Rexa is a 47-year-old mother from Malawi. She has four children, and her sister lives together with their family. Rexa has been selling second-hand clothes called kaunjika locally, but had to pause her business last December due to her health condition. Rexa’s husband is an electrician and is currently unemployed. Two of their children are in college, and they shared that their family is struggling to pay their school fees. Rexa also cares for her mom, who lives in the village. Last December, Rexa started having sharp pains in her abdomen radiating to the back and both legs. Her husband has taken her to many hospitals to figure out the cause of her pain, and it has cost their family a significant amount of money. After being evaluated for peptic ulcers, heart, liver, and kidney problems to no avail, she finally was diagnosed in April with uterine fibroids. Fibroids are abnormal growths that develop in or on a woman's uterus. These growths may become quite large and cause severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. If left untreated, fibroids can continue to grow, both in size and number, and could result in increased heavy bleeding or a fatal case of anemia. Rexa was referred to Partners in Hope Medical Center for further review and the gynecologist recommended that she undergo a hysterectomy, which will remove her uterus and cervix and hopefully cure her of this pain. However, she has no insurance and is unable to pay for the cost of her care due to her family's earnings. Rexa will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. She is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on May 28th, and African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,363 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. After the surgery, Rexa is hopeful that she will stop having abdominal pains and can return to normal life, which can help her resume her business and support her family members again. Rexa's husband shared, “I am excited that finally there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. When my wife feels pain, I also feel pain and I fail to go and look for work to support the family. I strongly believe that this surgery will bring an end to our misery and sleepless nights. Now we will stop begging relatives for support with even transport money to the hospital, I am very grateful to the donors!”

Chivong is a 28-year-old man with two daughters in primary school. His daughters and his wife stay home in their province, while Chivong works in the capital Phnom Penh to earn money to support his family. In his spare time, he likes to play football, watch TV, and talk to his daughters on the phone. Chivong describes his health as poor most of the time, as he has been experiencing chronic nasal obstruction, postnasal drip, and constant headaches. His symptoms worsen when the weather is cold. Chivong tried medication to treat these symptoms, but had no improvement. He also feels chronically tired due to exposure to dust and odors at work. Doctors diagnosed Chivong with a nasal polyp, which will need to be removed through a nose reduction procedure. Chivong will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo a procedure on February 3rd. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $289 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Once recovered, he will hopefully be free of nose discomfort and headaches and can return to work as normal. Chivong shared, "I hope that my health will improve after surgery and I will have no more infections. I also hope I can eventually work more regularly to support my family."

Siv is a 57-year-old rice farmer who is married and has three sons. His wife is also a rice farmer. Siv enjoys listening to the news on the radio and exercising when he has time. One year ago, Siv developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Siv learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled there with his wife seeking treatment. On January 15th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Siv said, "I hope I can see clearly after surgery so I can go to the rice field and help my wife plant rice, drive my motor well, and plant some vegetables around my home to earn more money."

In late January, the Muinde family from Kenya was blessed with their firstborn child, a daughter they named Emmaculate. Emmaculate's mother works in a mobile money shop and Emmaculate's father has a small electronics shop. They live in a small rented house in Nakuru, and are able to use their income to cover most of their family's basic needs. They learned that Emmaculate was born with a rare form of craniosynostosis, which meant that her eyes were not fully formed and her pupil was not visible in both of her eyes. A few days after her birth, Emmaculate was reviewed at her local clinic, and the doctor referred Emmaculate to a nearby facility for further examination. Ultimately, Emmaculate was seen by the doctors at our Medical Partner Care Center BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital (BKKH). On March 1st, Emmaculate will undergo a craniotomy in order to release the pressure in her brain. However, Emmaculate’s parents are not able to cover the amount needed for her surgery. Emmaculate’s father says, “When I was told about my child’s condition and the treatment required, my heart sank as we could not afford any of this treatment. As a family, we are requesting financial help.”

Sreynuch is a 18-year-old factory worker from Cambodia. She lives with her parents and five siblings on their farm. She is the youngest of her siblings, and while the whole family helps with the farm, each sibling also has other work. Sreynuch has finished school, but in her free time she loves to meet up with all her school friends and play sports together, or share music with each other. In February 2018, Sreynuch was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a severe fracture in her left leg. She and her family traveled across the border to a hospital in Vietnam so she could receive treatment, where doctors fixated screws to repair her fracture. Now, the bone has healed, but the hardware must be removed as it still causes pain and can lead to serious infection. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On December 11th, Sreynuch will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $230. This procedure will allow her to heal completely and walk easily without any pain. Sreynuch shared, "I hope I can heal quickly from this surgery so I can work again, since it has been difficult to work the past year when my leg still bothers me."

