Meet Aye Po, a 26-year-old woman who lives in Thailand. She is married and has two daughters who live with their father in another town. "Aye Po works for a factory cleaning out large bottles of filtered water and refillng them, something that often includes heavy lifting. She earns 3,000 baht ($92 USD) per month and this is enough to cover her costs and send a bit home to provide for her family," says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). Aye Po was referred to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, due to a large mass on her neck, a benign tumor. BBP explains, "Following the birth of her second daughter about six years ago, Aye Po noticed that she had a small mass about the size of a walnut on the right side of her neck as well as breathing difficulties. She would use an herbal nose inhaler and take a pain medication when breathing became difficult but she never sought treatment." Recently, the mass has grown in size. "While she is not having any trouble eating or sleeping, she says that in the last few years her neck has become stiff and at times uncomfortable," BBP says. $1,500 will fund Aye Po's much needed surgery to remove the tumor, as well as transportation to and from the hospital and outpatient visits before surgery. Following treatment, Aye Po hopes to relocate her family and to continue to help providing for them. Aye Po says, "I hope I will be able to receive treatment ... I am only worried about providing for my family."

Yun is a 61-year-old husband, father, and grandfather who works on a farm and enjoys listening to the news or reading Buddhist books in his free time. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tell us, “Yun has cataracts in his eyes that make his work in the field very difficult, and he has trouble going outside by himself. He says he hasn't been able to see very well for the last three years.” The cataracts in Yun’s eyes are due to the lenses in his eyes becoming thick and cloudy over time. The lenses lose their ability to focus light properly, resulting in blurry, dull vision and difficulty seeing faraway objects. Cataract formation typically occurs in both eyes, as is the case with Yun. Treatment is surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from Yun’s eyes and replace them with artificial lenses. With $225 in funding, Yun can undergo surgery for his cataracts and receive follow-up care for his eyes. CSC shares, “After surgery, Yun wants to get back out to the farm and work, visit the other provinces in Cambodia, and regain some of the independence he has lost.”

Sreng is an 80-year-old man from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), says, “Sreng is married with six children and eleven grandchildren, and he spends most of his day talking with his neighbors.” CSC reports, “Sreng has had cataracts for four years and he can’t do work by himself or go places like the pagoda without someone coming with him.” Cataracts are common with old age, as the lens inside of the eye becomes cloudy. Left untreated, cataracts can result in impaired vision and even blindness. $225 will cover the costs for cataract removal surgery in both of Sreng's eyes. The procedure will replace the cloudy lenses inside of Sreng’s eyes with clear implants. CSC adds, “After surgery Sreng wants to help his family around the house more, go to the pagoda on his own, and be able to go anywhere without any problems.”

Keam is a 71-year-old man living in Cambodia. He is married with five children and six grandchildren. He has mature cataracts in both eyes, which cause increased sensitivity to light and blurred vision. This makes it very difficult for him to do any type of work alone, or enjoy his favorite past-time, reading. $225 will fund a cataract treatment that will replace the cloudy lenses in his eyes with artificial lenses. According to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, Keam “will have clear vision in his right eye and can come back in 1-2 weeks for surgery on the left eye.” After surgery, Keam looks forward to helping his family do house work, helping build a road in his village, and visiting the ocean near his village.

Meet Chhay, a five-year-old boy from Cambodia. “Chhay is the youngest in his family, and has just one older brother. He attends primary school and his favorite foods are fish, meat, pork, and vegetables. He enjoys playing with his toy car and gun with his friends,” says our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Chhay burned his index finger in hot water in 2011, and since then has not been able to use his hand very well. He was treated at a local hospital a few months ago, but the situation unfortunately did not improve. For just $240, we can fund surgery that will help the burn heal and allow Chhay full use of his hand again. The cost of the surgery includes hospital, medical, and surgical expenses. Chhay's family traveled two hours to CSC to get treatment. Let's help Chhay get healthy and fund this important surgery.

Meet Jemima, a 29-year-old woman who lives in Uganda. “Jemima is pregnant with her first child, and the baby is in a breech position" explains our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation. “Jemima is a housewife and her husband, Medard, is a student studying to become a nurse. Right now, finances are very tight because of his school fees." Jemima needs a cesarean section to help her and her baby to be safe and healthy during the delivery process, and the treatment will cost $305. Let’s help ensure that Jemima and her baby have a safe and healthy delivery.

Joselin is a 19-year-old Guatemalan woman, who needs treatment for cataracts. She is developmentally delayed, and started to lose her eyesight due to cataracts a few years ago. Without eyesight, her ability to work and socialize is compromised. Joselin is from a large family with many young children. As she gets older, her family struggles to support her. “Although she is mentally challenged, she is an extremely capable individual, and could potentially work or contribute to the household in some way,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “However, without eyesight life is made much more difficult, and her ability to work and assist her family is close to eliminated.” “Even though she wants to learn, Joselin has never attended school,” continues WK. “Social stigma around her appearance and weakened ability to physically see others has limited her social interactions/community acceptance, and now she spends many days sitting at home.” With $1485, Joselin will receive cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens, which will be replaced by a clear lens implant. The cost also includes antibiotic drops as well as transportation costs. Cataract surgery is the most common surgery performed worldwide and only takes an hour. Just one day after surgery, Joselin’s vision will improve to 20/20.

