Alexander is a brave-looking 13-year-old boy from Kiambu County in central Kenya. He is the firstborn in a family of two and in class seven. His mother is single and a casual laborer working in neighbours’ farms. Alexander is very social and likes to play a lot, but in the last three weeks, the mother noticed he was avoiding to play and was not walking in a normal way. When she asked him he could not understand so she brought him to hospital. An ultrasound was done and it showed undescended right testis and inguinal hernia with mild hydrocele. When the surgeon advised for an orchidopexy surgery, Alexander's mother was in tears because she knew that it is very hard to get money for this important surgery. She used to have some national health insurance coverage but has been unable to pay the monthly fee for it. Her hopes were elevated after the surgeon asked her to visit our local Watsi rep's office for possible support. Alexander was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Alexander has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Alexander will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 12th. AMHF is requesting $483 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I am worried about my son, he is not able to play with friends and this is making him worried. I kindly request Watsi for support so that he can be treated and get well to continue with his life, and be ready for schools when they re-open,” shared Alexanders’ mother.

Su is 14-year-old girl from Thailand. She lives with her parents in a village in Take Province, Thailand. After Su completed grade five she was unable to continue her schooling since there are no middle or high schools in their area and her parents could not afford to send her to school in nearby Burma. Today she and her parents are agricultural day laborers, each earning 150 baht (approx. 5 USD) per day. In the past, they used to have enough work but for the past four months they are not able to work as much as they would like to. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on the number of people who can gather, employers are only able to hire five to seven workers in a day. To ensure that everyone has a chance to work in their community, all the day laborers take turns working in a week. Around April or May 2020, Su noticed that she was not feeling well. When she explained how she felt to her mother, she was reassured that this was normal. However, around September 15th, Su started to suffer from terrible lower back and abdominal pain. When she went to Mae Tao Clinic she received an ultrasound which indicated a mass in her uterus. She was then referred to Mae Sot Hospital where she received another ultrasound and physical examination. The doctor then confirmed there was a growing mass in her uterus. The doctor told her they will be able to remove the mass with surgery. Su sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on October 1st and is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once she recovers, Su hopes to help her parents out financially. “I will go back to work with my mother and I will save money,” she said. “I will build my parents a new house on our land in Burma. I will also learn to sew and do that [becoming a seamstress] for the rest of my life in my own shop."

Than is 21-year-old woman from Burma. She is a soldier in Karen State, Burma and lives with the other soldiers in the barracks. On July 21, Than was participating in a drill on top of a mountain. Equipped with a heavy backpack and load, they had to descend the mountain quickly in the rain. While descending, Than’s left foot slipped. While falling, she banged her equipment against her left thigh and heard a cracking noise, before falling. Than's left leg is in a lot of pain and she cannot put any weight on her left leg. If she moves even a little bit, she shared that her pain increases. She can move her left ankle and toes, but she cannot bend her left leg. Her friend has to help her go to the bathroom and to take a shower. She cannot sleep well, her appetite has decreased, and she has noticed that she has already lost weight since the accident. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Than will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for September 1st and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Than walk again and allow her leg to heal properly. “I am worried about how my leg will recover, and I am worried about the surgery,” said Than.

Htun is a 15-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his aunt, uncle, three cousins, and a cousin-in-law in a town in Tak Province. Htun is in eighth grade and goes to a Burmese migrant school. Htun has two older brothers who work in a factory in Bangkok. They support Htun occasionally by sending money to Htun's aunt. His aunt, his older pregnant cousin, and his cousin-in-law are homemakers. His two other cousins are students at a Thai school, while his uncle is a farmer who grows rice and corn. Htun's uncle earns a living as a farmer and delivery driver. In his free time, Htun likes to draw cartoons and play cane ball with his friends. On June 8th 2020, Htun was driving back home on his motorbike after visiting his friend. While driving home it began to rain and he fell, landing on his left wrist. Currently, Htun cannot move his wrist and it is swollen and painful. Although he took pain medication, it has not helped him. At night, he feels uncomfortable and cannot sleep well because of the pain. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Htun will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for July 3 and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Htun will be able to move his wrist and will no longer be in pain. Htun and his family need your help to fund the cost of this surgery. Htun shared, “I am very sad and worry that my hand will not be normal after surgery. In the future, I want to become a famous can ball player."

Allan is a child from Tanzania. His mother is a single mother who works at a local restaurant as a cook in order to support her baby. Allan 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 infertility. Fortunately, Allan is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on June 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,086 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Allan's mother says, "Please help my son get this treatment so that he can be able to grow up into a normal man.”