Horn is 64-year-old mango and rice farmer from Cambodia. He is married with three sons, seven daughters, and six grandchildren. His wife is also a farmer. In his free time he enjoys listening to the news on the radio. Three years ago, Horn developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him irritation, burning, redness, and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Horn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours by tuk tuk with his daughters seeking treatment. Horn needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for September 21st. Horn said, "I hope the pterygium can be removed so I can feel comfortable and continue my work at the farm."

Ryan is a playful and happy two-year-old from Kenya. In their small family of three, he is his parent’s source of joy and their only child. When Ryan was around nine months old, his parents realized that he had a condition affecting his testes. They shared that initially to them, the condition was not alarming. His parents decided to wait and see if his testicles would descend on their own. After waiting for around two months, Ryan’s parents took him to a nearby facility for a checkup. Ryan was diagnosed with bilateral undescended testicles. The physician advised them to wait for at least one year before taking any action in the hope that they would heal naturally. When no change took place, a friend recommended their family come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital for the surgery Ryan needed. At BethanyKids, Ryan was examined and has been scheduled for surgery. If his condition is left untreated, the testicles may be damaged hence leading to other diseases and later affecting his fertility limiting his ability to have a family of his own. Ryan’s father delivers milk to a local milk factory as a truck driver and in his line of work, the income is very little. To add on their family's earnings, Ryan’s mother works in a nearby salon. Ryan's family is not able to raise the required amount for his surgery and are appealing for financial help. Ryan has been diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Ryan has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Ryan will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 31st. AMHF is requesting $569 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Ryan’s mother says, “As a parent, I want the best for my child in future but the finances required for his surgery are unavailable. We are requesting for any available financial help we can get so that our son can get the required treatment.”

Samoeurn is a 71-year-old retired teacher from Cambodia. He has four sons, two daughters, and 10 grandchildren. He retired around 20 years ago. He likes to read books and teach his grandchildren how to read Khmer literature. Samoeurn also enjoys watching boxing on TV. Four years ago, Samoeurn developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Samoeurn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours to seek treatment. On June 29, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. The procedure will cost $229 and he needs your help to fund his surgery. Samoeurn shared, "I hope that I will recover my vision. Then, I can look after my grandchildren at home, plant some vegetables for food, and go anywhere outside by myself."

Toeur is the sixth of seven children in his family, including four brothers and three sisters. He likes to stay home and help around the house and cook, as well as watch television and listen to music. Toeur was born with a hump on his spine and, at the age of two, he fell down the stairs and has since had a curve in his spine. He has pain in his right knee and experiences paraparesis, where he has partial paralysis in his legs and requires crutches when he walks. He cannot do any heavy work and stays near his house most days. Spinal surgery will correct Toeur's spine position and relieve his symptoms. He will be able to walk comfortably again, and will be able to take on daily activities with greater ease. He shared, "My family worries about my pain a lot, and they hope that I will be able to work again and help provide for the family. I hope that my spine will be straight and will no longer have a curve, and I won't have anymore pain in my knee so I can return to work."

Elias is a young student from Kenya and is a happy young boy. He is the second-born child in a family of three children. He is currently in 4th grade and aspires to be an engineer in the future. Elias was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Elias has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. However, treatment is costly for Elias's family. Both of his parents are labourers who depend on manual jobs to feed their family. His mother washes clothes, and his father works in construction sites. They both lack a stable income since the jobs and payments depend on the availability of work. There are times when they go without work for several days. Elias will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo an orchidopexy, which is a corrective surgery, on November 12th. AMHF is requesting $754 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Elias shared, “I want to study hard and become an engineer when I grow up. For now, the doctors told me that I needed to get treatment to help me grow into a healthy man."

Vutha is a 21-month-old boy from Cambodia. He enjoys playing with his two older brothers, watching cartoons on television, and going to the market with his mother. When Vutha was eleven months old, he accidentally came into contact with fire and burned his right hand. He is unable to open his hands and flex them properly, and cannot hold onto anything. When Vutha's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On December 23rd, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to to help him use hand again. Now, he needs help to fund this $448 procedure. "I hope my son recovers well after his surgery and is able to move his hand and fingers again." -Vutha's Mother