Eh Kaw is a two-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents, who are subsistence farmers. Since he was one month old, Eh Kaw has had an inguinal hernia. He cannot play with other children because of the pain that it causes. Fortunately, on November 1, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Eh Kaw's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 1 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Eh Kaw's father says, “My son loves to play a lot with his friends when he is not in pain. But when he is in pain, I have to carry him night and day, and he is not able to play.”

Ruth is a jovial young girl. She the fifth in her family of six children. Her parents are casual laborers. They live in their ancestral land, with only a small space to practice subsistence farming. Ruth does not speak and perceives only very loud sounds. At our medical partner's care center, she was diagnosed with hearing loss. Ruth requires hearing aids that will allow her perceive sound with better clarity. Ruth is scheduled to receive the aids on September 6, and her family needs help raising $929. Ruth’s mother says, “My wish is to have my daughter fitted with the hearing aids and lead a normal life."

Denis is a student from Kenya. He is the third child in a family of four. His mother is a single mother and works as a farmer. In early August, Denis was traveling home on a motorbike taxi when it was hit by another vehicle. Denis was rushed to hospital with severe injuries on his face and right leg. He is unable to walk and can barely sit. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 23, Denis will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After treatment, Denis will be able to walk again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. His mother says, “My son is bedridden, all I can do is just watch him lay in bed and feed him. I hope he will undergo the surgery soon to put away my worries."

Timotheo is a child from Tanzania. He is the first born child in a family of three children, and he is almost seven years old. He is expecting to start his primary school education next year. Timotheo’s parents are subsistence farmers. Timotheo has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Timotheo traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 7. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Timotheo's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Timotheo will be able to walk easily. Timotheo’s father says, “I wish I knew sooner that there is hope for my son’s treatment. I just hope that he will be okay and able to walk normal.”

Brian is a boy from Kenya. He lives with his parents in a two-room house in Nairobi. Brian was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Brian has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Brian will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on July 2. AMHF is requesting $542 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I want to be a pilot when I grow up,” says Brian.

Kar is an eight-month-old boy. He lives with his family in Hpa-an, Karen State, Burma. When Kar was three months old, his parents noticed for the first time that his head size was increasing. Kar was recently diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which has caused fluid to build up in his brain. Without immediate surgery to alleviate the intracranial pressure that the excess fluid is causing, he is at risk of developing severe, potentially fatal medical complications. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for Kar, which will drain the fluid that has accumulated in his brain. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 23, and, once completed, will greatly improve Kar's quality of life. His mother says, "I really want my son to look like other normal kids. So I believe that this surgery will make him look better."

Maureen is a child from Tanzania. She is a loving and happy child. Her mother is a stay-at-home mother, and her father works as a butcher. Maureen is the only child in their family. Since she was 11 months old, Maureen has been experiencing sleep apnea and difficulty eating. Frequent illness has caused the family to make many trips to the hospital. She was recently diagnosed with enlarged adenoids, which are the soft tissue behind the nasal cavity. Without treatment, this condition will cause Maureen's symptoms to persist and possibly even intensify. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $609 to fund an adenoidectomy for Maureen, which is scheduled to take place on May 3. Surgeons will remove her adenoids, hopefully relieving Maureen of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. Maureen’s mother says, “Please help my daughter get treatment so that she will be able to eat, breath and sleep better without waking up struggling for air.”

Nyo is a 16-year-old student from Burma. Her parents are farmers. Two of Nyo's older sisters work in Bangkok, and they send money to help pay for Nyo's school fees. Nyo was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Nyo experiences chest pain, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and discoloration of her lips. Her symptoms have caused her to miss school, and to frequently be late. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Nyo. The treatment is scheduled to take place on April 2 and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. "I would like to become a doctor someday, and help low-income patients in need," said Nyo.

Lwin is a 61-year-old housewife from Burma. She used to rent a patch of land for farming, but a recent medical condition has forced her to stop working. Lwin's husband passed away and she has six adult children. Now Lwin lives with one of her daughters and son-in-law. Lwin experiences back pain if she sits for long periods, and she feels a tightness and discomfort in her upper abdomen. Eventually she went to Mae Tao Clinic, our medical partner's care center, to have her symptoms checked. The doctor diagnosed her with a large kidney stone and told her that she requires surgery to remove the stone. Lwin will undergo a shockwave lithotripsy on March 8. Now, she needs help raising $1,500 to fund this procedure. She says, "Now I have a small garden where I plant vegetables. When I was away for my treatment, I didn’t get to water my garden and when I returned home, I saw that the plants were all dry. It’s costly to visit the hospital very often and I have no time to look after my garden. I just want to have the treatment and fully recover from my symptoms so that I can work in my garden again."

Talaa is a farmer from Kenya. She is a mother of 11. She lost her husband in 2005 due to hypertension. Talaa lives with her grandchildren. She is a happy grandmother and spends her time in the evenings educating her grandchildren. She takes care of her goats and cultivates a small piece of millet farm to keep herself busy. Talaa fell last week while she was taking care of her goats. She landed on a stone and fractured her hip. Talaa is in a lot of pain, and she cannot stand or walk. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 16, Talaa will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The procedure will help her live without pain, walk, and stand. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. “My mum has a lot of pain, she cannot stand nor even sit comfortably. You can see that she is stressed," says her son.

Esther is a casual laborer from Kenya. She is a mother of eight children. Esther is not employed and unable to tend to her small plot of land due to a leg wound. Esther has a diabetic wound on her left foot. She is not able to walk well or work on her farm. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Esther receive treatment. On January 9, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to eliminate the risk of amputation and enable the wound to heal. This will allow Esther to walk and work freely again. Now, Esther needs help to fund this $1,129 procedure. Esther says, “I wish I can be able to ambulate with ease so that I can work on my own rather than relying on my son."

Ketchina is an eight-year-old girl from Haiti. She lives with her parents, and two sisters. She is in the third grade and enjoys drawing and playing with dolls. Ketchina was born with tricuspid atresia, a condition in which her heart only has three valves, instead of the normal four. This prevents oxygen-rich blood from properly circulating throughout her body. On July 11, Ketchina will be traveling from her home in Haiti to our medical partner's care center, Health City Cayman Islands, in the Cayman Islands. There she will undergo heart surgery. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ketchina's surgery prep. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, has contributed $27,000 towards her treatment. We are also fundraising for her [transportation costs](https://watsi.org/profile/e94e481a0a43-ketchina). "I will be glad for the surgery to be over so that we can let Ketchina go to school and play with her friends without worrying about her," says Ketchina's mother.