Paulo is a 5-year-old boy boy and the third born in a family of five siblings. He is yet to start formal schooling and his father has been taking him out with him grazing their cattle. His parents are livestock keepers from a pastoralist community. Paulo was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, or knock knees. His parents noted that he would complain of fatigue after walking for a shorter distance. They also started noting changes in how his legs looked, as they started bowing inward so his knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Paulo is not able to sustain lengthy walks. His relative referred them to a local dispensary providing health services, where a team from Watsi's medical partner's care center was conducting outreach. Paulo was reviewed and had surgery recommended to heal his condition. However, his family is not able to raise the cost of surgery required and thus appeals for help. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Paulo. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 10th. Treatment will hopefully restore Paulo's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Paulo’s father shared, "Please help my son; his legs are really bad and we cannot afford the treatment cost. Thank you for your support."

Jeremiah is a 26-year-old construction worker and a married father a two-year-old. His wife works at a local tea plantation, while he works at a construction site. On May 8th, Jeremiah was involved in a traffic accident on the highway. He had visited a local market and was on a motorbike on his way home. As they were turning a corner, they collided head-on with a car. He suffered fractures in his tibia and femur. He is not able to stand or walk without support, and he is in severe pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On May 13th, Jeremiah will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again. Now, AMH is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Jeremiah shared, “the accident was sudden and caught me off guard. I do not have enough savings considering we almost live from hand to mouth. This surgery is important to me to walk again.”

Sumeya is a baby girl from Ethiopia who loves music. She also loves sweets and playing with her mom. She is her parents' first child, and her mom is a housewife while her dad is a teacher in a mosque. They all live together in his parents’ house, who help support them with their basic needs. Sumeya was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Sumeya is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on April 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Sumeya's procedure and care. After her recovery, Sumeya will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing serious health complications in the future. Her mom said “ It is my hope that my baby will heal and get in to school.”

Htoo is a five-year-old boy from who lives with his parents and four siblings in a refugee camp in Thailand. His mother is a homemaker and his father used to work as a day laborer in a nearby Thai village, but has been unable to leave the camp for work since COVID-19 broke out in Thailand. Htoo will start Kindergarten this year. Their family's monthly stipend is not enough to cover their daily needs. Recently, Htoo climbed a guava tree to pick some fruit. He slipped, fell, and landed on his left arm. Htoo injured his elbow in the fall and his father immediately rushed him to the camp hospital run by Malteser International (MI). After receiving first aid, the medic referred him to another hospital, where he was diagnosed with a broken elbow and referred for treatment. Knowing that Htoo needed surgery, MI staff referred him to our Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund for financial assistance to access surgery. Currently, Htoo is in pain and cannot bend his left arm. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Htoo will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for March 12th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Htoo regain use of his left arm so that he can complete daily tasks. Htoo's father is hopeful he'll be feeling well soon. He shared that right now, "Htoo does not want to go to school or study. He loves to play football."

Uzima is a two-year-old boy from Tanzania and the second born in a family of three children. Uzima comes from a family that is living in hardship. His father has had health issues and is not strong enough to work on a farm, but he takes cattle out to graze, and through this, he is able to get milk or a bit of maize as payment. Uzima's mother works on farms to support her family. Uzima 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, Uzima traveled to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 16th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Uzima's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and wear shoes well. Uzima’s uncle shared, “my nephew suffers from this condition, and life is hard at their home. His parents have no means of treating him and I am afraid life is going to be really hard for him if he lives with this disability. Please help treat him so that he is able to grow up and take care of himself.”

Sanchez is a 3-year-old boy from Haiti. He is an only child who lives with his mother and father in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He likes drawing pictures and playing with toy cars. Sanchez has a heart condition called ventricular septal defect, which means that there is a hole between the two lower chambers of his heart. He will fly to the United States to receive life-saving treatment. On February 17th, Sanchez will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will close the hole in his heart by sewing a patch over it. Another organization, HeartGift Foundation, is contributing $17,000 to pay for the surgery. Sanchez's family also needs help funding the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social worker from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Sanchez's family overseas. Sanchez's mother shared, "our family has been praying for years that our child would be able to have this surgery. We are nervous but very glad it is happening!"

Choeurk is a 64-year-old farmer, proudly married for 42 years and has six children, two sons and four daughters. Four of his children are now married, and he has 4 grandchildren. Choeurk lives with his wife, who is also a farmer. During his free time, he likes to exercise in the morning, care for his grandchildren, listen to the radio news, clean the house, and visit the pagoda. Two years ago, Choeurk was in a motor vehicle accident that caused trauma to his right hip and knee. After the accident, he went to a provincial hospital, where they gave him medications to ease the pain, but his condition did not improve. When he arrived at Watsi's Medical Partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he had a painful right hip and right knee and he was unable to walk. Doctors diagnosed him with avascular necrosis in his hip and recommend a total hip replacement on his right hip and a possible knee fusion procedure as well. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Choeurk of his pain and allow him to walk easily again. Treatment is scheduled for January 7th, and Choeurk needs help raising $1,087 to pay for this procedure. Choeurk shared, "I hope that after this surgery, my right hip will be free of pain, and I will be able to walk and work again."

Kevin is a very playful 5-year-old from Kiambu County, Kenya. He is the only child to his mother, and was born when she was 17 years old so they decided to give him his grandmother's surname. His mother has been able to find casual jobs like working in neighbors farms and washing clothes. They also depend on Kevins’ grandmother who is a small scale farmer. Last week, while playing, Kevin slipped and fell. He sustained a closed fracture of his left hand (radius and ulna) and is unable to move his hand. He was brought to the hospital and the doctor advised he needs an ORIF procedure to correct the fractures. Kevin’s mother and grandmother could not raise the fee required and need help. If not treated Kevins’ hand may heal with a deformity or may have delayed healing or malunion. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On December 17th, Kevin will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This surgery will help him move his hand easily, reduce the pain and be free from future complications. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. “My child had just started school and I had high hopes of seeing him grow up like other children. I kindly ask for help so that he can be well again and continue to play as he enjoys. We are desperate and can’t get the money required,” said Kevin’s mother.

