Tricia is a three-month-old baby girl from Kenya who lives with her single father. When she was in 6th grade, Tricia’s mother had to drop out of school because her parents could not afford her school fees. Her younger siblings also faced the same fate, which forced Tricia’s mother to be responsible at a young age. Back at their ancestral home, she is the breadwinner. She has a small kiosk where she makes and sells tea and mandazi. Now that she has not been working for some time, the family is struggling to make ends meet. More than one month ago, Tricia started to have fevers. She was not feeding well, and whenever she did, she vomited. After a few days, her mother noticed that her head was also increasing in size. Tricia has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Tricia has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Tricia will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Tricia's mother had faced many challenges getting treatment for her daughter. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. Tricia will undergo a shunt insertion surgery on October 7th. This procedure will drain the excess fluid from Tricia's brain and reduce intracranial pressure. With proper treatment and care, Tricia will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Tricia needs your help to raise $719 for this procedure. Tricia’s mother says, “My family is really looking forward to Tricia’s treatment because when she gets well, I will go back and help provide for them.”

Amumpaire is a 43-year-old tailor, living with her husband and five children in Uganda. She had dreamed of becoming a teacher, but she didn't have the money to cover her school fees, so she became a tailor instead. To supplement her income she also farms, alongside of her husband. About 15 years ago, Amumpaire began to experience shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing. After visiting with a doctor, she was diagnosed with a goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. In order to ensure that her symptoms do not worsen, Amumpaire will require surgery. With the help of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Amumpaire is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on October 4th, at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale, when surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. Amumpaire needs your help to cover the $252 cost of the surgery. Amumpaire says: “I think I will be able to resume my activities in good health after being given your support to undergo my surgery.”

Charity is a 28-year-old woman from Kenya. She is the eldest in her family and is now married and has a newborn baby who is two months old. Her husband works as a clerk at a local dairy factory, where he earns enough to feed their family. Charity was working at the same factory, but was laid off from her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is not currently working and spends her time at home taking care of her child. Since August 2020, when Charity was pregnant, she started experiencing pain in her upper abdomen that radiated to the back. Charity had visited several different health centers but showed no improvement, and later decided to come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Nazareth Hospital. She underwent a scan, which showed that she has a large gallstone. The doctor recommended that she undergo a cholecystectomy. Without treatment, Charity's condition may become more complicated and cause her gall bladder inflammation, or a blocked bile duct or pancreatic duct. However, Charity is unable to meet the cost of her care and appeals for financial support. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. is helping Charity receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 9th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove the gallbladder due to the gallstone causing pain and possibly infection. This procedure will cost $788, and she and her family need help raising money. Charity shared, "The pain is too much at times and I feel some relief when I vomit. I am hoping to get support so that I can be well and be at peace to nurse my baby."

Monday is a 60-year-old farmer and mother of eight. Her firstborn is now 40 years old, while her youngest is 17 years old. Two of Monday's children have completed degrees in different programs, but she shared they do not yet have jobs. Monday generally receives limited support from her children at this point. Her husband passed away in 2003 and left her an incomplete house, which she has worked hard and struggled to complete and make a comfortable home. In addition to small scale farming, Monday buys and sells second hand clothes to earn an income. Six years ago, Monday began to experience troubling symptoms, most notably neck pain when swallowing. She was diagnosed with a multi-nodular toxic goitre. Monday needs a thyroidectomy to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Monday receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 9th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $293, and Monday and her family need your support. Monday shared, “I pray that I may be considered for treatment. After treatment, I believe I will be able to resume my usual farming duties along with my business and be able to further support my family.”

Precious is a 3-year-old girl with a contagious smile. She is the youngest of four children in her family. Precious’ father is a bus driver and her mother is a housewife. Since Precious was born, she has had difficulty breathing and difficulty sleeping. Over the last three years, she has had treatments at various hospitals, but Precious' condition has not improved. She has tried taking antibiotics and using nasal spray steroids, but there has been no improvement. A church pastor gave information to Precious' family about a hospital, and they decided to visit to see if Precious would be a candidate for surgery. Accompanied by her parents, Precious traveled for several hours from her hometown to get to the care center for consultation. She was diagnosed with hypertrophy of the tonsils and adenoids and deemed fit for surgery. On March 3rd, Precious will undergo a tonsillectomy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $420 to fund Precious' surgery. Precious' mother shared, “I hope for my child to get treated so that she can breathe well and sleep well."

