"I want to have what's necessary to provide a good diet to Dany, so he will grow like he should for his age," shares the mother of 10-month-old Dany. Dany lives with his four siblings and his parents in a small home in a rural community in the Guatemalan highlands. Dany's family is very humble and lacks the resources to buy much more than corn tortillas to eat. His mother takes care of the children, cooks, and cleans, and weaves traditional Mayan blouses, which she sells. His father looks for firewood in the mountains, and then makes charcoal to sell. Although Dany is malnourished, he is a very smiley child, and loves to play with teddy bears with his sister. His favorite food is beans, although his family rarely has the resources to give them to him. Dany is having a hard time growing, and now has acute malnutrition because his family is unable to give him the diet he needs to be healthy. For this reason, Dany is far too small for his age and his immune system has weakened from the lack of protein, calories, and nutrients. Since Dany's immune defenses are compromised, getting sick with a cough, diarrhea, or fever could be life-threatening. In the long term, he could face stunted neurodevelopment, low IQ, and increased risk of chronic diseases if his malnutrition is not treated. Although Dany is very sick, treatment for his malnutrition is simple. For $512, his parents will receive in-home nutrition classes to teach them about what diet Dany needs to be healthy. He will be a part of Wuqu' Kawoq's growth monitoring program and will receive food supplements and micronutrients to improve his diet. This treatment will give Dany the chance to be a healthy baby, helping him grow, strengthen his immune system, and helping him avoid life-threatening seizures and diarrhea.

Meet Phos, a 55-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He is married with one daughter and five sons, and he enjoys playing football and taking care of the ground around his home. Phos traveled two hours with his grandson to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). When he was 10 years old, Phos began having ear discharge and hearing loss from his ears. His tympanic membrane, or eardrum, is perforated on both sides. This causes him pain, hearing loss, tinnitus (a ringing in the ears), and recurrent ear discharge. Phos is unhappy that it is hard for him to talk to people and that his ears are in pain. Surgeons at CSC can perform a myringoplasty procedure to repair the perforated eardrum and stop the discharge. This surgery costs $399, an amount that he cannot afford, and includes a one or two day hospital stay at CSC. "I hope my ear discharge stops after my surgery and my hearing improves," says Phos. His grandson adds, "I hope that my grandfather's operation goes well and his ear discharge stops so he can have better health and hearing." Let's help fund Phos' surgery and get him back to his farm work free from pain!

“I would love to get well and go back to work,” shares Walter, a 50-year-old widower from Kenya who fractured his left upper and lower leg in a motorcycle accident last fall. “Before the accident, Walter had been a casual laborer, moving from one homestead to another in search of casual labor for sustenance,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Since the accident, he has been unable to work on people’s farms due to his painful leg. With no income and no contact with his two daughters, Walter has had to rely on friends for financial support. “He has no place to call home, he owns nothing, and relies on [a friend] for his upkeep.” Walter needs surgery—open reduction and internal fixation—to reposition and set the broken bones of his upper and lower left leg and enable proper healing. Without treatment, “the pain will persist and there [is a risk of a] bone infection in Walter's leg,” explains AMHF. $1,410 pays for the surgery that Walter needs. Funding also covers the cost of seven days of hospital care, including imaging, blood tests, pain medicine and antibiotics, and physical therapy. “It is expected that after the treatment, Walter will have easy mobility and will be relieved of the pain,” says AMHF. “He will be able to work and earn a living.” Walter looks forward to a successful operation. “I will improve my life and help others as I have been assisted,” he said.

Nine-year-old Digra lives in Nepal with his father and younger sisters. At home he enjoys reading Nepali stories and playing volleyball with his friends. "Digra was picking apples from a tree when he lost his balance and fell down fracturing his right elbow," reports our medical partner Possible. "The area of the injury is tender and swollen. He has been in a lot of pain since. Digra has not been able to attend school or do his chores at home." Digra's father works as a farmer to support his children, and cannot afford the surgery Digra needs to fix his arm. "Digra has never had an illness before, I am worried about him getting a surgery," says Digra's father. Without surgery, the bones in Digra's arms will not properly heal. Let's help him raise $579 for doctors to perform an operation to align Digra's fractured bones and secure them with pins. This will allow his bones to heal in the right position so that Digra will regain full function of his arm without any pain. After his procedure, Digra will be able to return home where he can continue going to school and helping his family around the house.

Seven-year-old Antonia lives in Haiti with her parents and younger brother. "Her parents both work in the marketplace to support the family," shares our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Antonia is in second grade and loves going to school, but she's had to miss class frequently this year due to symptoms of her heart defect. HCA explains, "Antonia was born with a heart defect called partial atrioventricular canal defect, in which holes exist between the upper and lower chambers of the heart, allowing blood to pass freely through all four chambers. This leads to heart failure and deprives the body of oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak." Heart surgery can correct Antonia's defect, allowing blood to flow normally through her heart. Gift of Life International has raised $5,000 to pay for part of her surgery. For $1,500, we can fund the rest of Antonia's life-changing surgery, which includes preparation and overseas transportation costs. "We are excited she can have this surgery so she can get back to her education," her mother shares.

"Kyamukama presented with left inguinal swelling for two years with on and off pain," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. The 50-year-old father of four from Uganda has had occasional sharp pain in his groin area. He is at risk of developing intestinal blockage and an incarcerated hernia, which occurs when the hernia becomes strangulated. Kyamukama earns his living by selling firewood and banana leaves. He has not been able to continue his work in the past few months as he is unable to split firewood and carry the leaves to the market with his condition. "I have pain but my income is too little to support all my family's needs," Kyamukama says. In the previous two years, he had never visited a hospital as he knew he could not afford to pay for the treatment. The $220 will cover the cost of his hernia repair surgery, and will eliminate the risk of intestinal blockage and incarceration. "After surgery Kyamukama hopes to regain his energy and continue his business so that he can be able to support his family," AMHF shares.

