Nita is a 31-year-old seller of Khmer beverages. She has a 6-year-old daughter. Her husband works for a company in the capital city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. When not caring for her family, she likes to exercise, read books, and listen to music. A year ago, a mass started growing on Nita's right mandible, which she originally thought was a wisdom tooth. She visited a local hospital for a biopsy, and she was diagnosed with a low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. She experiences pain and discomfort. She is scared she will be permanently disfigured or might die. When Nita learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On December 6th, surgeons at CSC will perform a mandibulectomy and extensive facial reconstruction to to rid her body of the tumour and avoid permanent disfigurement. Now, she needs help to fund this $657 procedure. She is hopeful that the tumor will be removed and she will quickly heal.

Lisa is a three-year-old girl and the last-born in a family of three children. Lisa’s mother is currently staying at her parent’s home after her husband left her and their three children. She couldn’t pay rent and feeding her children was a big challenge thus she decided to seek help and support from her parents. Lisa was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, where her legs bow outwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Lisa walks with an unusual gait and has pain when walking due to her legs curving outwards. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Lisa. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 9th. Treatment will hopefully restore Lisa's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Lisa’s mother says “I have watched her legs worsen day by day but there was nothing I could do due to my financial problems. Please help.”

Yee is a 48-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband, her daughter and a granddaughter in northern Tak Province. Yee's husband works in a rose farm and she is a homemaker as well as a caretaker of her granddaughter at home. Their family income is enough for their daily expenses and they are able to pay for basic healthcare but not for major treatment like Yee now needs. Currently, Yee feels that the right side of her head is achy and she experiences on-and-off pain around her right eye. When Yee feels the pain, she takes a pain medication, but she is worried because she cannot see anything with her right eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Yee. On October 12th, doctors will perform a lens replacement surgery, during which they will remove Yee's natural lenses and replace them with intraocular lens implants. After recovery, Yee will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. “When I recover from surgery, I want to raise chickens and pigs for my family to eat and sell some too. I will also be able to plant vegetables for my family to eat and sell some of those,” said Yee.

Eh Eh is a 24-year-old woman who lives with husband, daughter, sister and parents in a refugee camp in northern Thailand. She got married three years ago and her husband works at the pharmacy in the refugee camp. He is able to earn 900 baht (approx. $30 USD) per month to support their livelihoods. Her parents are retired, and her sister is in school in grade 11. Eh Eh works for the Camp Information Team and earns 1,000 baht (approx. $30.33 USD) per month. Their household also receives 1,662 baht ($55.40 USD) per month on a cash card from an organisation called The Border Consortium. Eh Eh became pregnant soon after her wedding in 2018. When she went into labour, she was unable to give birth due to her daughter being too big to fit through her pelvis. Malteser International (MI) staff, who run the hospital in the refugee camp, rushed her to Mae Sariang Hospital, where the surgeon performed an emergency C-section to deliver Eh Eh's daughter. On 28 December 2020, Eh Eh found out she was pregnant again. Due to her previous complications during labour, MI staff referred her to Mae Sariang Hospital for further care while she wis in her 39th week. Knowing that she will need to undergo another C-section, and that she cannot afford to pay for it, Eh Eh was referred to our medical partner, the Burma Children Medical Fund for assistance accessing the treatment she needs for a safe delivery for her and her new baby. Currently, although Eh Eh feels fine physically, she has mixed emotions about the surgery. She is worried and scared about undergoing the operation but she is excited to meet her baby. She shared: “I can cope with the worry because I have experienced this before, and because my husband will take care of me,” she said. “I just really hope that my operation will go well, and that baby will be safe."

Bo is a 16-year-old student. He's in eighth grade and lives in the school dormitory in the Tak Province during the school year. His parents and his siblings live on the Thai-Burma border. His brother and his mother are day labourers while his father is retired. During his free time, he likes to play the guitar, cook, and garden. In May 2021, Bo began to experience pain in the top of his left arm, close to his shoulder. In June 2021, the top of his left arm began to swell until it spread towards his shoulder. The swelling is now very large, encompassing his left shoulder and upper arm. Bo is in a lot of pain and cannot use his left arm. He cannot lift it, nor carry anything due to the pain and the swelling. Bo sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. Bo is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on August 18th. He is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. "I want to become a policeman one day but I do not know if this will be possible," said Bo.

Thunchey is am 11th grade student and the youngest of five children in his family. At school, Thunchey's favorite subject is mathematics. Outside of school, he loves to play football and wants to start a Youtube channel to share about life in Cambodia. One year ago, Thunchey had a severe ear infection, causing his eardrums in both ears to perforate. Thunchey experiences pain, pus discharge, and hearing loss. He cannot communicate clearly with others and often has to miss school. Thunchey traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 13th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in both ears so that the surgeons can repair his eardrums. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is requesting $913 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Thunchey is eager to recover, "I hope that I can hear well after this surgery and understand my friends better. I can become a better friend and soccer player."

