Mariko is a three-year-old boy living in Uganda with his parents and five siblings. He is looking forward to starting school in the near future. Mariko developed intermittent swelling in his inguinal region two years ago. He was taken to a nearby clinic and was given medication. Since his visit to the clinic, he has lived on the medication, without experiencing any improvement. In fact, the swelling has increased in size and often prevents him from passing urine. He frequently cries because of the pain. Recently, a friend advised Mariko's mother to bring him to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Once there, he was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia and it was determined that he would require a procedure to correct his condition. Fortunately, on May 5th, Mariko will undergo hernia repair surgery at Rushoroza Hospital. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $170 to fund Mariko's surgery. Once completed, this procedure should allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Mariko's mother said: “I pray that my son may get well through surgery so that he may be able to start schooling.”

Veasna is a 22-year-old farmer who has two brothers and two sisters. He likes to play football and volleyball and listen to new songs in his free time. In March of this year, Veasna fell down the stairs and dislocated his left hip. He initially received treatment from a traditional healer but his symptoms did not improve. He is unable to move his hip, and this prevents him from walking. Veasna is in pain and has not been able to work since his accident. Veasna traveled with his mother for three hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. On April 26, surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction internal fixation procedure to repair Veasna's dislocated hip. With $411, we can help Veasna walk easily again and get him back to work.

Medjine is a 19-year-old girl and student from Haiti, where she and her sisters live with their mother. Medjine loves to dress up, read, and listen to music. Her favorite music genre is raboday, a type of upbeat Haitian music. When she was about one year old, Medjine was burned on her face and part of her chest from a boiling pot of bean sauce. Growing up, Medjine has only known her face with the burn scars. Our medical partner, Innovating Health International, is helping Medjine receive surgery to repair the burns. They are requesting $1,095 to fund her travel costs and hospitals fees, and the supplies, labs, and medications needed for the procedure. Medjine is scheduled to receive reparative surgery on March 5.

Chetra is a bright 24-year-old bank teller from Cambodia. She is one of six siblings. She likes to read magazines and listen to pop songs in her free time. At a young age, Chetra's spine began to curve. She was diagnosed with a condition called scoliosis. Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine that causes it to bow out to the side instead of taking a natural vertical shape. The curvature has limited her ability to bend and has continued to cause pain well into her adult years. If left untreated, her spine may continue to to bend and even twist. This misalignment could cause pain in her back and pressure on her ribs. At her most recent hospital visit, Chetra's physicians recommended a joint arthrodesis procedure to correct her scoliosis. Surgeons will attach hardware to the curved part of Chetra's backbone to promote straightening and stabilizing of her spine. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $450 to fund Chetra's back surgery, scheduled for January 18. Chetra's back surgery will help alleviate the pain she is experiencing and greatly improve her quality life.

Sotom is a 71-year-old woman. She has seven sons, two daughters, and twelve grandchildren. She likes to listen to monks pray on the radio and visit the pagoda. One year ago, Sotom developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision, tearing, eye discharge, and cloudy lenses. It is difficult for her to see things clearly, recognize faces, and go anywhere on her own. Sotom knew about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), because her neighbor had surgery there before. She traveled for three hours with her daughter to reach CSC for treatment. After a small-incision cataract surgery and intraocular lens implant in each eye, Sotom will be able to see clearly again. Sotom will undergo treatment on February 2, and CSC is requesting $292 to fund this surgery. Sotom says, "I hope my eyes can see more clearly than now, so that I can recognize faces and easily eat, go to the bathroom and go to the pagoda or anywhere else without needing another person to help me."

Kakwaya and his wife live in Uganda with their four daughters and nine sons. Twelve of their children are married, and the youngest has just completed school. Kakwaya and his wife have no stable source of income. They are supported by one of their daughters. 16 years ago, Kakwaya underwent a hernia repair at a government hospital. In 2010, he developed another painful swelling in his left inguinal region. He lived with this condition for six years because he could not afford treatment. Unfortunately, herbal medicines did not alleviate his symptoms. He became unable to walk long distances, dig, or even eat large meals. Finally, Kakwaya visited our medical partner's hospital, Holy Family Virika Hospital, where he underwent a hernia repair surgery on November 30. $249 will fund the cost of Kakwaya's hernia repair. All medical costs are included, as well as Kakwaya's three-night stay in the hospital. After recovery, Kakwaya will have an improved quality of life. He hopes to graze cows and goats for sustenance.

Rean is a 54-year-old rice farmer and grandfather who lives in Cambodia. He's married with six children and four grandchildren. He likes to watch the news on TV and listen to monks pray on the radio. About a year ago, Rean developed a cataract in each eye, causing him blurred vision and extreme sensitivity to light. It's hard for him to go out on his own, recognize faces, or do work. Cataracts are very common in Cambodia and are one of the leading causes of blindness in adults. Fortunately, on October 27, Rean underwent cataract surgery with our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. Surgeons removed the cloudy lenses in his eyes and replaced them with new, clear implants. Now, Rean needs help to fund this $292 procedure. "I hope my eyes can see more clearly," he says, "so that I can continue my work in the fields and easily go anywhere outside by myself."

