Leshan is a handsome six-year-old boy from Kenya. In April this year, Leshan began suffering persistent headaches. A visit to a local hospital had him diagnosed with malaria and pneumonia. Leshan received treatment for two months, but his condition worsened. Leshan, who was always the best in his class, could not keep up, and his performance drastically dropped. Eventually, his vision became blurred and his lower limbs weak. These symptoms forced Leshan to quit school early July 2016. His parents took him to a different hospital where a scan revealed that Leshan has excess fluid on his head and a tumor known as medulloblastoma. Urgent specialized treatment would be required, and Leshan was referred to Bethany Kids Hospital, a Watsi partner. Leshan's parents cannot afford the treatment he needs to remove the tumor. Leshan's father is a pastoralist while his mother is is a stay at home mom. The family lives in a traditional house in Rift Valley Kenya. Leshan is the twenty-second born in a family of twenty-seven children and the last born to his mother who has nine children. If not treated, Leshan faces the risk of increased intracranial pressure, which is likely to cause brain damage or even death. "Leshan is such a bright boy and we would like to see him back to school," his father shared. "He has a bright future ahead of him and that is what we wish for him."

10-month-old Bayron lives with his older brother and his parents in a rented one-room house made of tin in Guatemala. Bayron loves to play ball with his older siblings. His father works as a day laborer, harvesting corn, beans, and squash for a neighbor’s plantation. His mother works at home, taking care of her Bayron and his siblings, cooking, and cleaning. Although both his parents work hard, they cannot afford to give him even one piece of fruit, egg, or vegetable per day. Bayron has not been growing well, has little appetite, and is getting sick often. This is because he has a poor diet, which is lacking in protein, calories, and nutrients. His immune system is weak, and he has been getting sick frequently--in the past two weeks alone he has had a cough, and a fever, conditions that are dangerous for a child suffering from acute malnutrition. In left untreated, malnutrition could have a devastating effect on his mental development and result in a greater risk of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension as an adult. Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Bayron recover from malnutrition--saving his life now and putting him on track to live a better life in the future. His parents will receive support to give Bayron the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with their limited resources. Intervention now will prevent the future consequences of malnutrition. Treatment will give Bayron the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place. Bayron's parents share, "We hope that he can study so he can have a good future."