Charles is 65-year-old farmer from Kapsaret Village in rural Kenya. He is a widower with ten children, all adults with their own rural families. Charles was brought to our hospital by his brother. He had sustained motorbike accident in early March when going home and fracture his right elbow. He was taken to hospital and given pain medications. The brother decided to bring him here for better treatment. An x-ray showed he had a closed fracture on the right elbow. If not operated Charles will continue to experience pain and the fracture may complicate further leading to malunion. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 5th, Charles will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The procedure will help him to regain normal function of his arm. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $998 to fund this procedure. “My family is not able to meet this cost and so I kindly request for support, so that my hand can be well and I can continue with my farming to sustain myself and support my children,” shared Charles.

Lilian is a 7-year-old child from Kenya and is the 2nd born in a family of 3 children. She is a grade 1 pupil at Consolata Primary School and likes reading and playing with her friends both at school and home. Her family hails from Kevote Village in Embu County. Lilian's father is a farmer while her mother is a housewife. Lilian 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. Fortunately, Lilian traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on April 30th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Lilian's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk easily. “I am pleading for support for my daughter to undergo surgery and continue with her life like other children,” Lilian’s father shared with us.

Pyae Pyae is 14-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, two sisters and four brothers in a village in Burma. Her father is a subsistence farmer, her mother is a homemaker and Pyae Pyae goes to school. She is currently in grade nine. Pyae Pyae 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, Pyae Pyae is taking medication which stops her from having difficulty breathing and feeling tired. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Pyae Pyae. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 12th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. "When I grow up I would like to become a nurse," said Pyae Pyae. "I would like to take care of others like me who suffer from a heart disease."

Joe is a 12-year-old student from Thailand. He moved to Mae Sot in early 2019, in search for better education. He now lives at a boarding house while studying at a migrant learning center. Joe noticed his blurred vision since he was five years old. Although he told his parents about it, his parents thought it was not that serious; they just told him that his eye sight will get better with time. As Joe did not experience any pain, aside from blurry vision, Joe stopped complaining about his problem to his parents. Joe continue to have a blurred vision, especially in his left eye. After he moved to Mae Sot, he told his uncle about his eye sight. His uncle made arrangements for him to meet with a medic, who later found that Joe has a cataract on his left eye and that it needs to be fixed in order for Joe to regain a clear vision in his left eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Joe. On December 10th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Joe'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. Joe said, “I don’t know yet of what I want to be in the future, but all I’m looking forward to is to ride a bicycle and play with my friends without any difficulty seeing.”

Chris is a young boy from Kenya who fractured his right hand a few weeks ago while playing with friends. The playful boy was rushed to the nearest clinic and had plaster applied. A week later, he had no improvement. His mother was advised to visit Kijabe hospital. Upon X-ray imaging, Chris was diagnosed with supracondylar fracture and had ORIF recommended. Chris is not able to move his hand and without urgent surgery, he risks having complications on the fracture and is in constant pain. Chris is the only child in his family. He comes from a humble background. His mother takes up a sales job on a casual basis while his father is a construction site worker. Their income is too little to meet the cost of surgery. The family appeals for financial assistance. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. Chris will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The surgery will reduce chances of further complications on the hand. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,451 to fund this procedure. “I never thought this would happen. Please help my son get treated,” says his mother.

Sammy struggles with a congenital hearing problem. He has been to several ENT facilities where he had tests run on him and hearing loss diagnosed. However, he has not received any treatment due to financial struggles. He was brought to Kijabe and after hearing tests were done, he had hearing aids recommended. Sammy continues to face struggles socializing with other children. With the hearing aids, his social interactions will improve tremendously. Sammy is the only child in his family. His mother is a gas station attendant making about $120 per month. This is the money she splits to meet all her bills including rent and daily upkeep. She will need several months of saving to consolidate the amount required for her son’s treatment. She appeals for help.

Paulo is a market vendor from Tanzania. Paulo is a 32-year-old man who has a left mandible swell. The fourth born in his family makes a living from vending goods in their local market place. He was not able to further his studies beyond primary school due to financial constraints.  In 2014, Paulo noted swelling on his left mandible whereupon hospital review, he had a mandible mass diagnosis. His friends and relatives supported his surgery in 2016 and the swell receded. In 2018, he had a recurrence which was painful and caused his discomfort especially when eating. He was given pain medication at a hospital near his home. He heard of visiting doctors in ALMC and decided to seek treatment with us. He was reviewed and surgery was recommended. Paulo says that he is often mocked as "the guy with a swollen cheek" and he is never comfortable with that. If not treated, Paulo will continue having pain and discomfort when eating. Paulo is not able to pay for his treatment and appeals for help. Paulo traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 24th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Paulo needs help to raise $689 to fund this procedure. Paulo says, “I am being discriminated due to my condition, the visiting doctors have given me hope but am unable to get the treatment due to financial challenges. Please help support if it’s possible.”