Travis is a wonderful baby boy from Tanzania. He is his single mother's only child. He spends most of his time with his grandmother, as they both have a strong bond. His mother is very hard working; she works a nine-hour job throughout the week. Because of this, she has limited time with her son. Travis has clubfoot of both legs. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, causing him to have difficulty sitting and standing. Since his father does not provide any support, Travis depends fully on his mother for his daily needs. They live near the town center, and due to inflation and the high cost of living, his mother's income only caters to their basic needs. Travis was brought to the hospital by his grandmother seeking financial support for his treatment. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, will perform clubfoot repair surgery for Travis on September 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Travis's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to sit and walk comfortably without support. Travis's grandmother shares, “I look at how my daughter struggles to raise my grandson on her own. It is hard and this weighs on her every day. I hope her son will get better."

Nop is a caring grandmother from Cambodia. She has two sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren. Her husband unfortunately passed away, so she now lives with her eldest daughter, who is a farmer. Nop enjoys spending her free time going to the mosque. Two years ago, Nop developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience eye tearing and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Nop learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for five and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 18th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Nop says, "I hope my eye can see well enough that I can help my daughter do housework, take care of my grandchildren, and visit the mosque on my own."

Thu Ya is a 24-year-old man who moved to Mae Sot in April to live with his older sister and search for better job opportunities. Thu Ya’s sister works in an electronics factory, and his brother-in-law works as an agricultural day labourer. Thu Ya does not have regular work yet, but he is paid per task for completing miscellaneous jobs for the factory where his sister works. Their monthly income is just enough to cover their daily needs and pay for basic health care. Every month they send money to Thu Ya and his sister’s parents, who look after his sister’s daughter. Thu Ya 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. Currently, Thu Ya experiences shortness of breath when he walks longer distances or whenever he is active. He often experiences rapid breathing and feels tired. He cannot sleep well at night, and he has heart palpitations. He has a poor appetite, and he has not been able to help his sister much around the house since early September 2022. His sister is very worried about his condition. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Thu Ya. The treatment is scheduled to take place on November 22nd and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. His sister said, “I have a few sisters, but Thu Ya is my only brother. When I see him in this condition, I feel sad and worried about him. I hope that he will receive surgery and that he will get better soon."

Baraka is a teenager and the oldest in his family of four. He currently studies in class six. Bakara's mother practices small-scale farming of maize, sorghum, and millet to provide food for the family. Baraka and his mother both experience epilepsy, and Bakara had a seizure that led to an accident. He suffered severe burns to his right leg and is unable to straighten his leg at the knee due to the burn contractures. Bakara can only walk with the use of a walking stick. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Baraka receive treatment. On June 7th, surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him walk easily. AMH is requesting $874 to help fund this procedure. Baraka says, “I would be so happy if I can have a chance to walk normally.”

Vun is a 40-year-old construction worker who is married and has two daughters—a 13 year old and a 3 year old. Vun's wife works in a garment factory. In his free time, Vun enjoys listening to the radio, spending time with his daughters, and watching TV. In January, Vun was electrocuted in a workplace accident. His family took him to a hospital to have his wound dressed, and for a partial amputation of his left arm. These treatments cost the family $5,000. They shared with us that Vun had to leave the hospital when they ran out of money, even though he still needed additional care. After visiting a Khmer traditional healer, Vun sought treatment at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, where he underwent a partial amputation of his right arm. His right arm was also modified, to enable Vun to be able to use it in his daily activities. The wound on his right arm remains open, however, and a skin graft is required in order for it to heal properly. Children's Surgical Centre is seeking $487 to fund the skin graft procedure, which is scheduled for May 12th. Vun says: "I hope after surgery my wound will heal and I can gain back some function of my right arm."