Raymar is a 16-month-old boy from the Philippines who loves to smile at people who come near him. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries, tells us, “he is unaware of his current condition and is moving and playing just like any other kid.” Raymar has an inguinal hernia, in which a mass of tissues protrudes through a weak point in his abdominal muscles. He has swelling around his groin area. Treatment for Raymar is a hernia repair, which will cost $1,437. His surgeon will push the tissues and fat back inside the abdominal cavity and suture close the opening in his muscles. The treatment will give Raymar an opportunity to live a normal life and he will be free from complications of hernias, such as tissue death. “As a mother, I dreamed of a wonderful future for my child, however, because of his condition, we could not clearly see his future,” says Raymar’s mother, “After he gets treated, we are excited to see him grow and play like other children and we will also be worry free."

Meet Norma, a 10-year-old girl from Guatemala. “Norma is in second grade and loves physical education class, but wishes she could play more,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). Norma has severe asthma, and she regularly experiences asthma attacks. “She cannot play with the other kids, and, even when she feels well, she fears that if she joins them for a soccer match or a run around the coffee fields, she will have an attack," WK says. Norma has gone several years without treatment. Her father works as a construction worker and her mother tends to the house, and they are unable to afford any treatment. For $595, Norma will receive an inhaler and the medication necessary to help her control her asthma. “She will no longer need to live in fear of having an asthma attack in front of her friends, and will be able to exercise freely,” reports WK. Norma, who dreams of becoming a teacher, tells us, “I just want to run like a normal kid. I like watching fútbol (soccer), but playing is more fun.”

“Just as Nandi was going to bed, there was no electricity so she could not see properly in the dark," shares our medical partner in Nepal, Possible. "She tripped and ended up fracturing her hand. Nandi has not slept well because of the pain and her hand has swelled considerably.” Nandi is a 70-year-old woman living in Nepal. She lives with her son’s family and her four grandchildren. Her daughter-in-law looks after their farm and her son works in India, but is currently at home to ensure his mother’s health improves. Nandi needs advanced orthopedic surgery to repair the fracture in her right hand. This treatment costs $224, and will help her bones align correctly and heal well. Possible says, “In about a month’s time, with some physiotherapy, she can go back to doing the activities she used to do before.” “I hope the doctors can fix my mother’s hand, because I cannot afford the treatment," Nandi's son adds. Let’s help make Nandi's treatment possible.

Meet Maria, an 18-year-old young woman from Tanzania. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Maria is the second oldest in a family of four. A few years ago, Maria was involved in an accident that left her with a burn contracture on her right wrist and fingers--a condition that results after a burn heals. Contractures cause the skin to tighten, preventing movement. AMHF shares, “it is a norm in [her] family that each child learns how to cook and every evening one of the children will have a duty to prepare dinner. [The night of the accident] was Maria’s brother’s turn to cook, but he was running late.” To help her brother, Maria decided to start the fire for him. As AMHF explains, “it is something which she had done many times, but that day her long sleeve blouse accidentally caught fire and the material stuck to her skin.” A neighbor heard her cries for help and rushed her to the hospital. After several months, the large wound healed, but left Maria with a contracture that limits her from using her right hand. Due to this injury, schooling has become a challenge. Maria’s parents--both small-scale farmers--produce a modest income and are unable to support the costs of her treatment. With $550, Maria will receive surgery to treat the contracture on her right wrist and fingers. To help her hand heal normally, Maria will also receive corrective splints. Maria will spend six weeks at Plaster House--a surgical rehabilitation program that specializes in helping children recover from complex operations. While there, Maria will receive intensive physiotherapy sessions. With surgery and physiotherapy, Maria will regain use of her hand. Maria tells AMHF, “if I can move just two of my fingers, I would like to learn how to tailor clothes and start my own tailoring business.”

Meet Alvin, a one-year-old little boy from Kenya, with a left undescended testis. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares, “Alvin lives with his parents in a two-room house. Alvin’s father serves as church minister near their home while his mother, who is a trained teacher, stays at home to look after Alvin. She has been seeking employment to supplement her husband’s income, but has not been successful. Alvin's father earns very little from his pastoral role and they are unable to raise funds for Alvin’s surgical care.” AMHF describes Alvin’s condition as “absence of the left testicle in the scrotal sac. Alvin’s left testicle did not drop into the scrotal as it is expected in baby boys soon after birth.” An undescended testis puts Alvin at a higher risk for testicular cancer, hernia, and infertility. Thus it is critical that he undergo treatment. For $540, an incision will be made and Alvin’s left testis will be surgically lowered into the scrotum alongside its right counterpart. This will radically lower any health risks and allow Alvin to grow up more normally and comfortably. AMHF tells us, “[Alvin] started taking his first steps recently, and spends time standing and holding on to furniture and anything else that can support him.” His mother adds, “It has been hard living on the little my husband earns. I am hoping to get work soon so that I can help with the house expenses. I pray that little Alvin gets treatment and grows up to be like other boys.”

Meet Thoeun, a 13-year-old boy from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), shares, “Thoeun is in the sixth grade and is the oldest of four siblings. He loves to swim and study Khmer.” CSC informs us, “Thoeun has developed mature cataracts in his left eye.” A cataract occurs when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, affecting one’s ability to see. Due to his decreased vision, CSC explains, “Thoeun simply cannot go to school anymore and he sometimes gets made fun of by other children.” For $150 Thoeun will have his clouded lens removed and replaced with a clear lens implant. Following this procedure, Theoun's vision will be restored. After surgery, “Thoeun can’t wait to go back to school and see and play with his friends again.”