Rim is a 43-year-old potato farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has one son and one daughter. She likes to chat with her children and watch Khmer movies on TV. Rim developed a pterygium (a tissue growth in the corner of the eye) in each eye about three years ago, causing her blurred vision, irritation, and tearing. It is difficult for Rim to see things clearly, do her work, and go outside by herself. She worries about going blind in the future. On April 20, eye surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the pterygium from each eye to allow Rim to see clearly again. CSC is requesting $148 to fund Rim's hospital registration and procedure.

Siatah is a three-year-old girl from Uganda who enjoys playing with other children, making things out of mud, playing with balls, and jumping ropes made out of vines. She tries to help her mother by clearing the dirty dishes after dinner. For the past month, Siatah has not been playing and running like she usually does, and is lethargic and sick. Her hair is discolored, and she has developed oedema, a condition characterized by the build-up of fluid in the tissues that results in swelling. She has been diagnosed with malnutrition and will need to be treated in the hospital with therapeutic foods and vitamins. On May 6, Siatah will undergo malnutrition treatment at Bwindi Community Hospital. Although her family was able to contribute $1 to the cost of her treatment, she is still in need of $316 to cover the rest of the expenses. "Please tell all the donors thank you from me," says Siatah's mother. "I have been very worried about Siatah. Now I know she will be better. When she is older I want to send her to school."

Sok is a 66-year-old grandmother form Cambodia. She is married and has four sons, nine daughters, and 15 grandchildren. Sok enjoys listening to monks pray on the radio, participating in ceremonies at her local pagoda, and watching Thai and Khmer movies on TV. About one year ago, Sok developed a cataract in each of her eyes, causing her blurred vision, sensitivity to light, tearing, and cloudy lenses. Her condition has made it difficult for her to see things clearly and go anywhere outside by herself. On May 12, Sok will undergo surgery at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, our medical partner's care center, to receive intraocular lens implants in each of her eyes to improve her vision. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is asking for $292 to cover the cost of her treatment. After surgery, Sok will be able to see clearly again!

Chamroen is a 50-year-old corn and potato farmer from Cambodia who is married with two sons, three daughters, and two grandsons. He likes to listen to the news on the radio and watch boxing on TV in his free time. Chamroen developed a traumatic cataract in each eye after being hit by bamboo about three days ago. He has blurred vision, burning, pain, tearing, cloudy lenses, and photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light). It is difficult for him to see things clearly, do any type of work, and go places on his own. On April 20, eye surgeons at our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the cataract from each eye to allow Chamroen to see clearly again. CSC is requesting $292 for Chamroen's cataract removal.

Alter is a two-year-old boy from the Philippines. He loves to play with balls. He lives with his family in a small house made of bamboo and thatched palm leaves. Alter's father works as a driver. Alter has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens his growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, he will begin $268 malnutrition treatment on February 24. Alter 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. Alter's mother says, "I hope that someday my child will finish his studies."

Bengrong is a 55-year-old rice farmer. She has two sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren. Bengrong likes to go to the pagoda to listen to monks pray and join ceremonies. She also likes to read books. One year ago, Bengrong developed a cataract in each eye, which has resulted in blurred vision and tearing. It is difficult for Bengrong to work or go anywhere by herself, and she is worried about going blind one day. Bengrong traveled for three hours with her son-in-law to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. After a cataract surgery and lens implant in each eye, Bengrong will be able to see clearly again. Bengrong says, "I hope to see more clearly than now, so that I can work, cook, and read easily." CSC is requesting $292 to fund the cataract procedure.

Jack is a 74-year-old farmer. He lives in Uganda with his wife, Esther, and their children. He enjoys listening to the news on the radio and socializing. For five years, Jack has had an enlarged prostate. This condition is painful and makes doing daily chores difficult. He has managed his pain with painkillers. Jack visited our medical partner's hospital, Bwindi Community Hospital, where doctors advised him to have his prostate removed. He is scheduled to undergo a prostatectomy surgery on January 9. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting $314 to fund this surgery. After surgery, Jack will return to his family, free of pain, and continue cultivating coffee, maize, beans, and potatoes. “I would like to encourage Watsi to keeping welcoming people with hospitality and thank them for their help with my surgery," says Jack.