Lhory, a 30-year-old woman from the Philippines, experienced severe right-side abdominal pain starting in January. She went to the closest hospital and was advised to undergo a whole abdominal ultrasound. The test showed that she has gallstones that need to be surgically removed. With her husband’s limited income as an Air Conditioner Technician, they’re unable to cover the cost of her treatment. Fortunately, she was able to reach out to our medical partner, the World Surgical Foundation Philippines. Lhory is now scheduled on May 3rd to undergo surgery to treat her condition. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,253 to cover the total cost of Lhory’s procedure and care. After her recovery, Lhory will no longer experience severe abdominal pain or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. “My current condition hinders me from doing my usual day-to-day chores. My condition makes it hard for me to bend, sit or lift objects," Lhory shared. "We don’t have the capacity to finance my surgery. So, I’d like to thank the World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi for helping me. I hope that after this surgery, I can fully take care of my family again,” says Lhory.

Samuel is a nine-year-old student who lives with his parents and three siblings in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince. He is currently in third grade and enjoys studying history and science. Samuel has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which is a combination of four different congenital heart defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Fortunately, Samuel is scheduled to travel to the United States where he will undergo cardiac surgery on September 14th at Akron Children's Hospital. During the procedure, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in his heart and remove the blockage from his valve. A portion of the cost of Samuel's treatment is being supported by Akron Children's Hospital. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is raising the remaining $1,500 to cover the costs of his surgery prep, which includes all labs, medication, check-up and follow-up appointments, and the passports needed for HCA’s social workers to accompany Samuel and his family overseas. Samuel's mother says, "I have been very worried about my son's health for many years. I am looking forward to being able to stop worrying so much after this surgery!"

Alejandro is a tech-savvy 11-year-old boy from western Bolivia who just finished fifth grade. He loves everything related to computers and video games. He lives with his parents, who are both schoolteachers, and his two younger brothers. Alejandro was born with a ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him feeling weak and short of breath. Fortunately, Alejandro is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 27th with the support of our long-standing medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance, which is now growing and expanding into Bolivia. Surgeons will close the hole with a patch, allowing blood to properly flow through his body and improving his quality of life. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $2,500 to pay for a portion of Alejandro's procedure costs. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to cover the remaining costs, which cover surgical expenses, cardiac exams, medications, and travel fees so Alejandro and his family can travel to receive his life-changing cardiac procedure in La Paz. Alejandro shares, "I am excited to be allowed to play soccer once I have recovered from my surgery!"

Bonface is a 72-year-old gentleman, living alone in a remote area of Kenya. While Bonface works as a laborer on local farms getting small jobs whenever he can, his wife works in Nairobi, and lives with their four children. A week ago, Bonface was assaulted, sustaining injuries to his head and to his left arm. After the assault, Bonface was able to alert his neighbors, who brought him to a local clinic. He received stitches for the wound on his head, and an X-ray of his arm was ordered. The X-ray revealed a fracture of the humerus bone, which will require surgery to heal. Currently, as a result of the fracture, Bonface is unable to use his arm, and is in pain. Bonface visited AIC Kijabe Hospital, where he was scheduled to undergo surgery on June 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund his medical procedure, which will repair the fracture, and enable Bonface to use his arm without pain. Bonface says, “I am old and weak. I strain to work because of my age. It is now worse since one hand is broken. I need this treatment to be able to use my hand again.”

Thay is a one-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, grandfather, three sisters and a brother in a village. Thay's mother looks after her and her brother at home, her grandfather is retired, and her sisters go to school. Thay's father works as a porter, but has has difficulty finding work for over a month. With the increasing number of internally displaced people settling in their village due to the humanitarian crisis, there are now many individuals competing for the same work. When Thay was around eight months old, her parents noticed that her head was increasing in size. As a result, Thay cannot yet sit up or crawl. She is only able to turn her head, and will cry if she cannot see her parents. Thay was recently diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which has causes fluid to build up in her brain. Without immediate surgery to alleviate the intracranial pressure, Thay 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 Thay, which will drain the fluid that has accumulated in her brain. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 20th and, once completed, will greatly improve Thay's quality of life as she grows up. Thay's father said, "I am thankful to every organisation and everyone for supporting my daughter’s treatment cost. Because of you, I believe that my daughter will receive surgery and be healthy and live a normal life after treatment."