Juan is a 21-month-old baby boy from Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “Juan is the youngest of 6 children in his family. He lives in a poor town and his parents work as wood collectors. They hike high up in the mountains to collect wood to sell.” Juan has acute malnutrition, and “is currently far below the average height and weight for his age,” WK reports. “Juan’s development is limited by his malnutrition, and will prevent him from doing well in school and eventually obtaining a well-paying job.” Food instability and marginalization, like that of Juan’s parents, causes indigenous Guatemalan villages to have the highest rate of growth stunting in the world. In addition to stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. For $535, Juan will receive nutritional supplements, food, and deworming medication. His parents will receive one-on-one nutrition education courses. This two-prong approach will give Juan’s parents the tools they need to continue providing nutrition to all of their children. This treatment has far-reaching benefits. Juan will recoup his weight and height as well as strengthen his immune system, thus allowing him to fight infection and illness more easily throughout his life. Equipped with new knowledge, Juan’s parents will also be able to support all seven of their children in attaining a healthy lifestyle.

Meet Ryan, a two-year-old boy from Kenya. This smiling toddler is the youngest of his family and lives with his parents and older brother. A month ago, Ryan’s mother was bathing him and noticed that his scrotal sac looked abnormal. After a trip to the doctor, Ryan was diagnosed as having an undescended left testicle. “Ryan’s left testis did not drop in the scrotal sac as expected in a baby boy soon after birth,” explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Normally, testicles naturally descend about six months after birth. Occasionally, this process does not happen on its own and medical intervention is required to prevent further health complications. If left untreated, Ryan is at higher risk of developing an inguinal hernia, testicular cancer, or experiencing infertility in the future. Ryan’s mother runs a hair salon business while his father sells scrap metal within their community. Their modest combined income is not enough to afford Ryan’s surgical needs. With $540, Ryan will receive treatment for his condition. He will receive an orchidopexy, a surgery that involves moving his left testis into its proper place within the scrotum. After this procedure, Ryan will stay at the hospital for an additional three days, ensuring he has access to all of the medical care he needs to safely recover. This operation provides a long-term solution for Ryan’s condition, greatly reducing the likelihood of experiencing further complications as he continues to develop. Ryan’s mother shares, “My son’s condition caught me by surprise, and I had no idea it would require surgical care. I hope he gets treated to prevent the effects of his condition.”

Meet Tin, a 59-year-old wife and mother from Burma who raises cows, chickens, and pigs and plants vegetables near her house. Tin came to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) with an ovarian mass. “Six months ago, Tin noticed her first symptoms,” explains BBP. “At that time, she thought she had a stomachache.” Since then, Tin's abdominal pain has persisted, and she has begun to lose weight and feel nauseous whenever she eats. “Currently, Tin experiences pain in her abdomen and back, so she finds it difficult to walk,” says BBP. “She also experiences body pain and headaches, and sometime she gets tired and has difficulty breathing.” The combined income from Tin, her husband, and their adult daughter is enough to cover the family’s daily expenses, but they do not earn enough money to save, and they must borrow funds for health care. Tin’s five married children live in the same village and provide financial help whenever they can. The recommended treatment for Tin is an oophorectomy to remove the affected ovary. $1,500 covers the cost of the surgery as well as a seven-day hospital stay and one outpatient appointment post-surgery. After surgery, “Tin will not be in constant pain and will be able to work again and care for her family,” shares BBP. “I want to be well so that I can work for my family, save money, and have a happy family,” says Tin.

Meet Clever, a one-year old baby boy from Malawi. Clever is the third-born child in a family of four, and his father supports the family through assisting with farming on other people's farms. Clever is a patient with our medical partner, World Altering Medicine (WAM), and has a condition called hydrocephalus, which means that he has a build-up of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain. The condition causes head enlargement in infants and can cause muscular and cognitive disorders if not treated promptly. “Clever has a very big head, delayed milestones, poor sight and difficulties feeding,” explains WAM. For $992, we can treat Clever with a procedure that will use a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain. The costs cover direct surgical are as well as lab costs, medical costs, and travel and lodging costs. Clever's family cannot afford the surgery, but wants him to be able to live a normal life. Let's ensure Clever can grow up happy and healthy!

Meet Devora, a 34-year-old mother of two. Devora and her twin sister are very close, and raise their families together in Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), shares that one month ago, “Devora was in the hospital because she could not walk or talk. An ultrasound and labs revealed Devora has kidney failure. Because kidneys play such a vital role in filtering toxins from the blood, this diagnosis can be fatal. However, there are treatment options that would filter and regulate Devora’s blood artificially." $1265 will fund the dialysis, medication, and education to treat and manage her condition. WK tells us that in order to make this logistically possible they will “construct a room at her home specifically for her dialysis.” Dialysis will remove the salt, waste, and excess water from the blood. This intervention will ensure that Devora has a sterile environment where she can self-administer regular dialysis. The medical team will visit her often and provide intensive education on dialysis and treatment. WK says, “Devora will be able to live for the rest of her life while technically still in kidney failure. Her energy will increase and she will be able to get back to everyday activities.”