Destiny is a two-year-old boy who likes playing and eating sweets 🍭. His mother works in a hair salon and rents a one-bedroom house for the two of them to live in. When Destiny was three months old, his mother noticed a swelling in a sensitive area. They visited a government hospital and he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. He had surgery in December 2019 to repair the hernia, but a month after the surgery, unfortunately, the hernia recurred on the other side. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is now helping Destiny to receive treatment. On June 9th, Destiny will undergo hernia repair surgery at AMH's care center. Now, he needs help to fund this $575 procedure. Destiny’s mother shared that she believes the surgery will significantly improve Destiny's life and that the pain and discomfort will go away. She shared that she believes Destiny will be able to lead a normal life without episodes of pain and will be able to concentrate in school and have a bright future.

Makara is a 32-year-old optometrist, however his office has been closed recently due to a pandemic lockdown in his city. He is married and has one three-year-old son. Makara's wife works in a garment factory. Now, he is staying at home at taking care of his son. One year ago, Makara developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and sensitivity to light. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. Makara needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $216, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for May 4th. Makara shared, "thank you for helping me have this surgery. I hope I can be well again and return to work once lockdown ends."

Simon is a ten-year-old boy and is the fifth of seven children. Simon and his siblings are being raised by their widowed mother. Though they do not have a farm, Simon's mother has received some support from their village church and has been able to start a small business of selling sugar, tea leaves, salt, and little snacks like doughnuts to be able to support and provide for her children. Recently, Simon was diagnosed with a bone condition called right valgus. During year seven at school, he fell ill from a bacterial infection and was bedridden for a long time. His mother tried to use traditional herbal medication which didn't help with the condition. Simon's infection continued to get worse, and as his mother began to worry he might die, the church helped to pay for medical treatment so he could recover fully. When he was strong enough to get out of bed and walk, his mother noticed his leg was not straight, but she thought it was because of the long period he had been in bed not walking. Over time, his leg has worsened, making walking difficult for him. As a result, Simon is unable to get around or attend to his normal daily activities with ease. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Simon. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 20th. Treatment will hopefully restore Simon's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Simon’s mother asks, "Please help my son."

Thavy is a 62-year-old woman with a son, a daughter, and three grandchildren. Thavy enjoys listening to the radio, reading dharma, visiting the pagoda, and taking care of her grandchildren. In May 2019, Thavy fell and fractured her left elbow. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand, and injuries to this network can result in loss of function and sensation. She was taken to a clinic where the fracture was healed but she still experiences numbness, pain, muscle atrophy, and lack of mobility of her left hand. Surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will perform a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, she will able to freely use her left arm and hand again. Thavy shared, "I hope I can start to use my left hand again without numbness or pain."

Daw Mya is a 59-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her daughter, granddaughter, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson in Yangon, Burma. Daw Mya is currently too ill to work, but her daughter works as a seamstress in a factory. Her granddaughter goes to school, her son is a taxi driver, her daughter-in-law looks after their son at home. Her daughter and her son both help look after Daw Mya and try to support her as best they can. Daw Mya 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, Daw Mya feels tired and experiences heart palpitations with chest pain. She has no appetite and cannot sleep well at night, and both of her legs are swollen. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Daw Mya. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 21st and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Daw Mya said, “I want to get better soon so that I can help my family. I want to help them because my daughter-in-law is always looking after me and her child [my grandson], so she cannot work. If I can look after the household chores and take care of the family, they can go to work and earn more income for our family. I cannot go anywhere because of my condition. They always take care of me and they spend too much of their money on me.”

Jue is a 25-year-old woman who lives with her family in a village in Hmawbi Township, Yangon Division, Burma. Her parents are housekeepers, and her youngest brother is a first-year university student who has been seeking work. Jue used to run a beauty salon, but had to stop working four months ago when her health deteriorated. In her free time, Jue likes to watch the news and videos relating to her work at the beauty salon. She also likes to read books and wants to write a book of her own someday. In August 2020, Jue felt pains in her stomach and chest. She would also experience difficulty breathing sometimes, and she would feel tired when she walked for a longer period of time. Jue went to the clinic in her village, where she received oral medication, but she did not feel better after taking it. She returned to the clinic several times over the course of two months, but her condition continued to worsen – the chest pain, difficulty breathing and feeling of fatigue happened more often. Jue decided to go to another clinic in North Okkala Township in Yangon in November 2020. At the clinic, the doctor listened to her heart with a stethoscope, and informed her that she has a congenital heart condition. The doctor recommended she receive a blood test, an echocardiogram (echo) and an electrocardiogram (ecg) at a hospital. After visiting a hospital to receive those tests, the doctor there told her that she was born with a hole in her heart and that she might need to receive surgery at the general hospital. However, the cost of surgery was too high. Luckily, Jue crossed paths with another former patient and was referred to Watsi's Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) to seek assistance with accessing treatment. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 24th, U Win will undergo an atrial septal defect closure procedure. Once recovered, her quality of life will significantly improve and she will be able to return to working at her beauty salon. Now, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Jue shared, “I want to get better as quickly as possible and go back to work. I’m worried about my younger brother. He doesn’t have a job, and he needs to graduate from university. I’m also worried about Covid-19 because nobody has a job right now.”