Ramsey is the youngest of three children. He lives with his parents and siblings in a one-room house in Kenya. His parents are farmers. Ramsey was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth, which means his spine did not form properly. He underwent surgery to repair the condition. He then underwent a second surgery to treat his hydrocephalus, a swelling of fluid in his brain. Since the second surgery, Ramsey has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including vomiting and an increasing head circumference. The shunt that was inserted into his brain to drain the fluid has failed, and it needs to be re-inserted. Ramsey will undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center. Now, his family needs help raising $634 to pay for surgery. “I hope we will get help on this treatment,” shares Ramsey’s mother.

Nyakakye is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married and a mother of nine children. For eight years, she has had a progressively growing swelling on her left arm. The mass causes her pain, and she is not able lift heavy items with her left hand. Nyakakye traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 20, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Nyakakye needs help to raise $187 to fund this procedure. Nyakakye says, “I will continue with farming after surgery.”

Kong is a grandfather from Cambodia. He is a rice farmer. He has three daughters, three sons, and two grandchildren. He likes watching boxing matches, news programs, and Khmer dramas on TV. Two years ago, Kong developed a cataract in each eye, causing him blurred vision, tearing, itchiness, and headaches. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Kong learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On March 14, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $398 procedure. He says, "I hope I can see with improved vision after surgery. I want to continue my work as a farmer and I want to fish for my family."

Sreyneath is a 12-year-old girl from Cambodia. She has two sisters and enjoys playing with her friends and gardening. She enjoys studying the Khmer language in school and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. About two months ago, she fell out of a tree she was climbing and dislocated her elbow. Ever since, she has had chronic elbow pain and it has been difficult to bend her arm. She needs to have a reduction procedure to fix this recurrent elbow dislocation and discomfort. This procedure will allow her to use her arm freely again. She is scheduled for surgery on March 6. Now, her family needs help raising $390 to fund this procedure. She says, "I am looking forward to going home and getting back to school with my friends."

Sha is an 11-year-old boy from Thailand. He lives with his two sisters and his father in Mae Sot, Tak Province. Sha and one of his sisters are students, while the other sister works in a factory. His father works as a construction worker. Unfortunately, their mother recently passed away. Sha likes fishing and playing football with his friends. Since April 2017, Sha has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain, and he sometimes misses his classes. Fortunately, on February 5, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Sha's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 5 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Sha said, “I like to go fishing with my friends and I can even catch a fish with my hands!”

Neftali often suffers from malnutrition. He is far below the average weight for his age and height for his age. His immune system is weak and his diet consists primarily of tortillas and starchy vegetables. His mother already knew his child was stunted but never has received treatment or consult on how to improve Neftali’s health. Without intervention Neftali’s immune system will continue to weaken, and his growth physically and mentally will be stunted. Mental delays in development will become apparent and this will limit his ability to succeed academically and will lower his economic productivity - malnutrition is strongly associated with decreased academic performance and low economic productivity. If he continues to get sick often, his mother will have to continue to stay home to care for Neftali, rather than attend market to sell blouses. Neftali’s family cannot afford to buy fruits, vegetables, or sources of protein (eggs) regularly. Neftali lives with his parents and 3 siblings (ages 6, 4, 3 years old) in an adobe mud house with a metal lamina roof and dirt floor. His mother sells blouses at market, and his father is a corn farmer. He is a very attentive little girl, taking notice of everything that goes on around her. He loves to play with anyone he meets and his favorite foods are rice and eggs, although his mother says that she currently cannot afford 1 egg per day for her son. This treatment will provide Neftali with micronutrient and food supplementation as well as medication to prevent gastrointestinal infection. She will start to recoup the height and weight he has lost and her immune system will improve. She will have more energy to concentrate and succeed in school and her physical and mental development will improve. Her mother will receive the education she needs to supply the best nutrition possible to her child. She will feel confident in her abilities, and perhaps will be able to apply what she learns to the health of her next child, thus preventing malnutrition all together.

