Ree is a 44-year-old man who lives with his wife, two sons, and his daughter in Mae Ra Ma Laung Refugee Camp in Thailand. Ree and his family used to live in a village in Hpa-pun Township in Karen State, Burma. However, due to conflict between armed groups in his area, they fled to the refugee camp in 2006. Every month Ree’s family receives 1,244 baht (approx. 42 USD) from The Border Consortium (TBC), an organization that provides support to refugees in camps. He also works as a caregiver for the elderly in the camp, for the organization Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees. He earns 1,100 baht (approx. 37 USD) each month for this. All of his children go to school in the camp while his wife works as a cook at one of the schools. On March 14, 2020, Ree slipped and fell on his right forearm while he was carrying a heavy load. When he got up, he was not able to move his right hand and he thought he had broken his forearm. Ree did not seek help at the camp’s medical centre and instead wrapped traditional herbal medicine onto his right forearm. As time passed, Ree could still not use his right arm and the pain in his arm did not go away. Eventually, on May 10th, he went to the camp’s hospital, run by Malteser International Thailand (MI). At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a fractured right forearm that had not healed properly. He was referred to the local Mae Sariang Hospital and received an x-ray on May 12th. The result indicated that he had fractured one of the two bones in his forearm. The doctor at the hospital then referred Ree to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH) for further management and treatment. The following day, MI staff brought Ree to CMH. Once he met with the doctor, the doctor told him that he will need to receive surgery for his arm to heal properly. Currently, Ree is still in pain and his right arm is sore and not in use. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Ree will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for May 21st and will cost $1,500. His arm will no longer be in pain and he hopes he will be able to go back to his old job helping the elderly in the refugee camp. While smiling he said, “I have been struggling to do tasks for the past month without using my right hand which is hard as I am right handed. I cannot wait to use my right arm again!”

Suliman is an 11-month baby who needs surgery in Ethiopia. His family came from the Gambia in August 2019 in need of medical care. His mom gave birth to Suliman when she was 20 years old. She dropped out of school when she was in Grade 8 because her mom couldn’t afford to send her to school anymore. Suliman has multiple birth defects including cleft lip, club foot, tongue-tie, fused finger, and bilateral undescended testicles. His mom tried to get her baby treated in the Gambia but the hospitals referred them to another country that can better provide the surgery. Since the family could not afford to get the child the surgery they communicated to different organizations and were able to come to Ethiopia. Suliman has now finished all his surgeries except undescended testicles and fused fingers. Suliman was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Suliman has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Suliman will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on May 5th. AMHF is requesting $1,021 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. "I see good hope for him once he finishes his last operation. Because he will be free of all the potential deformities and disabilities and he can live like a normal person. He can live as healthy as others free from the risk of other future complications. And I believe he will go to school and help himself well," Suliman's mom says.

Jonah is a jovial and high-spirited student from Kenya. He is the 7th born in a family of 8 children. He is in class 2 at Mwiteria vision academy under a sponsorship of a well-wisher. The family hails from Iteria village in Meru County. His single mother used to be a farmer, but she currently stays at home. She recently underwent an amputation on her leg after suffering from diabetes. Jonah has clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Jonah traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 16th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Jonah's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. “We request your support, being the only breadwinner in the family and I am also impaired. I have two boys who need surgery. I am not able to raise the bill. Please help,” said Jonah’s mother.

Isaya is an infant from Tanzania. He is the youngest child in a family of six children. Isaya 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, Isaya has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Isaya 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 Isaya that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 24 and will drain the excess fluid from Isaya's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Isaya will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy.

Andrice is a student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and younger brother in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; he is in the second grade. Andrice has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart is severely damaged due to an infection he suffered earlier in childhood. As a result, his heart cannot properly circulate blood through his body. Andrice will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 27, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will attempt to repair his damaged mitral valve; if this is not possible, they will implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, The Mitral Foundation, is contributing $8,500 to pay for surgery. Andrice's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Andrice's family overseas. His mother says, "Our family is praying for a successful surgery and for our son to become healthy."

SaRet is a 64-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has six sons, twenty grandchildren, and enjoys listening to the monks pray in her free time. Three years ago, SaRet developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurry vision, irritation, and itchiness. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When SaRet learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On March 18, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, I will be able to take care of my grandchildren and help around the house with cooking."

Pyay Ti is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He likes to play with his sisters and follow them to school. Pyay Ti was diagnosed with a corneal scar in his right eye after a sliver of bamboo went into his eye accidentally. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Pyay Ti. On March 27, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Pyay Ti's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Pyay Ti said, “I want to see clearly, and I want to go to school when I grow up.”

Folani is a father to 7 and grandfather to 4 from Malawi. Folani is a farmer who enjoys chatting with his friends. Since 2016, Folani has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Folani's surgery. On January 29, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Folani was very happy to hear he would have surgery and thankful he will be able to start working normally again. He says, "I am very thankful for this project."

Nephtalie is a student from Haiti. She lives with her mother and younger sister in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. She enjoys going to school and attending church. Nephtalie has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral stenosis. One of the four valves of her heart is too tight and narrow as a result of a fever suffered earlier in her childhood. Blood backs up behind the valve, leading to heart failure. Nephtalie will fly to India to receive treatment. On February 25, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which Surgeons will first attempt to open the valve by inserting a catheter and expanding a balloon. If this is not successful, they will immediately proceed to open-heart surgery to open the valve. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Nephtalie's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Nephtalie's family overseas. She says, "I am very happy to have this surgery so I can be healthy and stop worrying about my health."

Ranny is a woman from Cambodia. She has been married for eight years. She likes to cook, watch TV, and spend time at home. For the past three years, Ranny has had back pain. One of the nerves on her spine is being compressed due to herniation of one of the discs. This causes immense pain. She is unable to walk and move, and thus is unable to work and support her family. Ranny needs to undergo a laminectomy and discectomy procedure to relieve the pressure and pain in her back. Surgery is scheduled for December 4 and will cost $930.

Firomsa is a toddler from Ethiopia. He loves to play and laugh with toys. His parents are traditional farmers. Firomsa was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Firomsa is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on November 29. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Firomsa's procedure and care. After his recovery, Firomsa will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. His mother says, “We wanted to pay for his care but we are not able to do it.”

Yee (BB) is a ten-month-old baby boy from Burma. He lives with his family in a village in Karen State. His grandfather and father are subsistence farmers who grow rice. The family also raises chickens and pigs, which they usually sell when they need money. Yee (BB) was recently diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which has caused fluid to build up in his brain. Without immediate surgery to alleviate the intracranial pressure that the excess fluid is causing, he is at risk of developing severe, potentially fatal medical complications. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for Yee (BB), which will drain the fluid that has accumulated in his brain. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 30, and, once completed, will greatly improve Yee (BB)'s quality of life. Yee (BB)'s mother says, "I am far from my home to take care of my son (Yee (BB) ) more than two months now. I miss home but I am worry for my son and sad to see he is suffering."