Jessy is a manual laborer from Kenya. Jessy is a victim of the 1992 Molo tribal clashes that left him displaced and homeless. He lost all his property and together with other victims they relocated to Nairobi and settled in the poor area in Dandora. They parted ways with most of his relatives and he has been surviving on his own since then. He has been doing manual jobs to earn a living and provide for his basic needs. In the first week of February, while visiting a shopping centre in Dandora, Jessy was sustained a fracture during a hit-and-run motorcycle accident that abandoned him on the roadside. He received treatment but the fracture did not heal well, resulting in malunion. He is in pain and has difficulty walking Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 17, Jessy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him heal well and he will no longer be in pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,451 to fund this procedure. Jessy says, “I cannot afford surgery because I am weak, old and I rely a lot on my neighbors. I need help to raise the money for the surgery so that I may get back to my normal life."

Susan is married and blessed with five children, they all live together on their small-scale farm. She is entirely reliant on her farm produce for income. In her previous hospital admission, the family exhausted all of their savings and had to hold a funding drive to help pay for the bill. Early in June, as Suzan was walking down a staircase she fell and injured her right ankle. She was rushed to a dispensary where first aid was administered and she was referred to their district hospital where an x-ray was done and a cast was placed. She was admitted for two weeks without any review by the doctor. So, she requested a discharge and came to our facility because she is not able to walk and is still in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 3rd, Susan will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This is procedure will help her walk easily again and no longer be in pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. "I will be happy to be able to help my husband with farm work," Susan shared.

Gilbert is a calm and polite boy. He is the second born in a family of four children and hails from Dagoretti in Nairobi county. He is in 3rd grade at a primary school in Nairobi and aspires to be a pilot. Gilbert was brought to our hospital by his mother because he was experiencing pain and could not walk long distances. He has had this condition since he was three years old and it has significantly impacted his ability to go to school. Gilbert's mother shared that, “I sometimes carry him to school as his knees knock against each other which hinders his movement. But when I have money, I will pay for a motorbike to take him and his brother to school.” His mother works part-time cleaning houses, washing clothes, and performing other household work she may be given. Gibert's father is a street pastor and works as a street vendor. The family lives in a one-bedroom rental house in Nairobi and they shared with us that they feel life is hard because they do not have the resources to buy everything they need. Gilbert was able to already have his right leg treated which is now healed. He now needs support for the surgery on his left knee. With both knees healed, Gilbert will be able to walk comfortably and continue with his studies.

Samwel is a 14-month baby boy from Tanzania, the third born in a family of three children. He was born healthy but after one week his parents started noticing that his head was growing significantly. They took him to several hospitals where he was given medication but his condition was worsening. They were referred to another hospital in another city where Samwel was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and a VP Shunt was placed for him when he was three months old. He was discharged home doing well until a week ago when he started getting regular fevers. His mother noticed that there was a wound on his stomach and they could see the tube that was placed when he was three months old. Samwel’s father heard about treatment for children with hydrocephalus at Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center ALMC from our outreach team and when his son got sick he reached out for treatment and support. Samwel’s father is a subsistence farmer and his mother is a housewife. They do not earn enough to be able to afford Samwel’s needed treatment. Samwel 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, Samwel has been experiencing increased head circumference and frequent fevers. Without treatment, Samwel will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,362 to cover the cost of surgery for Samwel that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 13th and will drain the excess fluid from Samwel's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Samwel will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Samwel's father says, "I have been to several places for my son's treatment, right now I cannot afford this other surgery he needs. Please help him get this needed treatment."

Saitabau is a 4-month-old baby from Tanzania. He is the only child to his parents who depend on livestock keeping for their living and their income is very little to get them by. Saitabau 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, Saitabau has been experiencing an increasing head circumference and irritability. Without treatment, Saitabau will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,238 to cover the cost of surgery for Saitabau that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 2nd and will drain the excess fluid from Saitabau's brain and replace the previous insertion that is blocked. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Saitabau will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Saitabau’s mother says, “My son had gotten better but now he is sick again please help him get another surgery.”