Paw is a 21-year-old who lives with her parents, a brother, three sisters, a daughter and a niece in a refugee camp. Her father used to be an agricultural day laborer, but had to stop working due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Her sisters go to school and her brother is unemployed. Paw looks after her daughter and niece, who are too young to go to school, while her mother looks after the household chores. In her free time, Paw likes to play with her daughter and visit her friends. On March 9th, Paw left the camp alone to collect firewood. While climbing a hill, she slipped, falling onto her right shin. She was in so much pain that she could not stand up. She got herself to a nearby road where a motorcyclist drove her back to the camp. At home, Paw was treated by a traditional healer, and a couple of days later, a second traditional healer told her family that Paw had fractured her leg. Paw's father made a bamboo brace for her leg, and carried her to the hospital in the camp run by International Rescue Committee (IRC). Knowing that she would need surgery, IRC staff referred her to Burma Children Medical Fund to receive treatment at a local hospital. Currently, Paw experiences a lot of pain when moving her right leg. She cannot stand up by herself and she cannot sleep at night when the pain is severe. Since she injured her leg, she feels more tired and she has lost her appetite. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Paw will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure will help her walk and live pain-free. The procedure is scheduled for March 12th and will cost $1,500. Paw shared, "once recovered, I will take care of my parents. I will work and save money for my daughter, so that I can make sure that she has food and clothes."

Han is a 48-year-old mother-of-two from Cambodia. She is a rice farmer and has two daughters. Han lives with her husband who is also a farmer and their youngest daughter. Han enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio when she has the time. Two years ago, Han developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurred vision, photophobia, irritation, and pain. This has made life and independence more challenging for her. When Han learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours with her husband seeking treatment. On December 21st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Han said, "I want to have clear sight to help my husband in the rice field, earning more money to support our family."

Sokim is a newborn baby from Cambodia. She is only one month old. Her parents are farmers from Ratanakiri province and has one older sibling. Sokim has clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Sokim traveled 10 hours to seekcare from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). There, surgeons will perform an achilles tendon lengthening procedure on August 4th. CSC is requesting $385 to fund Sokim's clubfoot repair. After treatment, her feet will be able to develop normally, so that she will be able to walk easily. Sokim's mother shared, "I want to see my daughter walk and run and play with her friends, so I am glad that we have the opportunity for this treatment."

Pho is a 65-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She is a mother of three, one son and two daughters, and she also has four grandchildren. When she is at home, she enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. One year ago, Pho developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her vision loss and irritation. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Pho learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 4th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. "I hope that my mom will be able to see better so she can recognize things again." -Pho's son

Phelon is a young student from Kenya who wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She is the last born child in a family of three. Her mother, the only breadwinner in their family operates a printing kiosk in the capital, making about $5 daily. She cares for her children and her own siblings. In the second week of January, Phelon fell while playing with other children. Her right hand dislocated and by evening, it was swollen. She is not able to use her hand freely and she is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 3rd, Phelon will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help her use her hand again and continue with her studies. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $640 to fund this procedure. Phelon’s mother says, “My prayer, like any other mother, is to see my daughter heal and lead a normal life.”

Mya Mya is a 40-year-old-woman who lives and work with her elder sister for a herbal medicine production workshop in Sanchaung Township, Yangon Division in Burma. They are originally from Bago Division and moved a few years ago. Since Mya Mya was 18 years old she has felt bronchial asthma and suffered from difficulty breathing. Sometimes she feels severely tired. She went to a health worker at her village and the health worker told her to go and see heart specialist in Yangon. However, at that time she did not have money to go to Yangon, so she did not go. She has only used herbal medicine for treating difficulty breathing since she was 18-year-old, which did help her feel better. For the last four months at night she has severe difficulty breathing, so she woke her sister up and asked her sister to send her to a private clinic called Yaung Chi Oo in Yangon. After the doctor's examination, she was told her that she needs to go and see heart specialist doctor. Then the doctor gave her an injection and some oral medication. Then, she went to Thiri Sandar Private Hospital on January 31, 2020 where she received an echocardiogram. The doctor told her that she has heart disease and she needs surgery. On February 5, Mya Mya went to Kan Thar Yar Hospital (KTYH) as suggested by the doctor at Thiri Sandar Hospital. The doctor at KTYH performed another echo before diagnosing her with large ventricular septal defect (VSD). The doctor at KTYH also told her that she needs surgery. Unfortunately, Mya Mya and her family cannot afford to pay for the surgery. After talking to the nurses and doctor about her problem, the nurses who know Watsi Partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) refered her to BCMF. Mya May needs to stop working because of her tiredness. She is worried about her parents because if she cannot work. She shared, "If I recover from my disease, I need to work for my parents, to support them.”

Vanneth is a 7th grade student from Cambodia. She has five siblings, and her favorite subject in school is Khmer literature. She hopes to become a teacher one day. One year ago, Vanneth had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Vanneth experiences tinnitus, itchiness, and discharge. She cannot hear clearly and has difficulty focusing in school. Vanneth traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 06, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. "I hope that my daughter's condition will improve after surgery and she will no longer suffer from hearing loss." -Vanneth's Mother