Celeste is a 3 month-old infant from Colombia. She was born in Medellín, lives with her parents, grand parents and great grandparents in a little house full of 4 generations. Even though she is so young she is a lovely girl who already smiles and laughs with everyone that comes and tells her she is cute. Celeste 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, Celeste's family traveled to visit our Medical Partner Clínica Noel. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 18th. Our medical partner, Clínica Noel, is requesting $1500 to fund Celeste's bilateral clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to learn how to walk properly and without pain as she grows up. Her mother said, "I hope you can help my little princess, since I found out at my pregnancy I have tried to learn about her condition so I can help her not to suffer and recover properly."

Meet Collins, a 12-year-old calm boy, the second born in a family of 3 children and a student at a special school. Their family hails from Shamata village in Nyandarua county. His mother is a single mother and is a small farmer. She shared how devastated she was upon receiving the news of her son's spine deformity. In her mind, she thought that her child could not survive until she was referred to a specialist, who explained the condition and how it could be corrected. Collins was born with a condition known as severe scoliosis, a spine deformity and a sideway curvature of the spine. This condition has greatly affected his mobility. He cannot bend and gets tired quickly while walking. Apart from the spine deformity, he is also mentally impaired, which has delayed his education. He is scheduled to undergo surgery to help heal his spine. The treatment will be impactful to him because he will be able to walk upright and continue with his education uninterrupted. "I am kindly requesting you to support my son, who is undergoing surgery and we are unable to pay for it. Your help will be highly appreciated as you help me put a smile on my son's face. Thank you so much for considering my request," shared Collin's mother.

Anthony lives with his parents and two younger siblings in a mining city in central Bolivia. He is in the fourth grade and loves computer science. His parents co-own a small tailoring shop together. Anthony was born with a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which involves several related heart defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects deprive his body of oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. During surgery, doctors will close the hole with a patch and remove the blockage from his valve. Heart surgery will allow Anthony to live a full, active life, and our medical partner International Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1500 to fund his life-saving procedure. Anthony can't wait to feel better soon and shared: "I am excited to be able to start running and keep up with my friends!"

Ra is a 50-year-old mother of two. Ra lives in a refugee camp near the Thai-Burma border with her family, where they are provided with accommodation and a monthly food allowance. During her free time, Ra shared that she enjoys praying. Since July 2023, Ra has been experiencing discomfort in her lower abdomen, accompanied by pain and heavy menstruation. During a routine medical check-up in the camp, a mass was detected by the doctor. She has been diagnosed with severe endometriosis, an often-painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, it is expected that Ra's symptoms would continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Ra is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on September 7. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, it is hoped that Ra will no longer experience pain, discomfort, and the other symptoms that have impacted her life. Ra said, "I feel uncomfortable and worried. It feels like something is moving in my belly. I hope this will go away after the surgery. Thank you BCMF and donors. May God bless you."

Siek Meng is a 15-year-old who resides in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents make a living as rice farmers, and when Siek Meng returns home from school, she helps care for her siblings. During her free time, she enjoys learning English by watching English-language films and television shows. She aspires to pursue higher education in the capital of Phnom Penh and study medicine in the future. Around the age of 6, Siek Meng and her parents noticed something concerning about her back. However, they postponed seeking treatment until two years later due to the high cost of treatment and not considering it essential at that time. Unfortunately, the condition has since deteriorated, and she has been diagnosed with scoliosis, a deformity of the spine. In the past year, Siek Meng has experienced increased difficulty breathing as her rib cage presses on her lungs. Additionally, she occasionally feels numbness in her legs caused by her vertebrae compressing nerves. Thankfully, Siek Meng and her father undertook a challenging journey of two and a half hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), seeking assistance for her disability. The medical team at CSC plans to perform a spinal fusion with implants on August 2nd, which requires financial support as the operation costs $1500. This amount will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-operative physiotherapy care. CSC is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure for Siek Meng. Siek Meng shared, "I am feeling embarrassed about my back and I want to not have chest pain anymore. I hope after surgery I can go back to school and be able to walk around my village more easily."

Ya is a 41-year-old woman from Burma. She currently lives with her father who is retired, her brother who is a student, and her son who works on the family rice farm with her. Their farming sustains their family, as they have no other source of income. They also forage for plants and vegetables from the forest. In her free time, Ya enjoys weaving traditional Karen (her ethnic community) bags. As a result of COVID-19 and the February 2021 coup, it is no longer feasible for Ya’s family to have traditional jobs. Her family faces extreme instability due to ongoing fighting in their area. Often, they must escape to nearby forests to avoid the conflict. They spend around a week at a time displaced in the forests. After the fighting has moved, they return to their village. Recently they had to sell their two cows to support themselves. In September 2020, Ya began experiencing back pain, and it was uncomfortable for her to walk and do regular activities because she cannot put pressure on her abdomen. She was diagnosed with myoma, or uterine fibroids. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Ya's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Ya is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on July 10th with the help of our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), who is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, Ya will no longer be in pain and will be able to walk without discomfort and work on the farm with her son. Ya said, “I want to get the surgery and recover quickly so I can go back to my family and help with the farm.” She is not sure what the future will hold as the fighting in her village is still happening, but she said, “I just want to be happy and stay with my family for the rest of my life.”

Kaung is a 2-year-old baby boy who lives in Burma with his grandmother, uncle, aunt, and five-month-old cousin. His grandmother is retired, his uncle is a motorbike taxi driver and his aunt is a homemaker. Kaung was born with a condition called Congenital Hydrocephalus. Congenital Hydrocephalus is caused by a brain malformation or birth condition that causes excessive cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in brain cavities. Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear, colorless liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, protecting them from injury. It carries nutrients to the brain and spinal cord and takes away waste. In a healthy person, the amount of this fluid produced by the brain is absorbed by the body. In hydrocephalus, the fluid fails to drain and accumulates, leading to pressure on the brain. Kaung's symptoms include intensifying nasal congestion and coughing with mucus. Additionally, his head is gradually increasing in size as the fluid continues to put pressure on his brain. The condition is most often treated by inserting a shunt. The shunt diverts excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain to another part of the body where the fluid can be reabsorbed. Kaung's family visited a doctor when he was born to address the issue. At the time, the doctor advised the family to seek further treatment. However, Kaung was never brought to a hospital or clinic due to the financial difficulties of the family. Fortunately, Kaung was able to meet with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). With the help of BCMF and Watsi, Kaung received a CT scan at Mae Sot General Hospital. The doctor was able to diagnose his condition and scheduled Kaung to undergo surgery immediately. Kaung is scheduled for surgery on May 26th. Kaung's aunt said, "My nephew becomes cuter by the day, and he is always smiling. I tried to save money to treat him, but I could not. But now, we are so happy to have met you all at BCMF. We are happy to know that Kaung will have the opportunity to get treated because of your support.”

Jackline is a 17-year-old student from Machakos County in Kenya. She is in form three at AIC Kunikela High School and aspires to become a doctor in the future. Both of her parents are farmers. When she was one year old, Jackline was burned on her left elbow by hot water. After the burn healed, she developed a contracture of her elbow, preventing her from using her arm to help her mother around the house or play volleyball, her favorite sport. While she has been to different hospitals, the contracture remains, negatively impacting her self-esteem. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is here to help. On May 8th, surgeons at AIC Cure International Hospital will perform burn contracture release surgery, enabling Jackline to use her arm and hand more easily. Jackline and her family need your help to fund this $840 procedure. “My joy would be to use my hand like other people, and any help to correct this will be highly appreciated,” Jackline told us.