It was 3:00 AM on March 27, 2016 when Lowasa was born. Soon after his birth, Lowasa was rushed to the hospital after his parents saw that something was wrong with his back. At the hospital, the doctors discovered that Lowasa was born with a lesion on his lower back and diagnosed him with spina bifida. Spina bifida is a birth defect in which a baby’s spinal cord fails to develop properly. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), "He is at risk of losing cerebral spinal fluid and easily contracting infections, if not treated. Lowasa is also at risk of developing hydrocephalus." These young parents are both still financially dependent on their own parents who are small scale farmers. As a result, they need financial assistance to ensure that their firstborn son receives the surgery that he requires. Lowasa needs $1200.00 for spina bifida treatment which will reduce his risk for easily contracting infections or having developmental issues. “I just hope my son will get well,” said Lowasa’s mother. A successful treatment for Lowasa will help this budding family start their new life together.

77-year-old Neang lives in Cambodia with her husband, two children, and seven grandchildren. One year ago, Neang developed a cataract in each eye. "This causes her blurred vision, irritating, tearing, and headaches," our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), reports. Cataracts occur when the eye lens becomes cloudy, leading to impaired vision and functional blindness. The condition has made it hard for Neang to do work and go outside on her own. Fortunately, there is a common procedure to cure Neang of her cataracts. A small incision is made to remove the cloudy lenses and replace them with clear lens implants. The treatment will cost $225 in total. After surgery, "Neang will be able to see clearly again," CSC explains.

Jane is a 34-year-old mother of three children, and lives in a single roomed rental house in Kenya. She got separated from her husband in 2010 and her two older children stay with their father. To earn a living, Jane washes clothes (does laundry) for residents in her town. In 2014, Jane went for cervical cancer screening and had a LEEP (abnormal tissue excision) procedure done. She stopped further treatment after she became pregnant with her last born child. In April, 2016 Jane was diagnosed with cervical pre-cancer and requires a total abdominal hysterectomy. She is, however, not able to get the amount needed for the procedure, which will cost $800. Jane experiences intermittent lower abdominal pain, which limits her ability to work. The thought that her condition may develop into cervical cancer gives Jane emotional trauma. She prefers to be alone and thus her social lifestyle has been affected. If not treated, Jane is at risk of having cervical cancer, which could spread and may lead to death. “My wish is to get treated and reduce the risk of having cervical cancer," Jane shares. After the treatment, Jane will have reduced chances of cancer development and eventual cancer spread which may lead to death. She will be relieved of the symptoms of pain and be able to work and earn for her children.

James is a 13-month-old boy living in Eastern Kenya with his mother, father, and older sister. He was born as a normal baby boy, but one month later his mother noticed that, unlike his elder sister, his head was fast increasing in size. James was diagnosed with a condition known as Congenital Hydrocephalus, which causes an abnormal enlargement of his head due to an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), "If not treated, the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid could cause potentially fatal brain damage." James needs a shunt to be surgically placed to help manage the growing pressure that he has on his brain caused by the fluid buildup. By relieving the pressure, James will be able to avoid the brain damage would could cause developmental issues or even death. “I hope I can get help to have him treated. I tried and raised the little I could,” says James’ father. James' father is a subsistence farmer and his mother sells the produce in the nearby market. Although they work hard to support their family, James' parents can only afford to subsidize $20.00 of the $635.00 required for his treatment. James’ parents are hopeful that this treatment will be funded so that their child will grow up to live a normal and healthy life with his family.

Sovilsal is an 11-year-old boy living with his parents and two younger sisters in Cambodia. He is a hard-working student, and spends his time doing homework and studying. “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor,” he says. He is currently in sixth grade. He also enjoys drawing and watching cartoons. Sovilsal and his mother traveled to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), for assistance treating his ear problems. Sovilsal began having discharge from his ears when he was three years old. He now additionally has hearing loss and headaches. Upon evaluation, he was found to have perforated tympanic membranes, or eardrums, in both ears. “I can’t hear my teacher while at school because of my bad hearing,” Sovilsal shares. Sovilsal needs a myringoplasty to restore his hearing and resolve his discharge. The myringoplasty procedure will repair the perforation in the tympanic membranes with grafting under anesthesia. Sovilsal’s family needs $598 to fund his procedure along with supplies, two days of inpatient care, and follow up visits. Sovilsal looks forward to recovering from his procedure and resuming his studies without ear troubles. “I hope my son will have better hearing after his operations and his discharge stops,” says Sovilsal’s mother.

Meet Elisha, a bouncing baby boy from Malawi! Elisha lives with his two older siblings and his parents, who are smallholder farmers. Elisha has hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling, and is being treated by our medical partner, World Altering Medicine. His family is hoping that Watsi donors can fund the $995 for surgery to drain the excess fluid, which will improve Elisha’s eyesight and reduce the brain swelling. “Elisha is a very happy baby despite his condition,” his mother tells us. “I hope the operation goes well. We would want him to grow up normal and continue to be happy so that, later, we can send him to school.”