Antonio is a six-month-old boy from Guatemala. However, he is only the size of a healthy three month old. His mother has had difficulty producing breastmilk, so when he is hungry, she feeds him water or porridge. Recently, Antonio has been losing weight. Antonio has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. This means he has little energy to grow, and his immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. He is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, he began malnutrition treatment on December 22, 2016. Antonio lives with his parents and three older siblings in rural Guatemala. His mother takes care of the family and household, and his father works as a construction assistant. They cannot afford this $512 treatment, so they need our help. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Antonio recover. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age, and his immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Antonio a chance to grow healthy and strong. "My dream for my son is that he grows," says Antonio's mother, "and that he will study."

Sebastien is a 17-month-old boy from Haiti. He is the first child in his family. Sebastian's father sells cell phones, and his mother stays home to care for him. Sebastien was born with a condition called pulmonic valvar stenosis, in which one of the four valves of his heart is too small. Blood backs up from the valve into his heart, leaving him sickly and weak. Without treatment, this condition could be fatal. On November 9, Sebastien traveled to the Cayman Islands to undergo treatment. Surgeons will insert a catheter into the affected heart valve and stretch the valve to normal size. Have a Heart Cayman Islands is subsidizing this $5,000 surgery. Now, his family needs help to pay his $1,500 travel fees. "We are all a little scared about this surgery," says his mother, "but we are excited that Sebastien can become a normal boy when it is over."

29-year-old Kobusinge and her husband are peasant farmers who live in Uganda with their four children, all of whom are in school. Along with her husband, Kobusinge works as a peasant farmer. They sell surplus farm produce to pay their children's tuition fees and buy essentials for the family. Six years ago, Kobusinge noticed a non-painful swelling in her left inguinal region. She visited a health center where she was diagnosed with a hernia and received some medicine, which didn’t help reduce the swelling. In 2015, she started feeling pain and visited another hospital. She was diagnosed with a hernia and was advised to have surgery, but couldn’t afford to pay for it. Two weeks ago, the pain intensified and a friend advised her to come to Virika Hospital, where Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) works, for help. Due to backaches and stomachaches, she is unable to lift heavy items and work. “I need help for surgery because I’ve lived with this condition for a long time and my husband is unable to pay for my treatment,” shares 29-year-old Kobusinge. After surgery, Kobusinge hopes to resume digging to produce food for her family.

Srey Neth is a fourteen-year-old secondary student in the 8th grade. She has one sister and one brother. She likes to play, read books, draw pictures, and watch TV. She hopes to be a teacher when she grows up. When she was three-years-old, Srey Neth developed an abnormal skin growth (cholesteatoma) behind the eardrum in her left ear. This has caused recurrent ear discharge, hearing loss, and a ringing or buzzing in her ear. Srey Neth's father heard about Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from their neighbors. She traveled for three hours with her father to reach CSC for treatment. Before coming to CSC, she visited a hospital in her province, however, it did not treat her recurrent ear discharge. Srey Neth will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear, which will remove the skin growth. This will stop the ear discharge and improve her hearing. "I hope after the operation is done, my daughter's ear discharge will stop and she will have good hearing and good health," her father shared.

Kanjiwa is a 68-year-old farmer from a village in Malawi's central region. He lives with his wife, and together they have seven children and 30 grandchildren. Kanjiwa supports his family through farming and when he is not busy working, he enjoys chatting with his grandchildren. For the past seven months, Kanjiwa has been experiencing symptoms of an enlarged prostate. He has pain when urinating and discomfort that has impeded his ability to work and spend time with his grandchildren. Kanjiwa has been unable to receive treatment until now because of its cost. With $742, Kanjiwa will have a prostate resection to surgically remove the gland. This operation will eliminate the pain he feels when urinating and discomfort he has in daily life. This procedure will also prevent future health complications. He and his family are looking forward to the surgery. Kanjiwa says, "I am very happy. I am looking forward to doing activities on my farm."