Akugizibwe is a 6-month-old baby boy from Uganda. He is the only child of his parents. His mother stays at home, and his father works as a cattle keeper, where he grazes neighbors cows for a pay. Akugizibwe's father makes very little pay that he and his wife depend on. When Akugizibwe was one month old, his mother noticed a swelling on his right scrotal as he was crying. She took him to hospital where he was diagnosed with both right inguinal scrotal hernia and right hydrocele. She was advised to take him for surgery but she could not afford her son’s treatment. Instead she opted for herbs, which have neither reduced the swelling nor the pain. Currently Akugizibwe cries a lot. He doesn’t breastfeed well and he refuses food. His mother has no peace because she has to carry him most of the time when he starts crying because of pain. For $249, Akugizibwe will undergo the hernia repair surgery he needs. After Akugizibwe’s surgery, his parents hope to be relieved of worries so that they can settle and work hard to buy a piece of land of their own.

Naro is a seven-year-old boy in the first grade from Cambodia. He has one younger brother. He enjoys playing football with his brother and friend, and like to draw pictures. Naro has had esotropia in his left eye since he was a baby. This is a type of strabismus that causes his left eye to turn inward. For $264, Naro will undergo a squint correction procedure to improve his vision and make him more confident around others. Naro's father says, "I hope my son's eye is good looking with a straight eye so that he feels good and not be shy with somebody when he goes to school or go anywhere outside. In the future, I hope he can graduate to become a lawyer."

Nga is a 57-year-old woman from Cambodia, married with 3 sons, 4 daughters, and 7 grandchildren. Three years ago, Nga developed a cataract, or clouded lens, in each eye. This means that both of her eyes are now impacted by blurred vision, tearing, and light sensitivity. Impaired vision can change the way someone relates to the people around her. Serious eye issues can impede a patient’s ability to see faces clearly, impacting her social life; she also may have trouble navigating the world outside her home, forcing her to depend on others for basic errands and for guidance while walking. These symptoms make life complicated for Nga, whose household tasks include looking after her seven grandchildren. Eventually, Nga’s cataracts became so hard to live with that she traveled five hours with her daughter-in-law to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre. There, Nga learned that she has a chance to one day see clearly again. Her doctors have recommended that she undergo a two-step procedure wherein the clouded lens in each of her eyes will be removed and replaced with an artificial lens. We can fund Nga’s surgery, as well as the hospital stay and medications that accompany it, for $292. After this operation, Nga will be able to see her grandchildren’s faces clearly again. Let’s help make that happen.

Sitifano is the father of six children. He works as a farmer to support himself and his family in rural Malawi. Sitifano has an enlarged prostate, which causes him to urinate frequently and with great difficulty. He was first seen for these symptoms at a health clinic and diagnosed with benign prostatic hypertrophy, a condition that causes the prostate to swell so that it causes discomfort and difficulty. Sitifano was unable to receive treatment until now. With surgery, Sitifano is expected to make a full recovery and return to his life, symptom free. With $742, Sitifano will receive the operation he needs. He says that he looks forward to "being a normal person again without frequent bathroom visits."

Eight-year-old Morgan is a responsible, fearless, and outgoing child. He loves studying mathematics at school and helping his parents with chores at their home in a remote village in Kenya. Morgan has a right undescended testicle, a condition known as cryptorchidism. In male infants, both testes usually move down into the scrotum just prior to birth. However, in some infants, one or both testes may stop along the path to the scrotum, pausing in the abdomen or groin. Morgan's parents noticed that his genitals were not developing properly and decided to take him to the nearest hospital. The doctor observed him and noted that his right testicle could not be felt in the scrotal sac. When it came time to go in for a specialized review, the doctor noticed that Morgan requires surgery—known as orchidopexy—to move the undescended testicle into the scrotum. Without treatment, Morgan is at risk for an inguinal hernia or testicular cancer. During the orchidopexy, a surgeon will make an incision in the scrotum or groin, detach the testis and cord from surrounding tissues, manipulate the testis into the scrotum, and suture it into place. Morgan’s mother works with a local youth group to keep their locality clean, and his father is a casual construction site worker. They can see that their son has a bright future ahead of him, and they hope that Morgan will be able to get treatment through any means possible. $540 from Watsi pays for Morgan's surgery as well as three days of hospital care, pain medicine, and blood tests. Morgan's parents have managed to raise $52 to help pay for additional costs associated with their son's care. “I hope to get treated and carry on with school," says Morgan. "I want to be an electrical engineer when I grow up!"