Sokhoeun is a 59-year-old taxi driver from Cambodia. He has three sons and two daughters. He enjoys watching and listening to the news on TV and radio. Five months ago, Sokhoeun developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him irritation, pain, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Sokhoeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On April 27th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. "I hope that my vision will improve enough so that I can go back to my work as a taxi driver," Sokhoeun said.

18-year-old Luis lives in rural Guatemala with his mother. He has been living with epilepsy since he was two years old. Luis was a healthy child until he contracted a fever that left him unable to walk or get up from bed. The illness confined him to a wheelchair and resulted in seizures that still occur three to six times a week. Since then, Luis has tried many medications and treatment strategies with little success. On October 14, 2016, Luis began a series of diagnostic tests––including labs and an MRI––with physicians at our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK), to determine the cause of his seizures. The WK medical team will develop a personalized treatment plan to reduce the frequency and length of his seizures. Hopefully, this plan will improve Luis's quality of life. Now, Luis's mother needs help to pay for this $1044 treatment. “I dream my son will get better," she shares.

Annita a 10-year-old girl from Uganda, and is the youngest of eleven children. Her parents are small farmers and grow cassava, but most of the time the mother is burning charcoal to sell for a living. Like young girls her age, Annita likes to play netball, fetch water and run around the community with other children. She has just started grade two at the local elementary school. About a month ago, Annita began suffering from edema as a result of malnutrition. Her condition has kept her from going to school because she has become very lethargic. She no longer has the energy to play with other children either. With her parents' subsidy of $1 and our support of $375 in funding, Annita can receive intravenous nutrition, medications, and diagnostic tests to ensure that she can develop normally. Watsi's medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation, will be able to provide both Annita and her family the resources they need. Her mother looks forward to returning home and providing a balanced diet for her children. She shares, "I used to think that a child consuming enough bananas or cassava is enough for them to grow. I always made sure that they have a full plate of food, but I was told by a nurse that my child is missing some nutrients in her diet. I want to make sure that from now on, I can provide a nutritious meal for my child." Annita's mother is thankful for the help from Watsi and the Bwindi Community Hospital. She has asked God to bless all the people who are supporting her daughter.

“Mom is married with one son, two daughters, and five grandchildren,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “She works as a rice farmer. In her free time she visits the pagoda to listen to the monks pay, does housework, and visits her relatives.” Mom has glaucoma in addition to a cataract in each eye. While cataracts cause a filmy layer to form over the eye lens, glaucoma affects the eye’s optic nerve. By inducing high pressure in the inner-eye, glaucoma can lead to eye damage and ultimately vision loss. With constant discomfort and poor vision, Mom finds herself restricted from being able to go places by herself or do work alone. By itself, a cataract can lead to slowly deteriorated vision. In combination with glaucoma, Mom's condition puts her at risk of experiencing total blindness if left untreated. For $300, doctors at CSC can treat Mom’s glaucoma and remove her cataracts during a two-part process. First, to prevent Mom from losing her sight completely, doctors will perform a surgery to create a channel in her eye to drain the excess fluid. She will also be provided with medication to help reduce pressure within her inner eye. Once recovered from her first surgery, Mom will return to the hospital to receive an operation to remove her cataracts and restore her sight. After both operations, Mom will regain both her vision and independence, and can enjoy her life without risk of permanent eye damage.

Meet Hsa, a 27-year-old man from Burma. Hsa works on a rice farm and also makes coal from wood to sell so he can support his family. Hsa came to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), with a mass inside his nasal passage and adjacent sinus. “Hsa first noticed symptoms related to his condition six years ago when he was 21,” says BBP. “He said that he had difficulty breathing, had a sore throat, and a yellow-colored discharge started to drip from his nose.” Hsa sought medical care on multiple occasions, but the medicines he received did not relieve his symptoms, BBP adds. “His head throbs, he cannot breathe well, and he has trouble hearing due to the drainage.” “I have to miss work in the rice fields when my symptoms are particularly bad,” says Hsa. His inability to work prevents him from sending money home to support his family and pay school fees for his sisters. With $1,500, Hsa can undergo surgery to remove the mass from his nose and sinus. Funding also pays for 15 days of hospital care immediately after surgery and two outpatient visits for follow-up care. “It is expected that if Hsa has treatment for his condition, that he will be able to return to work so that he can earn money to support his parents and siblings,” BBP tells us. “He will no longer be in discomfort/pain and will be able to sleep well.” “If I can get well, I will be able to make money and send it home to my family,” says Hsa.

Meet Sabiolie, a 7-month-old baby girl, who lives in rural Haiti with her parents and four older brothers and sisters. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, tells us, “Her parents are both farmers. Sabiolie has Down syndrome and her parents and older siblings are very devoted to caring for her. She is a very happy baby and has made friends with all of her nurses and doctors.” “Sabiolie was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart,” Haiti Cardiac Alliance explains. “Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak. If not corrected with surgery, this condition would eventually be fatal.” Sabiolie has received a $5,000 donation from Health City Cayman Islands for cardiac surgery. We can raise another $1,500 to cover the cost of the overseas prep and transportation. Haiti Cardiac Alliance tells us that post-surgery, “Sabiolie should have normal circulation to her body and no further cardiac symptoms.” Sabiolie’s father shares, “We would like to thank God, the doctors and nurses, and everyone who is helping Sabiolie to get better.”

