Margret is a 68-year-old farmer from Uganda. Margret and her husband, John, are small farmers and support their family through farming. John is a retired primary teacher, and they have seven children. Margret has been diagnosed with a fistula, an abnormal condition in a sensitive area. She experiences a lot of pain, and she is unable to perform daily work as a leader in her choir at church. She needs to undergo a fistula repair surgery. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting $547 to fund this treatment, which will be performed on February 3. $8 were subsidized by Margret. She is looking forward to continuing with her farming and hopes to go back to church. Margret says, "I am very thankful for the support Watsi is giving and helping many people get treatments. Thanks to the donors for the support. May God bless you.”

Carlos is a seven-month-old baby boy who lives with his parents and six older siblings in rural Guatemala. Carlos's mother looks after the household, and his father is an agricultural laborer. Carlos's favorite foods are beans and watermelon. Carlos has been diagnosed with malnutrition. His body does not have enough energy to grow, and his immune system is weak, leaving him extremely vulnerable to illness. Long-term consequences of malnutrition include low IQ and increased risk of developing chronic diseases. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Carlos will begin treatment to help him recover at our medical partner's care center, Clinic Tecpán, on January 19. His growth will be monitored, and he will receive micronutrient and food supplements. Community health workers will also teach his family how to create and maintain nutritious diets. Carlos needs $437 to cover these treatment costs, so that he can have the chance to grow up strong and healthy.

Kengonzi is a 13-year-old girl from Uganda. She has four siblings: three brothers and one sister. Her father is a trader dealing in fresh food. She is in primary school, and her best subjects are mathematics and science. In the future, she wants to be a nun. Six months ago, Kengonzi developed a hard and painless swelling in her right breast. In November of 2016, her stepmother took her to the hospital, where she learned that the mass required surgery. They could not afford surgery, so they decided to use traditional medicines. Kengonzi's symptoms did not improve. "I am worried about my daughter because I don't know what will come out of her swelling," says Kengonsi's stepmother. Without treatment, the mass could continue growing and become more painful. Fortunately, Kengonzi visited our medical partner's hospital, Holy Family Virika Hospital. On December 21, Kengonzi will undergo a mass excision. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $196 to fund this treatment. After surgery, Kengonzi hopes to work hard in class and get good grades.

Bertha is a 41-year-old woman from Tanzania. She is the mother of five children. Early this year, a gas explosion left Bertha with burns on her hands, wrists, and upper limbs. Watsi donors have already funded treatment to release her burn contractures––shortened muscles caused by her injuries. These surgeries have been successful, and Bertha can now straighten her hand and perform activities independently. On November 9, Bertha underwent a skin graft procedure to further treat her injuries. One of Bertha's sons was also injured by the gas explosion. He has been undergoing treatment as well. Though Bertha's husband is a farmer, he cannot afford the mounting healthcare costs. The family needs help to fund this $780 procedure. Bertha says she looks forward "to going home to my kids."

This is Shane, a 20-month-old girl with malnutrition. Shane lives with her parents and two siblings in a bamboo house. Shane's father, Ronald, is a construction worker. Like other girls her age, Shane enjoys playing with her dolls and playing hide-and-seek. One out of five children under the age of five in communities served by our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), 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 increase risk for potentially fatal childhood diseases. Fortunately, Shane began ICM's malnutrition treatment program on October 17, 2016. ICM runs a Home-Based Feeding program to provide nutrient-enriched food packs and ensure malnourished children get the right nutrients 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. Now, Shane's parents need help to fund this $184 treatment. "I hope her weight becomes normal and that she won't get sick," says Shane's mother. "I hope she will have good health soon."

Chantho is a 77-year-old grandmother living in Cambodia with her husband, daughter, and five grandchildren. She likes to visit the pagoda to listen to monks pray and join ceremonies. Two years ago, Chantho developed blurred vision, itchiness, and cloudy lenses in both eyes. Since then, it has been difficult for her to recognize faces, and she has difficulty traveling independently. She and her sister sought treatment at a clinic through our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), because her sister had been treated there before. Chantho's doctors diagnosed her with cataracts, and recommended surgical intervention. She needs a phacoemulsification and an intraocular lens implant in each eye, which will replace her internal lenses and restore her vision to full clarity. In total, the procedure, supplies, drugs, and four days of inpatient care will cost $292. Following recovery, Chantho will have restored vision in both eyes, and will be able to safely travel independently. She will be able to easily visit the pagoda, as she had done before.

Than is a 49-year-old married rice farmer from Cambodia who has two sons, one daughter, and two grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys listening to the news on the radio and watching Khmer and Thai dramas on TV. Than traveled three hours with her husband to reach Children's Surgical Centre for treatment of cataracts that developed in her eyes three years ago. Due to the cataracts, Than experiences blurred vision, tearing, and sensitivity to light. As a result, she cannot see clearly enough to do work well or get around outside on her own. A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the eye, and they are the most common cause of blindness in Cambodia. For $292, Than will undergo small incision cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from her eyes and replace them with intraocular lens implants. Funding for her treatment also includes a four-night hospital stay, food for her and her caregiver, eye drops, and medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection. After surgery, Than will be able to see clearly again.