“I treasure him so much,” Miracle’s mother says of her second born son. A baby boy from Malawi, Miracle is living with hydrocephalus—a condition in which there is blockage in the pathways of cerebrospinal fluid (water in the brain). This blockage causes water to accumulate within the skull, putting increased pressure on the brain. Miracle's condition causes his "head to be very big, making it difficult for him to support his neck," says our medical partner, World Altering Medicine (WAM). The condition has also led to “delayed milestones, in that he is cannot see and has problems eating." If left untreated, the damage to Miracle’s brain will increase and neurodevelopment will cease. Miracle's mother, however, does not have the funds to pay for Miracle's surgery. With $992 in funding, Miracle will receive an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). In this procedure an endoscope is used to make a small whole in the brain to bypass the blockage. Funding also supports Miracle’s post-operative medication and a ten day hospital stay. WAM explains that after the procedure, “the pressure in Miracle’s brain will normalize and his head will return to normal size. He will be able to see properly and it will ease his eating difficulties. He will also be able to sit down on his own.” Miracle's mother tells us she “would be very happy if he could get treated." Let's help make it possible!

"Augustina is the first of two children of her mother who is a single parent," says our medical partner, Ortho FOCOS. "She is currently in school studying with the hope of becoming a lawyer and a writer in the future." Augustina is a 15-year-old girl from Ghana. She was first diagnosed with scoliosis in July 2013, and was supposed to undergo surgery the following November. However, due to a lack of funds, she had to cancel the surgery. She still lives with scoliosis, almost two years later. "She is unable to do strenuous work and can no longer attend school," says OF. "Her condition has affected her social life because she feels uncomfortable in the midst of her colleagues. She has resorted to putting on very big clothes to conceal her deformity whenever she attends any social gathering." Raising Hope Africa and FOCOS has contributed $7500 toward the cost of Augustina's corrective treatment. However, she still needs $1500 to fund overseas preparation and transportation to receive care. "With surgery, Augustina is expected to live a full, productive and healthy life," OF tells us. "She feels hopeful that she will one day get the needed support to help her undergo surgery."

Meet Fidelis, an 18-year-old student who lives with his single mother and two younger siblings in Kenya. “I play football in my free time, and also work hard in class to achieve my dream career of becoming an electrical engineer," Fidelis tells us. Fidelis is very bright, but experiences low self esteem because he has hypospadius, a medical condition in which his urethral opening is along the shaft of his penis. This causes him difficulty when passing urine. Fidelis needs a hypospadius repair -- a relatively simple, 90 minute procedure to fix the opening. The surgery will cost $655. His mother works on farms as a casual laborer, and her $3 daily income is barely enough to provide the necessities for her family. She is therefore not able to save for her son’s surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation explains: “If the surgery is not done soon, the condition is likely to affect Fidelis psycho-socially. He will also have difficulty fathering children in future.” Let's help Fidelis and fund his treatment!

“We very much want our daughter to be able to walk again so that she doesn’t become dependent as she continues to grow,” shares Brenda’s mother. Say hello to Brenda, a two-year-old girl from Tanzania! She is a happy child who likes to crawl and climb on things but after a recent accident, she is unable to do either. While at her grandparents’ house last October, Brenda stepped on the edge of a piece of burning fire wood and a pot of boiling soup came pouring onto Brenda’s right leg. “Brenda was rushed to the hospital and was admitted for three months” our medical partner, African Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “She now has a contracture on her right knee (posterior), which does not allow her to walk at all,” AMHF continues. “If not treated, she will end up being disabled and either use crutches for support while walking or in a wheel chair.” Brenda’s father supports the family, working as a small-scale businessman while her mother is a university student. “They have spent all their savings on hospital bills and now they have no way of paying for the surgery which Brenda badly needs,” explains AMHF. With $550, we can fund a successful single contracture release treatment that will allow Brenda to walk again! Let’s support Brenda’s parents and get this active little one back on the move!

Daw Khin's "livelihood consisted of planting rice and beans, but her ability to do so and all other daily responsibilities have been put to a halt with the existence of her medical problem," says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). 56-year-old Daw Khin is a mother of eight and grandmother of three from Burma. In September 2014, she first began to notice severe abdominal aches. She was subsequently diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, and she can feel the large mass in her abdomen. "In Burma if you do not have money you cannot go the hospital or clinic," says Daw Khin. "And [you] must borrow money for food and accommodations. Now that I heard about care in Thailand, I have hope for a future." When Daw Khin's husband passed away last year, she began to take out loans to pay for the education of her grandchildren. She does not have any available funds to pay for her own treatment, which she needs to alleviate her pain and bring her to good health. For $1500, our medical partner can provide treatment to remove Daw Khin's cyst. "With the alleviation of pain, she will be able to return to work and begin paying back loans she has taken out to pay for her grandchildren's education," says BBP. Let's help make it happen!

An industrious basket weaver, 30-year-old Jackline from Kenya is finally pregnant after years of trying! Jackline and her husband, a farmer who works additional odd jobs when necessary, have been supporting her two brothers after her parents passed way so that they can finish their education. Jackline was born into a family of seven children, of which three died because of unsafe delivery. “She does not want to risk the life of her only forthcoming baby by delivering at home,” our medical partner, Lwala Community Alliance, shares. “Despite the fact that this responsible family cannot afford the treatment cost, Jackline’s brothers and husband are holding on positively that her delivery will be safe and successful.” $290 from Watsi donors will ensure that Jackline and her baby are safe and healthy before, during, and after the delivery. “I hope to deliver safely,” Jackline says. “I will ensure that my baby gets access to quality health services should there be any complication and that better education will be provided for her or him to revitalize their future.”