“When I began to experience excruciating pain there was nothing I could do,” says Lar Paw, a 21-year-old young woman from Thailand. “I didn’t understand what the matter was, I could only stay as I was and bare the situation as best as I could.” Lar Paw has ovarian cysts. She lives in a refugee camp in Thailand with her mother and three younger siblings. Her father is a soldier who is able to visit his family between work duties. “She can walk, but she is very tired,” shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “She often has headaches, sweats a lot and suffers from fatigue.” “She and her family never borrow money, they just make do as best as they can with their limited income,” adds BBP. Prior to Lar Paw’s diagnosis, she “started working independently as a weaver using a traditional technique to make intricate tops.” She earned $66 USD per month. However, now that her condition has worsened, she is unable to work. $1500 will fund the treatment Lar Paw needs to remove the cyst, which includes a total abdominal hysterectomy and removal of her ovaries. This treatment is the most safe and effective way to eliminate Lar Paw's symptoms and prevent further anemia. “I hope that I will be able to get better soon and be able to go back to my family and my work,” says Lar Paw. She also “wishes that her siblings will be able to continue with their education and to work in the community.”

"Abel is 15 days old, and the last-born in a family of two children," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "His elder sibling is a special needs child. The family lives in a single-rental house in the suburbs of Nairobi city. Abel's father works as a casual laborer at a local mini-market while his mother is a housewife." Abel was born with spina bifida -- a leaking mass on his lower back. He needs a spina bifida closure surgery to prevent infection and allow him to develop normally. Surgery will also lessen his risk for tethered cord, scoliosis, and kyphosis. "Abel's family lost everything they had in a recent fire in their area of residence," AMHF continues. "This has forced the family to start their lives afresh. Unfortunately, Abel's parents are not able to raise the funds required for treatment." $805 will fund a spina bifida closure and allow Abel to heal properly. Let's help make it happen!

This is Hein, a two-year old toddler from Burma. Hein has recently learned to speak, and his favorite word is “mother", though he also knows how to say the names of all his family members. Since birth, Hein has dealt with several medical conditions. Last year he underwent surgery for a congenital heart condition, and he currently has limited vision due to a congenital glaucoma. “Hein can see light, but very little beyond that,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). Hein's condition is the result of an improperly developed optic drainage system, which leads to increased pressure and ultimately nerve damage in the eye. “When he was born, his parents noticed that his eyes were covered by white film,” adds BBP. “During his first six months of life, Hein’s parents tried to heal his eyes with a traditional healer, but this proved unsuccessful. Hein’s parents then took him to an eye specialist, who referred him to a major hospital to undergo surgery. However, when he was being prepared for surgery, doctors discovered he had a heart murmur and refused to operate.” After receiving heart surgery last year, Hein is now healthy enough for eye surgery. For $1,500, Hein will receive a bilateral lens replacement, which will allow him to see for the first time in his life, and allow him to develop properly through childhood. This cost accounts for everything that Hein will need for his full surgery and recovery, including 30 days of hospitalized care, food, transportation and three days of post-operation follow-up care. “Hein is a resilient boy - while waiting for surgery he has overcome a tuberculosis infection and has been in and out of health facilities since the day he was born," BBP says. Hein’s family is optimistic about his future. His mother “hopes for him to be educated and go to school like his sisters,” BBP adds.

Mu Sweet is a 45-year-old woman from Burma. She works as a day laborer at a rubber tree plantation. In addition to her work, she takes full-time care of her mother and niece. She also has several side businesses to help support them all. A few months ago, Mu Sweet’s health began to mysteriously decline. Doctors discovered a 14cm mass in her uterus which is causing her pain and discomfort, in addition to extreme fatigue. Due to heavy bleeding, she has now become anemic. As a result, she depends on blood transfusions which make it nearly impossible for Mu Sweet to continue her previously energetic lifestyle. Our medical partners at Burma Border Projects (BBP) share with us that “In a life full of taking care of others, Mu Sweet is now in dire need of some medical help herself.” For $1,500 we can fund Mu Sweet’s surgery and medical care at BBP and remove this painful mass. BBP informs us that with this treatment “She will be able to plan and save for the future, as well as enjoy her new marriage with her husband when she is no longer in pain and discomfort.”

"I am so excited by the arrival of the new baby," Sheily’s new adoptive mom tells our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq. “We had the opportunity to sit down with her last week and watch her amazing interactions with Sheily.” This little one is Sheily, a one-month-old baby girl from Guatemala! Sheily’s birth mom was unable to care for her so a kind neighbor quickly adopted her. This means there is no maternal milk available, and her adoptive mom, while extremely excited and loving, does not have the money needed to purchase milk formula. As a result of the lack of maternal milk, Sheily is not gaining weight and is in danger of malnutrition. Sheily will need milk supplementation for the first year of life. “We’ll also provide ongoing growth, monitoring, and nutritional education and support to Sheily’s mom,” explain doctors at Wuqu’ Kawoq. Let’s raise $1,220 and get Sheily off to a great start to her life!

Meet 20-year-old Lynod from Malawi. He lives with his parents who are subsistence farmers, which means that almost all of their livestock and crops are used to meet the family's basic needs. Lynod's parents work hard to support their family and take extra care of Lynod as he manages his health. Lynod has a hydrocele, a fluid-filled sack, that makes it difficult for him to walk. Doctors at our medical partner World Altering Medicine have recommended surgery to remove the hydrocele. The cost of the procedure is $613. Let's help to put Lynod and his parents at ease and fund the care he needs.