Va is an elderly rice farmer from Prey Veng province. He is married, and has four sons and eight grandchildren. He and his wife are retired from their farm, and their living is supported by their sons. Three of their sons are construction workers nearby, but one son is working in construction in Japan. In his free time, he likes listening to Buddhist prayers on the radio and taking walks with his wife. About one year ago, Va developed a cataract in his left eye. He is unable to continue any work in the rice fields due to increased irritation from the sun, and has even more difficulty with simple tasks around the house. When Va learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 17th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. He shared: "I hope after surgery I can see clearly and feel happy to recognize my family. I want to take care of my grandchildren and myself well."

Win Khaing is a 5-month-old baby girl from Burma. She lives with her parents in a village in Karen State. Win Khaing’s father has a small farm, growing rice, and sometimes catching fish and frogs, for their family to eat. Win’s mother has a small shop selling vegetables at home. Win Khaing has two brothers who are monks and live at the monastery. After Win Khaing was delivered, the doctor noticed that her right hip was dislocated and that her right leg looked dislocated as well. Win Khaing’s mother also noticed right away that her right leg looked twisted. Currently, when Win Khaing’s parents touch her right knee and hip, she cries a lot and they think this is because of pain. Her right leg is twisted outward, but she is able to move her right leg and bend her knee. Doctors want Win Khaing to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $693 to cover the cost of Win Khaing's CT scan and care, which is scheduled for August 17th. Win Khaing’s mother said, “I am worried about my daughter’s condition because she is my first daughter. When I think about my daughter’s future, I cry."

Mourine is a 9-year-old bright, social and friendly girl from Kenya. She is the firstborn of a family of two and hails from Merigi village in Bomet county. Her mother told us that she is very active while at school and at home, helping do household chores, including tending to a kitchen garden as part of her work. Mourine is passionate about studying and she told us that she aspires to become a neurosurgeon in the future! Mourine was first seen in August 2023 at our medical partner's care center (AIC Cure International Hospital) mobile clinic and scheduled to undergo serial casting. She comes from a humble background where her mother is a homemaker while her father is a farmer. Mourine 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. This condition was not noticeable at a young age and her mother came to notice it when she was 4 years old. Mourine was taken to a hospital and the family were told that her foot needed to be corrected. They stayed home for quite sometime until they heard about AIC Cure mobile clinic and upon review, she was scheduled to undergo treatment. Currently Mourine walks with discomfort, is not flexible, and has pain when walking for a long distance. Fortunately, Mourine's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 30th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Mourine's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk comfortably like other children, she will be able to play with her peers since there will be no pain and she will continue with her education without any challenge. She has a bright future ahead. Mourine said: "I'm looking forward to healing and walking comfortably to avoid people always asking me what is wrong with my foot."

Carlos, who is two months old, lives with his parents in the hills above La Paz, Bolivia. His father is an electrician, while his mother is a fruit seller. Carlos was born with a rare cardiac condition called coarctation of the aorta. As a result, Carlos' aorta - which is the the main blood vessel leading from the heart - is too narrow, causing blood to back up into the heart. In order to remedy this condition, Carlos will need to undergo surgery. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is helping Carlos' parents to access the care their child needs. On July 20th, surgeons at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría will widen Carlos' aorta, restoring normal blood flow. Now Carlos and his parents need your help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Carlos' mother said: "Our son has been in hospitals ever since he was born. Our family is hopeful that after this surgery he can come home to live with us!"

Paulo is a 17-year-old boy from Tanzania. He lives with his parents and his four siblings. His parents are farmers who grow food for their family and sell the excess to support their family. Due to limited funds, Paulo and his siblings had to stop attending school. Paulo experiences difficulty with his mobility. When Paulo was enrolled in school, he was often unable to walk the distance to class. Paulo's parents were inspired to seek treatment for Paulo after attending an outreach seminar held by our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Doctors at AMH's care center determined that Paulo's limited mobility is due to the shape of his legs, and Paulo was diagnosed with genu varus. Genu varus is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Fortunately, AMH can help. AMH is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Paulo's legs. Paulo's procedure is scheduled to take place on June 6th, and will hopefully restore Paulo's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and decrease his risk of future complications. Paulo says, "I hope that one day I will be able to walk without feeling any discomfort."

