Chech is a 22-year-old farmer who has two sisters and three brothers. She likes to do housework and help her family on the farm. When she was a baby, Chech developed an ear infection. The infection spread to both ears and perforated the tympanic membrane in each. She experiences recurring ear discharge, pain, and hearing loss. Her condition makes her unhappy. Fortunately, Chech learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a relative. She traveled for six hours by taxi to reach CSC for treatment. On October 19, 2016, surgeons performed a myringoplasty in each ear to repair the perforated tympanic membrane and stop the ear discharge and pain. Over time, her hearing will improve. Now, her family needs help to fund this $831 procedure. Chech says, "I hope for the ear discharge to stop and to have good hearing."

Angelo, a 9-year-old boy, is the fifth of eight siblings. He enjoys playing with his younger sister. Angelo was born with an abnormal condition in a sensitive area. He underwent surgery when he was seven days old, but his family's financial limitations prevented doctors from completing treatment. For this reason, his activities are limited, and he often experiences indigestion and weight loss. Though Angelo finished preschool, his condition has prevented him from enrolling in first grade because school is too far from home. Angelo flew from his rural home to the city of Bacolod to receive treatment. On November 24, Angelo underwent corrective surgery. He will be monitored for two weeks and will undergo a followup surgery several months from now. Angelo's father works as a tenant on a farm, and his mother is a housewife. They cannot afford this $1,500 procedure, and they need our help. "I am so thankful for this opportunity that has come to us," says Angelo's mother. "I never thought that Angelo would be treated because of our financial situation...This has given us hope for Angelo and for his future. I am looking forward to Angelo being fully well, going to school, and fulfilling whatever dreams he has. I know he will have a better future."

Keith Miles is a three-year-old girl who lives with her parents and siblings in a wooden house the Philippines Her father works as a laborer, but he has difficulty providing for the family. As a result, Keith Miles has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Keith Miles began $268 malnutrition treatment on October 19. She is being treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. Keith Miles's parents share, "We look forward to seeing Keith recover and grow up healthily so that she can finish her studies."

Wat Way Di is a 23-year-old woman living in a refugee camp in Thailand with some extended family members. She was born in Burma to a family of three siblings and her father. Wat Way Di primarily relies on the food and healthcare provided by the refugee camp. Three years ago, Wat Way Di started feeling fatigue, chest pain, and dizziness. She was unable to walk far without becoming short of breath. At times she had trouble sleeping and eating. She had to stop her schooling due to her symptoms, and has been living with her relatives in the camp. She is unable to work and at times has difficulty doing basic chores around the house, like cooking dinner. She also is unable to carry water in the camp, which is vital for their water supply. She returned to Burma last year to become a midwife, but was unable to complete her classes, and is now unemployed. Wat Way Di likes to draw and, when possible, she draws different pictures. She went to the camp's clinic, and was referred to a local hospital for further evaluation. She was then found with non-rheumatic mitral stenosis, and was recommended for cardiac surgery. Mitral stenosis is when the mitral valve of the heart becomes narrow and dysfunctional, blocking blood flow into the main pumping chamber. Wat Way Di could not afford the procedure, and since then she has been on prescription medication. She currently treks to the hospital every two months to refill her prescriptions. Two years ago, Wat Way Di tried seeking treatment for her symptoms in Burma while visiting her family, but after some imaging testing she was sent home without receiving any treatment. Wat Way Di explains that it is difficult for her family to access healthcare in Burma because they must have payment in full at the time of treatment. For $1,500, Wat Way Di can have the surgery she needs. After she fully recovers, Wat Way Di anticipates being well enough to work as a midwife. "I hope that once I receive surgery I can return to my village in Burma, become a midwife, and take care of women and children," Wat Way Di says. "I believe that I can support my family through my work as a midwife."

