpanzeuruvugo does physical activity. He is no longer able to work. Doctors at Holy Family Virika Hospital (a care center affiliated with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation) diagnosed Mpanzeuruvugo with an inguinal scrotal hernia and an umbilical hernia. Surgeons will repair Mpanzeuruvugo's hernias on April 26. Mpanzeuruvugo needs our help to pay for his $249 medical bill, which includes his surgery and hospital stay. After the surgery, Mpanzeuruvugo hopes to go back to work so he can take care of himself again.

Tha Zin is a 20-year-old woman from Burma. Several years ago, she began having difficulty breathing, which disturbed her sleep. She also experienced facial swelling and nausea and vomiting after every meal. Her symptoms interfered with her ability to attend school. In 2014, Tha Zin was diagnosed with nasal polyps—benign growths in the nasal passages. Traditional medicines did not work to alleviate her symptoms. In January 2015, Tha Zin received surgery for the polyps, which also reduced the bulging of her eyes. After the initial improvements, however, her eyes started to swell again. Her vision deteriorated and, not long after, she lost her sight. Tha Zin was referred to Chiang Mai for further treatment. The doctor recommends a CT scan to check her condition and enable planning for further treatment. On April 24, Tha Zin will have the CT scan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, requests $469 to cover it. Tha Zin says, "I believe that the doctors will try their best for me."

Kate is a four-year-old girl from the Philippines. Kate lives with her parents in a small house made of wood and bamboo in the mountains. Kate's father is a construction worker, but his job is irregular. Kate enjoys playing with her neighbors. Kate has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens Kate’s growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, she will begin $184 malnutrition treatment on February 22. Kate 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. Kate's mother says, "I hope that she can finish her studies someday and be successful in life. I am excited for the feeding program and its results."

Aileen, who is fondly called Inday, is a two-year-old girl from Philippines. She lives with her parents and loves to sing and dance. Her grandparents work as spiritual healers to support their family. Aileen has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Her hair and skin have become dry, and she has a bloated belly. Beginning on February 22, Aileen will receive at-home medical care from our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). ICM’s home-based feeding program will provide Aileen with nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure she gains weight and achieves optimum physical and mental development. To help sustain Aileen's health, ICM's professional staff will educate her mother on proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. After treatment, Aileen's grandmother is looking forward to Aileen growing up to fulfill her dreams!

Rajabu is a 23-month-old boy and is one of five siblings. Early in his life, Rajabu's mother noticed that his stomach was increasing in size and that he was experiencing excretory dysfunction. She brought him to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, to be examined. She learned that the end of Rajabu's digestive tract did not form properly. Doctors first performed a colostomy to provide temporary relief of his symptoms. The next corrective procedure Rajabu needs to undergo is a posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP). Surgeons will reposition the end of his digestive tract, allowing proper function of the digestive system. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund Rajabu's PSARP surgery on January 9. Rajabu's parents are nervous about his upcoming surgery, but they are hopeful. "I hope that my child is able to grow up like other children after surgery," says Rajabu's mother.

Srey Rey is a 19-year-old farmer from Cambodia. She two sisters and three brothers. She enjoys cooking, listening to music, and watching movies. In February of 2012, Srey Rey was hit by a car, causing a head injury that knocked her unconscious for more than 24 hours. She was taken to a local hospital and, upon regaining consciousness, found she was unable to move her arms. Over time, Srey Rey has regained some mobility in her shoulder and elbow. To this day, she has great difficulty moving both her right and left hands. Srey Rey traveled four hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, in hopes of regaining use of her hands. Srey Rey is scheduled to receive treatment on January 20. Surgeons will perform a tendon transfer in her right hand, restoring function to that hand. Our medical partner is requesting $450 to cover the cost of the operation, medication, and four nights of hospital stay.

Seth is a four-year-old boy. He loves to play with toys with his four siblings. He lives with his siblings and parents in a cement house. Their house was provided to them by the government. Seth's father is a vendor. Seth has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. He began $184 malnutrition treatment on October 19. Seth is being 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 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. Seth's mother hopes that he will be healthy, active, and strong. She also hopes that he will finish school and be successful.

Baturumayo is 45-year-old married man from Uganda. He is a father of six children who are all boys and in school. He also had a set of twins who both passed on due to malaria. Both Baturumayo and his wife are peasants who earn money for the education of their children from agriculture. They find it hard to pay all the school dues at once, so they pay in installments. Sometimes they remain with school debts at the end of the term. Baturumayo is worried that at some point his children might drop out of school because of lack of tuition. Baturumayo developed a swelling in his epigastric area (upper abdomen) two years ago. It started small but it kept increasing in size and it becomes more painful as time goes by. He feels pain in the whole abdomen and it worsens after meals. Due to the pain, Baturumayo is unable to do any work. He did not report his condition to a hospital because of lack of money. If not treated, the hernia (part of the intestine protrudes through the abdominal wall) could become become stuck, leading to damage to the intestine or even the stomach. $249 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Baturumayo needs. After surgery he plans to work hard and produce more food for sale. If he makes enough money he plans to start a retail shop.

Keath is a 50-year-old woman from Cambodia, who is disabled and unable to work. She has one older sister. Keath enjoys visiting the pagoda to join in ceremonies. She traveled three hours with her sister to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. Keath developed a cataract in each eye three years ago. This causes her blurred vision, tearing, and she can't go outside easily on her own. After a phaco procedure and intra-ocular lens (IOL) implant in each eye, Keath will be able to see clearly again. This procedure will cost $292. Let's help restore Keath's vision!