Nibleti is an 8-month-old baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of two. Nibleti’s parents are small-scale farmers who depend entirely on what they harvest from their land. Nibleti has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Nibleti has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Nibleti will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $802 to cover the cost of surgery for Nibleti that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 15th and will drain the excess fluid from Nibleti's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Nibleti will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Nibleti's mother says, "Please help us so that our son is able to get this surgery, he is suffering and we are unable to afford the cost."

Harrison is an elderly man from the Rift Valley in Kenya. For the last two years, his hearing has gradually deteriorated, making him struggle with communication. He had been to a different hospital previously and was given hearing drops. However, his hearing did not improve and he has now sought treatment at Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Kijabe Hospital. The audiologist recommended hearing aids for him which would improve his hearing and communication ability. Harrison is a father of 12, who have all made their own families too. His eldest son supports him and his wife from time to time. Harrison used to work in his farm but no longer does due to his older age. Because of ongoing flooding in his area, Harrison and his neighbors have been evicted from their houses as a nearby lake continues to swell. They did not get any compensation and his children are now paying for his single-roomed rental space. He is not able to meet the entire cost of hearing aids and appeals for help. Harrison shared, “I will be delighted to hear with better clarity than I am currently.”

In is a 66-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one son, three daughters, and seven grandchildren. She enjoys looking after her family and cooking for them. Two months ago, In fell off of her bicycle and fractured her hip on the right side. She finds it difficult to walk, and painful to sit and sleep. Fortunately, In learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve In of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for February 20th, and In needs help raising $1,087 to pay for this procedure. "I hope that my mother will feel better and she will be able to go places and do things independently again. I am so glad that she is getting surgery and we will not have to worry about spending anymore money for her treatment. We are so grateful." -Chanthea, In's Daughter

Grace is a 3-year-old from Tanzania, and the first born child in a family of two with a single mother. Grace and her sibling are being raised by their grandmother after their mother asked their grandmother to help her look after the children so that she can be able to find a job and be able to support the children. Ever since she left Grace and her sibling, she rarely visits the children and sends money once in awhile. Her grandmother has no source of income other than small-scale farming. Grace's grandfather has been bed ridden for almost a year now. Grace was diagnosed with windswept deformity, which causes her legs to be curved. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has a difficult time walking and playing with her sibling. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $838 to fund corrective surgery for Grace. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 10th. Treatment will hopefully restore Grace's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Grace’s grandmother says, “My granddaughter’s legs are getting worse as days go by but I don’t have the money to seek her treatment. Please help her.”

Seng Hour is a 21-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She enjoys watching television, cooking for her family, and taking care of her daughter. In 2017, Seng Hour stepped near an open flame and burned her right foot and ankle. The burn has caused the skin around her ankle to tighten. She is unable to walk without support, and has difficulty fitting her shoe on her foot and bending her ankle. When Seng Hour learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for six hours seeking treatment. Surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to walk and move her foot and ankle easily again. Now, she needs help to fund this $448 procedure. Seng Hour said, "I hope that I will no longer have any pain in my foot and I can walk without any difficulty again."

Roth has a two-year-old son, and enjoys reading books and taking care of his family and household in his free time. Since Roth was born, he had a curvature in his spine, making it difficult for him to walk and sleep comfortably. He was diagnosed with scoliosis and the curvature of his spine is nearly 80 degrees. Roth will undergo spinal surgery, where implants will be inserted along his spine to help correct the deformity and prevent the curve from developing in the future. He shared, "I hope that I will be able to recover from my surgery and ... I will be able to walk again without any difficulty."

Shwe Win is a 39-year-old man who lives with wife, two daughters, and two sons in Yangon, Burma. Shwe Win used to work as a civil engineer but is currently unemployed. His wife is a teacher and all of his children go to school. Their monthly household income is enough to pay for their expenses and basic health care, but they have to use their savings to pay for all the children’s school fees. In the beginning of 2018, Shwe Win developed severe pain in his waist and back. He went to a local hospital to see a doctor, who ordered an ultrasound, x-rays, a blood test and a urine test. After checking his results, the doctor told him that he has a stone in his left kidney. He was given an injection, and the doctor told him that he would need to be admitted at a hospital to have the stone broken up surgically. Afterwards, Shwe Win would be in pain anytime he lifted anything heavy or sat for longer than 30 minutes. Whenever the pain became unbearable, he would take painkillers. In June 2019, he decided to join a rehabilitation program run by Christian Youth. When he finished the program, he developed severe pain again. This time, neither the painkillers nor the injection worked. He was referred again to the hospital. There he was admitted for five days because he was in so much pain that he vomited and had difficulty breathing. While admitted, he received an ultrasound and was told that he now had stones in both of his kidneys. He would need to have treatment to break up the stones. "I feel thankful that I was able to meet Burma Children Medical Fund. If I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have pursued treatment because I don’t want to be a burden on my siblings nor my wife anymore,” shared Shwe Win.

Clifterson was born with a heart condition called double outlet right ventricle, in which the aorta connects to the heart in a different place than it normally does. This prevents the heart from pumping oxygen-rich blood to his body, leaving him sick and short of breath. If untreated, it would be fatal. Clifterson lives in a rural area of southwest Haiti with his mother who is a farmer. Clifferson's mother says, "I am so happy to know that there is a chance for my child to become healthy!"

Kakada is sixteen years old and enjoys reading books, playing soccer, and listening to music. Since the age of five, Kakada started showing signs of a curve in his spine. Over time, the curve has worsened, and now the spine deformity causes difficulty breathing, sleeping, walking, and an overall uncomfortable life. Surgery will help to straighten out and realign his spine, allowing him to breath without difficulty and create a less straining posture while he walks, eliminating discomfort. Kakada's favorite subject in school is Khmer literature, and he hopes to become a doctor when he grows up. "I hope that after surgery, I will not have to worry about my son's spine getting any worse and I will be happy that he can return to his normal activities again." -Kakada's Mother

Khin is a 58-year-old Chin woman from Burma. She moved to Yangon one year ago when her health deteriorated. She lives with her sister, daughter and two grandnephews. In her free time she likes to read the Bible and pray to God. Sometimes she helps with household chores such as ironing her daughter and grandnephews cloths. Khin 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, Khin feels tired, experiences heart palpitations and cannot walk long distances. However, she feels slightly better when she takes her medication. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Khin. The treatment is scheduled to take place on September 10 and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Khin said, “I don’t want to feel stressed and I stay happy even though I don’t have enough money to treat myself. I am happy that my family encourages me to be strong even though they can’t help me. When I recover fully I want to help and look after orphaned children from Chin."

Geoffrey is a motorcycle driver from Kenya. He is married and has three children. In April, he slipped on his motorcycle and sustained a fracture of the tibia and fibula of his right leg. He is not able to walk without support. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 19, Geoffrey will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and be able to go back to work. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $998 to fund this procedure. He says, “I am only praying God to touch Watsi team to support me. I hope to be well soon to go back and work to support my family that fully depends on me."

Ngwe is a 72-year-old retired widow from Burma. She lives with her daughter, her son-in-law, and her two grandsons. Ngwe has an abdominal mass that causes her discomfort. Ngwe sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on July 5. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care.