Tha Gay is a 26-year-old mobile health worker. He studied medicine at the refugee camp where he lived in high school to pursue his dream: helping people in need of basic healthcare in rural areas of southern Burma. But at the moment, Tha Gay is not able to do this work that he is passionate about. About a month ago, Tha Gay was in a motorbike accident while transferring clinic supplies to a remote area. He suffered a severe fracture in his right arm. His friends helped him get back to the clinic where he works to access the free healthcare there—a bandage and painkillers for his arm. However, Tha Gay did not try to access more advanced medical treatment for his condition in Burma because he could not afford the cost and difficult transportation due to bad weather. Currently, Tha Gay is not able to move his right arm nor lift up, grab anything, or wash his clothing. He feels guilty that his broken arm has taken him out of commission for his medical work. There are currently only a few health workers at the clinic where he is employed, and many patients come there during the rainy season for diseases like malaria. We can help Tha Gay gets back to work soon. For $1,500, doctors will perform an open reduction internal fixation operation on his arm. In this procedure, they will surgically align the broken parts of his arm, then will set them in place using a rod or screw. This implanted equipment will guide the bone as it heals to make sure it grows back in the correct position. The requested sum will also cover the cost of the week-long hospital stay that Tha Gay will need to recuperate from the procedure. "After my fractured arm is healed, I will continue work as a health worker at the clinic because I want to help people get basic healthcare," Tha Gay shared.

Kyi Soe is a 42-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Burma. Her husband works in construction building houses, and her daughter works as a factory worker in Thailand. When Kyi Soe visited her daughter in Thailand last year, she began to experience intense pain in her abdomen and lower back. Since then, Kyi Soe's symptoms have only gotten worse-- she has been having very heavy bleeding, nausea, and cannot lay down comfortably. Despite her continuing symptoms, Kyi Soe was hesitant to go to a hospital because she knew it would be very expensive. Instead she returned to Burma and visited a local clinic. After a series of tests, the midwife told her that she would need surgery to remove the mass that was in her uterus-- surgery Kyi Soe was unable to afford. So she just left with pain medication, and an expensive medical bill. Kyi Soe had to stop working since her symptoms started. Her husband's income is not enough to even meet their daily needs, so they had to take out loans to pay for her medical bills. But without proper surgery, the mass in Kyi Soe's abdomen may grow and cause further complications. After hearing about Burma Border Projects (BBP) from her daughter's friend, Kyi Soe moved in with her daughter so that she could receive surgery. For $1500, doctors will remove the mass growing in her uterus. This will relieve her pain and other symptoms. Despite the stress that Kyi Soe and her family have had addressing her condition, they are looking forward to her finally receiving proper medical treatment. When she recovers, she will be able to return to living with her daughter in Thailand, where her husband is also hoping to find a job.

Elvis, an 18-year-old boy from Guatemala, started to get seizures when he was eight years old. Now he gets about one seizure every week, and they are often severe--he has had to be hospitalized following many of his seizures. He has not been able to study because of his mother's fear of him having a seizure during class, and also because his mother cannot afford to pay for both his treatment and his education, forcing her to choose to pay for his medications. Elvis is the youngest of three children. He was raised by a single mother who is incredibly hard working and strong, and who wakes up at dawn every morning to wash the neighbors' clothes, helping her to earn a few dollars per day. Elvis and his mother have tried to seek out treatment in Guatemala City, but since they live in a rural, mountainous community that is far away from the city, they have not been able to afford to continue traveling several hours for each appointment, and have run out of money to pay for medications. Elvis loves to sing along to Christian ballads on the radio, and his faith has helped him stay strong through his health problems. For $967, treatment will be possible for Elvis. This treatment will give him access to the medications he needs to get his seizures under control. He will undergo comprehensive diagnostic work to determine the cause of his seizures and see if he has any other related conditions. His mother will not have to live in fear of her son having a seizure, and she will no longer have to choose between sending him to school and paying for treatment. This will give Elvis the chance to be a normal teenager, go back to school, and his mother will be able to feel secure that his condition is more stable. "I want my son to stop suffering. Every time he has a seizure he suffers, and I suffer with him. I want him to study and become a great professional," shares Elvis's mother.

Meet Thorn, a 44-year-old man from Cambodia. He lives with his wife and enjoys listening to news on the radio. Three months ago, Thorn developed a cataract in each eye. This cloudy build-up of proteins in his eye lenses causes him blurred vision, and it is hard for Thorn to get around on his own. If not treated Thorn could completely lose his ability to see. 90% of blindness in Cambodia could be treated with surgery, however these services are unfortunately not very accessible to the majority of rural Cambodians. Thorn traveled eight hours with his mother to reach Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. For $225, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens, followed by an intraocular lens implant to replace that cloudy lens with a new artificial one. After this hour long operation, Thorn will be able to see clearly again. After surgery, Thorn looks forward to working and taking care of his plants at home. Let's help make it possible!