Tha Moe is a one-year-old baby boy in Burma who lives with his parents and six-year-old sister. He was born at home as a seemingly healthy baby, but his mother noticed a growing small mass near the base of his spine. A couple days after Tha Moe was born, his mother took him to the local clinic. Doctors diagnosed him with a meningocele, a birth defect where the spinal cord doesn’t develop properly. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) shares, “Tha Moe feeds well but because of the mass he is unable to lie down on his back and he can only sleep on one side. He can sit and he knows the sensations of his upper body but his mother says he cannot feel his right leg.” Because of the time his mother has to spend caring for Tha Moe at the clinic, she finds it difficult to do household chores and relies on Tha Moe’s grandmother to take care of his sister when she is not in school. Tha Moe’s father finds sporadic work as a day laborer, and the family can’t afford to pay the medical expenses for his operation. $1,500 will fund the procedure to repair Tha Moe’s meningocele. “It is hoped that following the meningocele repair that Tha Moe will grow and thrive," BBP adds. "His parents will be able to stop worrying about his condition.”

“We love Faith because she is always happy and warms our house,” Faith’s mother shares with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Faith, a smiling four-year-old girl, lives with her parents and two siblings in Kenya. Faith has a fracture on her left humerus—causing her pain and an “inability to use her left hand,” AMHF explains. Without treatment, Faith risks the chance of the bones growing back improperly and permanently losing use of her left hand. The family depends on their father’s modest income earned as a “casual laborer at Kenya’s main lighting company.” Given that Faith’s father’s earnings “are barely adequate enough to meet his family's basic needs,” there is no extra money to afford the cost of Faith’s treatment. With $1,125 in Watsi funding, Faith will receive an open reduction and internal fixation operation. This is a two-part surgery that will repair Faith’s broken humerus. First, the broken bones will be fitted back into place. Next, metal rods and plates will be inserted—allowing the bones to heal correctly without shifting. Included in the total cost of treatment, Faith will stay at the hospital for two weeks during which she will work closely with a physiotherapist for ten days. With this procedure, AMHF expects, “Faith’s left hand will heal and she will regain its use.” “We hope she will get help and her hand will be well. We just want to see her growing without any disability like other children,” Faith’s father shares.

A 10-month-old baby from Haiti, Kerby lives with his parents, two older sisters, and older brother. His father works as a retailer for a cell phone company and his mother stays home to take care of Kerby and his siblings. Kerby was born with a ventricular septal defect, reports our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). A ventricular septal defect is a congenital heart defect where a a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood then leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen. This can leave patients very weak, although even with this condition Kerby is still a very bustling baby who loves to explore. "He is a very active baby despite his heart condition, and he is very curious about the world around him," HCA adds. $1,500 will cover the cost of an operation to repair Kerby's heart. The operation is also subsidized with $5,000 from the International Children's Heart Foundation. In this procedure, doctors will use a mesh patch to close the hole between his ventricles so that heart tissue can grow around the mesh and permanently seal the hole. The procedure will allow Kerby to lead a normal life without any future cardiac complications. "We would like to thank everyone who is helping Kerby," his mother says. "We will never forget what you have done for our family."

“My focus is my love for my family and a hope for a cure,” says the mother of Margaret, a three-month-old girl who lives with her parents and sisters in Kenya. Margaret came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), with hydrocephalus. “Margaret has an enlarged head size [due to] an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in her brain,” explains AMHF. This is causing increased intra-cranial pressure inside her skull. “If not treated, Margaret's head will progressively enlarge and eventually cause damage to her brain,” AMHF continues. Margaret is also likely to lose her sight and is at risk of premature death. Treatment for Margaret is surgery to place a shunt in her brain. The shunt connects to a tube that runs under the skin and empties into an abdominal cavity, where the excess cerebrospinal fluid can be resorbed by the body. Margaret’s mother is a domestic worker with long hours, and her father farms the family’s quarter of acre of land to grow food for the family. Despite their hard work, they earn just enough money to pay for school supplies and fees for Margaret’s sisters, and the harvest from their farmland barely feeds the whole family. Given their financial situation, they are not able to raise money to pay for Margaret’s surgery. With $980 in funding, Margaret can undergo surgery to place the shunt and receive five days of hospital care after surgery. AMHF tells us, “Margaret’s surgery will help reduce the excessive pressure in the brain and prevent visual impairment.” “We are determined to overcome this illness and not let it ruin her life,” says Margaret's mother. Let's help make that happen!

Huoy is a 12-year-old girl from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), shares, “Huoy likes to play with other kids around her village when she can, and she likes studying Khmer language subjects.” “Huoy is in the third grade, and is the youngest of her two brothers and three sisters," CSC continues. "Huoy was born with a severe deformation of her thoracic spine. This condition has had serious effects on her entire life. She has not progressed very well in school because of all the time missed, she can't play with other children because of her back, and she looks different from other children. She even has pain when she lays down on her back.” In Huoy’s case, it is her upper/mid back spine that is severely rounded and causes the most pain. Even going to school and playing with children have been made difficult by her scoliosis. $405 will enable Huoy to undergo an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and a spinal fusion in order to correct her spine. During the procedure, her bones will be put into the correct location and secured with devices such as rods or plates. During her spinal fusion, two or more vertebrae will be joined, and additional bone tissue will be provided to work with her existing tissue to further fuse the spine. As a result of this operation, Huoy will have a healthier and happier childhood. She will be in much less pain and will be able to move and pursue her education with ease.