Myo Win is a three-year-old boy who was born, and has lived most of his life, in Bangkok. He has three siblings; a sister and two brothers. The family relocated to their home in Burma when Myo Win’s grandmother passed away, and his parents have been working as day laborers on a farm. The family relies heavily on financial assistance from the Myo Win’s uncle who lives and works in Bangkok. Three months after birth, Myo Win developed a fever and was vomiting intermittently. They sought treatment at the Thai hospital; however, the symptoms worsened after several days as he suffered seizures and his head began to swell. Myo Win's parents did not return to the hospital as they lacked a health card and money, so they approached their employer in Bangkok who contacted several media outlets for help. The plea for public help was successful and Myo Win was seen by two different hospitals in Bangkok. At the second hospital, they noticed the increase in head size and intracranial pressure, so surgery was performed to insert a shunt to direct the cranial fluid to the abdomen. He was in the hospital for 25 days. Myo Win’s condition seemed to stabilize. Treatment in Bangkok was free as the public response covered the expenses. However in October of 2015, after the family moved back to Burma, he began to experience seizures, fever and vomiting attacks. The family took Myo Win to several different clinics for treatment, where it was found that Myo Win's shunt was malfunctioning due to blockage or infection. The only hospital able to perform surgery was out of financial reach for Myo Win's family. They were referred to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), a Watsi partner, and told that Myo Win could receive surgery without charge through the Watsi program. Myo Win's present symptoms include abdominal pain, irritability, vomiting, constipation and difficulty urinating. $1,485 will cover the cost of the treatment Myo Win needs to get healthy. After the surgery, Myo Win will hopefully be able to run and play with his sister again. "My hope for my son is that he goes to school for an education and becomes a teacher," his mother said.

Meet Seneu, a 10-month-old girl from Tanzania. She comes from a polygamous family where her father married five wives. Seneu is the second baby to her mother. She is a happy baby and enjoys crawling and picking up what catches her eyes. Seneu was born with congenital unilateral clubfoot – a condition which will force her to use the lateral aspect of her left foot for walking if not treated. That will also affect her gait and increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age. She is the only child with clubfoot in the whole extended family and Seneu’s mother does not feel good when people stare and pass comments about her baby’s condition. Seneu’s mother is a homemaker and her father is a livestock keeper. None of the children are going to school because there is no school close by their village. Seneu’s father had many cattle, but he lost many of them to diseases. As much as they want their baby to get the right treatment, they do not have enough to cover the cost of treatment which their daughter needs. Seneu needs surgery to re-align her foot and ankle joint with surgery and casting to have the chance to walk normally again. This procedure will cost $1,160 and with it, Seneu will be able to walk on the soles of her feet and will also have a reduced risk of developing osteoarthritis at an early age. “I will be so happy when my daughter’s foot is straight. I want her to be able to walk and play like other children,” said Seneu’s mother.

"About ten years ago Tumurebire started feeling abdominal pains. He went to hospital where he was diagnosed with bilateral direct inguinal hernia," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) shares. Tumurebire is now 71-years-old, a father of 13, and is in need of treatment again. Tumurebire had surgery in Uganda when he was first diagnosed and his church paid for his operation. “Eight years after surgery he developed another hernia in his right inguinal area, but he never reported this hernia to hospital because he knew he couldn’t afford to pay for his treatment and the Church wouldn’t pay for him again as he is no longer serving as a Catechist. Due to pain he is unable to lift heavy items and he can neither bend nor walk fast. He cannot dig either. He came to Virika Hospital to seek help after hearing about the Watsi program,” shares AMHF. “His income is very little because he gets it from selling bananas from his farm. Besides looking after his own family he also cares for three children of his late brother," continues AMHF. With $220, Tumurebire will undergo surgery to have his hernia repaired so that it no longer causes him pain or puts him at risk of rupture. Tumurebire shares, "I hope to start a retail shop. I don't want to continue digging for fear of getting another hernia."