Jaziel is a 13-month old toddler from Ethiopia who loves to play and laugh with his parents. He is an only child, and his mother works in their home, while his father is a driver for a construction site company. They live in a rented one-bedroom house on the outskirts of town. Jaziel was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of cancer and infertility. His mother said, "When the doctor told us about his condition, we were sad and disturbed. I didn't even fully understand the condition. I thought it was something else. I understood the condition after the doctor at Cure Ethiopia explained it to me; I felt a bit relieved, but it was a hard year." Fortunately, Jaziel is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Jaziel's mother said, “After the surgery, we hope he will be normal and be able to go to the bathroom as normal as other children.”

Princesse is a 7-year-old student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three siblings in a small city in northwest Haiti. Princesse has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves in her heart was severely damaged by an infection she suffered earlier in childhood; as a result, it cannot adequately pump blood through her body. Princesse will fly to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On April 29th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will first try to repair her existing valve if possible; if not, they will remove it and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $14,000 to pay for surgery. Princesse's family needs help raising an additional $1,500 for surgery prep. The bill covers labs, medicines, checkups, and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Princesse's family overseas. Her mother said: "Our family is very hopeful that this surgery will save our daughter's life and allow her to become healthy."

Aye lives with her son and grandson in Thailand. She is a part-time volunteer with a local organization and only receives pocket money for her work. Her son and grandson are students. During her free time, she shared that she likes to read the Bible, help with church activities, or do household chores. Since 2021, Aye has been experiencing occasions of abdominal pain. The pain became constant in March, and Aye finds that she has a poor appetite, and difficulty sleeping and going about her day now. Aye was diagnosed with bile duct stones, and underwent an emergency procedure, during which a tube was inserted into the right side of her abdomen, to drain the bile. Doctors now want Aye to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which X-ray images taken from several angles, are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan should help doctors better formulate an appropriate treatment plan to ensure she heals. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Aye's CT scan, which is scheduled for April 10th, at Mae Sot General Hospital. Aye said: "I was worried about my treatment cost because I cannot afford it. But now, I am happy. If I recover, I will go back and work again to support my family."

Meet Ku, a 21-year-old from Thailand. He lives with his parents, four younger brothers, and one younger sister. Two of his brothers are in school, while his parents and other siblings practice subsistence farming. Ku works as a day laborer, providing the sole income for his household. In his free time, Ku enjoys gardening, growing vegetables, and looking after his family's two cows. In March, Ku was in a driving accident that caused his motorcycle to fall onto his left leg, fracturing his left thigh. He was brought to a clinic before being referred to the local hospital. After an x-ray confirmed his diagnosis, he was referred to our medical partner's hospital for further treatment. Currently, Ku is experiencing a lot of pain and cannot move or lift his left leg, sit up, or leave the hospital bed. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Ku will undergo surgery on March 13th to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. This procedure will help him walk again and live pain-free. He will also be able to go back to work and will no longer require a caregiver. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund Ku's surgery. Ku shared, "I feel so upset. I never thought I would become like this [bed-bound]. I want to get surgery soon so that I can recover and go back to work. If I'm not working, my family could have a problem. I had to borrow money from my friend [to pay for basic expenses while getting treatment]. I want to go back to work and pay back my debt."

Nan is a 41-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and two children. She is a homemaker and her husband is a day laborer. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut and trees and raise cows, goats and chickens. She loves to take care of her garden during her free time. Nan was referred to BCMF to treat her severe heart condition (ASD) in Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH). After she arrived at our medical partner's Patient House in early March in the evening, she felt weak and tired. She also felt dizzy, had a headache and difficulty breathing. Unfortunately during the night, she suffered a seizure and fell semi-conscious. BCMF staff rushed her to the emergency room at CMH. Doctors want Nan to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $693 to cover the cost of Nan's urgent CT scan and care, scheduled for March 3rd. Nan’s husband said, "I am so worried about her but now, I can only wait and see. We have lived through some hard times and now, my wife is admitted in the emergency room.”

Elenita is a 60-year-old woman from Philippines. She previously worked as a Registered Midwife but lost her job during the pandemic's peak. She's now reliant on her four children for her daily basic needs. In January, Elenita began to experience troubling symptoms, including lower back pain that's radiating down to her lower extremities. She sought a medical checkup and was told to have an ultrasound and CT scan. The tests revealed that she was suffering from gallstones. These are small stones that are usually made of cholesterol that causes inflammation of the gallbladder. Elenita has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Elenita is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on February 17th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Elenita's surgery and care. Elenita shared, "Thank you, WATSI and World Surgical Foundation Philippines! You are such a blessing and I will never forget how you save my life. If in the future you will need my service as a midwife, I'm more than willing to help out."