Three-month-old Lorens is the only child to his young parents. He was born with a swollen mass on the back of his neck. Due to a lack of knowledge, his parents took the situation lightly. Little did they know that the mass was spina bifida and that, if left untreated, it would lead to further complications. A friend who noticed the swelling noted that it was not normal. Unfortunately for Lorens' parents, by this time it was a little too late; Lorens had already developed tethered spinal cord syndrome, a condition involving the fixation of tissue to the spinal cord. Surgery is required to release the tethered cord as soon as possible, but Lorens' parents are unable to raise the necessary funds. They did manage to fund $104 of their son's treatment, but the little income they receive from casual employment in their neighborhood has left them in need of financial support. Lorens' father is a casual laborer and will settle for any task, whether it is construction or transporting hand-driven carts, to meet the needs of his family. His wife is a stay-at-home mother. The family resides in a single-rental house in the suburbs. With $1,165 in funding, Lorens will finally be able to undergo a tethered cord release, thus eliminating pain, allowing fuller range of motion, and reducing other risk factors associated with the condition. Surgery will greatly improve Lorens' quality of life and allow him to grow up a healthy young boy. “I wish I could do more to make my son’s life easier," shares Lorens' mother. "I will do any job assigned to me just to have this pain eliminated from Lorens."

Japhet is a happy and active four-year-old boy, born on June 22, 2012. Japhet likes to climb on anything that he thinks he can climb on. He also enjoys playing and being around other children. He is the fourth born in a family of five children. The problem with Japhet’s legs began early last year. As time goes by, his gait keeps changing. He now knocks his knees when walking and feels pain on the knees especially when climbing up a hill. Despite of his condition, Japhet is still very active and happily mingles with other children even though some do laugh at the way he walks. Japhet’s mother is a kindergarten school teacher and his father is an Evangelist. His parents also do a little bit of farming and raise a couple of goats at home. They work hard to care for their family and take their children to school. Japhet’s parents need financial support so that their son can get proper corrective treatment to improve his gait and reduce the risk of developing early osteoarthritis.They wish that their son can walk properly again so that he can competently walk to school.

Kevin is a very cheerful but shy three-year-old boy. His parents run a restaurant in a rural trading center in the countryside of Uganda. Last year, Kevin was playing with his elder sister at home when the ball they were throwing to each other went into the kitchen. When Kevin rushed after the ball, he slipped into the wood fire and a boiling pot of porridge fell on him; badly burning his skin. Kevin was in the hospital for two months. Burn accidents like his are common in these rural areas because most fire places are not raised and protected from young children. Before the accident, Kevin went to a local primary school for daycare schooling. At home, Kevin likes playing with toys made from empty plastic bottles. Kevin has mostly healed from the burns, though he has a contracture on his right elbow. He cannot straighten his right hand which has affected his mobility. His mother Shillah tells us that he has started using the left hand though he has difficulty with it. For $351, Kevin will undergo surgery to release the contracture on his arm. This operation will allow him to use his arm again and restart using his right hand. "I would like to thank everyone who is supporting my son to get this defect corrected. May God bless you," Kevin's mom shared.

Meet Oeun, a 68-year old grandmother from Cambodia with five sons, two daughters, and ten grandchildren. According to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to the monks pray. “Two years ago Oeun developed a cataract in both eyes. This causes her blurred vision, tearing, irritation, and she is afraid of sunshine. She can't see everything clearly, recognize faces easily, do work well, or go anywhere outside on her own,” explains CSC. For $225, Oeun will undergo a cataract surgery that will remove the cloudy lenses from both of her eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. The funding also includes post-operative care, and after the surgery Oeun will be able to see clearly again.

"We would like to ask for help for the treatment of our son. We are greatly concerned for his future," share the parents of 14-month-old Archiel. Archiel lives with his family in the Philippines, and has been diagnosed with unilateral clubfoot. "Archiel cannot walk, he is only capable of rolling from left to right," shares our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). "His mother observed that he has poor locomotive and speech development. This makes it hard for them to address his needs and keep him safe. One parent has to stay in the house and watch him all the time and that prevents his parents to work and sustain their family's needs." "Archiel gives his parents so much joy," ICM continues. "Though he cannot speak or walk, he manages to give happiness to his family by smiling and giggling when he is happy. Those simple moments are greatly cherished by the family. His parents are working together to supply for the needs of the family, but still, their income is not even enough for the needs of the children. That is why it is very hard for them to provide for his treatment." For $1,500, Archiel will receive treatment and surgery to correct his clubfoot. After surgery, "Archiel will be more comfortable in facing challenges in learning and development. As part of him is being treated, this can pave the way that other conditions can also be addressed. This surgery will also increase the quality of life of their family as it address the emotional needs, physical needs, and economic needs that is attached to his condition. With the surgery, he can now also start learning and developing his locomotive skills which will also hasten all other learning stages he has to face in his age," ICM adds. "We have been praying that our time to work for our family will be more than what we can do now," Archiel's parents add, "So the future of our children will be brighter. We also would like our life to become a testimony that God truly touches lives and hearts to help the poor like us. We would like to see Archiel grow, walk, go to school and fulfill whatever dream he has."