Alice is a 47-year-old woman from Kenya. Sheis a single mother of 2 children, and her children live with their grandmother in their home village. Alice was an active and healthy woman who was able to use her legs normally. However, in early November 2017, she was involved in a road traffic accident that rendered her immobile. Alice was rushed to the hospital to undergo treatment and surgery. Although she was discharged, her troubles with the leg continued, and she developed more pain and complications. After returning to the same facility for treatment and not showing signs of improvement, Alice visited Kijabe Hospital. There, she has since undergone several other surgeries, including post-open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) repair and debridement after the skin overlying the fracture site was compromised and infected. Alice's doctors have scheduled her for a sequestrectomy procedure and IM nail removal on November 12th. The sequestrectomy will remove any fragment of dead bone or other tissue that has separated from healthy tissue in her wound. Ultimately, they aim to prevent further infection of the hardware in her leg. Alice is currently ambulating in crutches and, if not treated, she might not be able to walk or properly use her leg in the future. Unfortunately, this procedure is costly for Alice and her family. Alice owns a small green grocery in Mukaa Town where she sells vegetables and tomatoes. Her total monthly profit is barely able to cover her basic needs, rent, and kids' needs; let alone pay for her necessary surgeries. She has depended on the National Hospital Insurance Fund and support from friends to help cover her several medical and surgical trips to different facilities. Alice is appealing for financial help so she can get the care she needs. Alice shared, "My problems never seem to come to an end after the accident. I have been through a lot of surgeries, and I still need more to be able to walk again. Thank you for your support."

Johnelson is a young boy from Kenya. His mother brought him and his sister to Nandi County, Kenya, to live with his grandmother while she looked for work. In August 2020, while at home playing with other children in the kitchen area, Johnelson accidentally fell in the three stone firewood cooking stove where his grandmother had just removed boiling water and left the fire to cool. Having fallen with the back of his head first in the fire, Johnelson was unable to pull himself out. Hearing Johnelson's playmates' cries, his grandmother rushed back from helping a local medical practitioner who was attending Johnelson’s sick grandfather. Johnelson suffered severe scalp burns. Though she was advised to take him to the hospital, his grandmother was not able to raise the funds required to take him to the hospital for care. One month later, after talking to friends and some relatives, she took him to a nearby facility. She had not yet informed Johnelson's mother, fearing she would be angry. Upon arrival, Johnelson was admitted for a few days for washing and dressing to reduce the risk of infection as the wounds were in a bad state. A few weeks later, during the burial of his grandfather, Johnelson’s mother and other relatives learnt about his worsened condition. His mother brought him to Watsi's Medical Partner's Care Center Kijabe Hospital, where the doctor examined him and recommended a debridement and skin grafting surgery to be performed on the back of his head. Without treatment, he will remain in constant pain and his wounds may become infected. Johnelson's surgery is a large financial burden for his family and they are unable to personally raise the amount needed to fund the procedure. His mother mostly does laundry for people. When she can’t find work, she does any other work she comes across to support her mother and her two children. Johnelson’s grandmother is a farmer and relies on the produce she gets from the farm and from Johnelson’s mother. They are appealing for financial help. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Johnelson receive treatment. On October 19th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure on his scalp. This will help limit the risk of wound infection. Now, Johnelson needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Johnelson’s mother says, “Having to take care of my son in this condition, it really pains me to know that I cannot do anything for him to get the required treatment. Any financial help will be very much appreciated.”

In 2018, Dickens’ mother gave birth to him on her way to the hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, they were reviewed then discharged home on the same day. But, the next day Dickens’ mother noticed that his stomach had started to swell. She rushed him to the nearby facility and Dickens was diagnosed with anorectal malformation. They were then referred to another facility in Kisumu where a colostomy was put. When it was time for Dickens' second surgery, his mother took him to the same facility where the first surgery was done, but nothing was done. Dickens’ mother kept on visiting the facility to seek treatment for her son, and still nothing was done. She shared that a few months down the line, a friend learnt about Dickens' condition and he advised them to come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Bethany Kids Hospital. Upon arrival, Dickens was examined and emergency surgery was scheduled for the next day. Just before Dickens was born, his father passed away. Both of his parents were casual laborers and would do any work that they came across to provide for their family of five. After his birth, his mother has not been able to look for work and relies on her parents-in-law. She now has to stay at home and take care of Dickens because of his medical condition. Dickens’ grandfather is a farmer and mostly sells his produce to earn a living. With Dickens surgery planned, the family is not able to raise any money to cater for the cost and his mother is appealing for financial help. Dickens’ mother shared, “It really hurts whenever I see my son crying out because of the pain he experiences.”

Nget is a 32-year-old cleaner from Cambodia. He and his wife have two young sons, both in elementary school. His wife is a cook. He enjoys listening to news on the radio, watching sports on TV, and playing soccer with his sons. In November 2019, Nget accidentally fell, causing trauma to his right knee. After the accident he went to a clinic, but they only provided him with pain relievers. His injury has worsened over time, and he now experiences severe pain in his right knee, and cannot walk without support. When Nget learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On August 12th, surgeons at CSC will perform a joint arthrodesis procedure to fuse his right knee and and alleviate his pain, allowing him to walk easily. Now, Nget needs help to fund this $518 procedure. Nget said, "I hope that I can recover quickly so I can walk again with no pain or support."