Lay is a 45-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his family in a village in Karen State. His wife is a homemaker while his son and daughter-in-law work as a day laborers. He also used to work as a day laborer before he stopped two months ago due to his loss of vision in his left eye. He has blurred vision and sometimes he also feels dizzy. When the doctor checked his left eye, he was diagnosed with a cataract as well as glaucoma. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Lay. On March 17th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Lay's natural lens and replace with an intraocular lens implant in his eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Lay said, "Now I am happy that I will receive surgery with the help of donors. Thank you everyone for helping me and I pray for you all with all my heart. I know this surgery will return my vision and will be a great benefit for my family if it will allow me to go back to work.”

Joseph is a bodaboda taxi operator from Kenya. Joseph relies on his motorcycle to make a living. To supplement their limited income, his wife sells charcoal in a small makeshift kiosk. As a father of one, he is worried of not being able to meet his family’s needs. Joseph was involved in a road accident on 31st January 2020 in his hometown, few kilometers from Watsi Medical Partner Kijabe Hospital. The accident left him with multiple fractures on his face and lacerations. He cannot eat and is in constant pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 6th, Joseph will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. He will be able to chew his food again and no longer suffer pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,451 to fund this procedure. Joseph says, “My hope is to recover quickly and resume my fatherly duties of provision.”

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."

Ma Ni is a 30-year-old woman from Burma. In her free time, she likes to pray to Buddha. She and her husband work as government officers. Together they earn 414,000 kyat (approx. $414 USD) per month, which is not enough for any safety net after they pay their bills for utilities and other household expenses. One day in July 2019, Ma Ni stood up from her desk at work and had pain in her hip joints. She had to push her hand against her hips to help her walk. She did not think there was anything seriously wrong so she did not seek medical attention. However, two weeks after this incident, when she was going to work, she slipped and fell in front of her house. Right away her hips started to hurt and two weeks later, the pain gradually became severe. Her condition worsened day by day, although she visited several hospitals and had taken medications. Currently, Ma Ni has a lot of pain in her hips. She cannot walk for more than two minutes or the pain becomes unbearable. She does not feel comfortable when she lays down and has problems sleeping from the pain. She also needs help going to the bathroom and taking a shower. Fortunately, Ma Ni learned about Watsi's medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). At BCMF's care center, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Ma Ni of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for December 17th, and Ma Ni needs help raising $1,500 to pay for this procedure. Ma Ni said, "I had to send my son to my mother’s place in Mawlamyine and my husband also had to ask for leave. [When fully recovered] I want to take back my son from my mother and send him to school. I will support him in whatever he wants to become when he grows up.”

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!"

Mee is a 53-years-old woman who lives with her husband and two daughters who are studying in grade nine and six at a local high school. Mee’s husband is a carpenter and she is a homemaker. Their income is not enough to cover their expenses. About ten years ago, Mee had joint pain and swollen knees. She went to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) where she received blood test and vital signs. The results showed Mee has hypertension as well as arthritis. She also found out that she has a goiter related problem. She received one month worth of medication for all three conditions. Since then, Mee went back to MTC every month for follow-up appointment and to received medication. After three years of taking medication, Mee was told that she does not need to take medication for goiter anymore. Up until now, Mee has been going back to the same clinic for regular medication for her goiter. Meanwhile, Mee feels like her goiter has grown bigger. One day, she happened to meet a health worker in her village who told her to go and seek treatment at MTC. So Mee, along with her friend, went to MTC. From there, she was told to go to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. Mee then went to MSH the following day and she received blood tests and an ultrasound. With the results, the doctor confirmed Mee has a goiter. He said Mee needs to undergo surgery because oral medication or injection would not decrease the size of her goiter. Currently, Mee cannot sleep well but she can eat well. Sometimes, when she carries heavy things, she feels pain in her neck.

Mbondo is a nursery school pupil and likes reading and drawing. He also likes playing with other children and sometimes he says that his friends imitate him as he walks. Mbondo hails from Tulimani village in Makueni County. He is an orphan and lives with his grandparents. His mother passed 3 years ago as a result of an accident along Makutano junction Machakos road while his father passed 2 years later after a long illness. Mbondo was born with a condition known as knock knees, the grandmother did not notice the condition at an early stage until recently when he noticed the knees knocking each other and he was limping as he walks. Mbondo's grandparents who are taking care of him are farmers and mostly depend on their children for daily bread cannot afford to pay even a quarter of the estimated bill and thus requested for support.