Solomon is a young boy from Kenya who four months ago was diagnosed with a right undescended testis. This is a condition where testis are not in a scrotal sac as expected in a baby boy soon after birth. Solomon arrived at the hospital today in the company of his mother and grandmother. His mother walks in with a limp and a crutch for support. Solomon is quick to grab a seat for his mother, something that depicts how respectful he is. While giving him a bath recently, Solomon’s mother noticed a slight swell on his groin which was painful. Solomon confessed that it had been there for some time but really never bothered him. Solomon’s mother took him to the nearest hospital where he was diagnosed and surgery recommended. Solomon was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. The cost of surgery was however way too high for them to cover. Recently, a friend advised that they visit Watsi Partner BethanyKids Kijabe where they could better access financial assistance. The diagnosis has been confirmed and surgery is advised. If not treated, Solomon is at a risk of suffering fertility issues, testicular cancer and/ or inguinal hernia. Solomon is the firstborn of three children and lives with his parents and siblings in a one-room house in Central Kenya. While Kenya has a national health insurance system, his parents have passed difficulties that have led to them to defaulting on NHIF premiums for quite some time--a situation that is common in Kenya. However, the hospital team counseled them on its importance and they promised to try and keep up with the payments. The little savings the family had were exhausted in getting treatment for Solomon’s mother who was involved in an accident sometimes back. Solomon’s father, the sole breadwinner, practices subsistence farming and at times takes up casual farming jobs to sustain his family’s needs. They are therefore appealing for help towards Solomon’s surgical care. Solomon will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 30th. AMHF is requesting $535 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I want to be a teacher when I grow up,” says Solomon.

Logan is a child from Kenya. The only child to his parents, Logan lives with his family in the Nairobi suburbs. His mother is a full-time mom while his father does casual construction jobs to sustain the family. For some time now, Logan has had a right hydrocele. This swelling causes him pain and discomfort. Fortunately, on January 25, he will undergo repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $423 to fund Logan's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. “I am praying every day and hoping that my son will recover soon. I am kindly requesting for assistance,” says Logan’s mother.

Julia is a jovial ten-year-old girl who lives in rural Guatemala with her family. Her mother is a single parent and supports Julia and her three sisters by working in Guatemala's capital. Although her job provides a steady income, it forces her to live apart from her children. While Julia's mother is in the city, Julia and her sisters live with their grandparents. Julia is in third grade and does well in school. She likes to run and loves to play soccer, but she has been experiencing trouble breathing, which makes it difficult for her to participate in physical activity. Julia and her aunt recently traveled to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), complaining of a dry cough that makes it difficult for Julia to breathe. WK diagnosed Julia with asthma. Asthma is a chronic condition in which one's airways narrow, swell, and produce extra mucus, making it difficult to breathe. Already, her asthma has provoked a chronic cough and makes Julia's chest hurt when she tries to run and play. WK is requesting $422 to fund Julia's medicine and the medical attention she needs to manage her asthma. She will begin receiving her mediation on April 10. The medication will allow her to run and play without coughing. She will be able to participate fully in games at school, run without fear of being unable to breathe, and live without the constant bother of a persistent cough. Julia's grandparents say, "We feel sad because she is sick and we would like to help her with everything, but we don't have money. We ask God to help us keep moving forward, and at the same time for you all to have compassion on us and help with our little girl's treatment."

Ahmed is a one-month-old boy from Kenya. He was born with an open mass on his back. His parents learned that he had spina bifida, a spinal defect. Without treatment, he risked infection or development of tethered cord syndrome. Ahmed was immediately referred to a specialist at our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. On December 8, he underwent a spina bifida closure procedure. Ahmed's family lives in the northeastern region of Kenya. His mother is a housewife, and his father is a long-distance driver. They cannot afford to pay their son's medical bill. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,097 to fund this procedure. “In life, we go through some difficult experiences," says Ahmed's mother. "They are hard for people to experience, and I think we just have this tendency to want to put our heads down and close our eyes. When you do that, there’s so much that you can miss. What you can miss is the fact that people are better than you ever thought they would be, and that people are so kind and so generous. I have faith that we will get help from Watsi, and I appreciate their willingness to help. I am looking forward to a healthier Ahmed."

Nelson is a four-year-old boy from Uganda. He is the second child of his parents, Bernard and Miriam. Bernard picks tea leaves for a living, while Miriam is a gardener. Recently, Nelson has grown weak, developed diarrhea, and lost his appetite. His father brought him to a local health center, but Nelson's symptoms did not improve. They were referred to our medical partner's hospital, Bwindi Community Hospital, where Nelson was diagnosed with malnutrition. Without treatment, he risked stunting or delayed development. Fortunately, on November 5, Nelson began malnutrition treatment. Though his family is contributing $4, they need help to pay his remaining $316 medical bill. Nelson enjoys playing with other children in his community. After recovery, he will be able to run and play around the village. His parents look forward to sending him to school. “I would like to thank you for helping me pay for my child’s treatment," says his father.

Rahab is a 48-year-old woman from Kenya. She is the single mother of two children and a leader in her village. Rahab farms to earn a living, and she acts as the secretary in her community's women's group. She lives in her parents' home with her ten siblings. Rahab was diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, she would be at risk of cancer metastasis. On November 7, 2016, she underwent a mastectomy surgery. Rahab has spent much of her savings receiving diagnostic scans and mammograms. She needs help to fund this $816 procedure. “I want to be well to continue serving my children and the village," says Rahab.

Natalia is a five-month-old baby girl from Kenya. She is the younger of two children in her family. Natalia was born with spina bifida, meaning her spine is not fully formed. She also had hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulated in her head. At one month of age, Natalia underwent surgery to treat her hydrocephalus. On November 4, 2016, she underwent spina bifida treatment at our medical partner's hospital, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. This procedure should prevent infection or the development of another condition called tethered cord. Natalia lives with her older sister and parents in a rental house in the Nairobi suburbs. Natalia’s mother is a stay-at-home mother, and her father is a butcher. They cannot afford to pay the $1,097 cost of this procedure, and they need our help. “It’s a tough battle, but I believe we will get through," says Natalia's mother. "We are not even able to raise a single cent towards this, but since God is in control, I believe all will be well."

Meva is a two-month-old baby girl from Kenya with hydrocephalus, which is a condition caused by the buildup of cerebral spinal fluid in the head. Meva has an increased head size and is irritable. Meva is the last born in a family of three children. A few days after her birth, Meva’s mother noticed she had poor head control, and the size of her head was rapidly increasing. This concerned her, so she decided to seek advice at a nearby hospital. After scans and investigations, the doctors confirmed that Meva had hydrocephalus. If left untreated, she will suffer many complications that can lead to brain damage. The increased pressure inside the skull may cause progressive enlargement of the head and potentially cause mental disability and tunnel vision. The hospital lacked the resources to treat Meva so they were referred to Bethany Kids at Kijabe Hospital. Meva’s family made the long trip to Kijabe where Meva was seen by a Neurosurgery consultant. They were educated on Meva’s condition and informed on the need for surgery. Meva’s parents became distressed when they learned this as they had already spent most of their meager savings on Meva’s medical tests. Meva’s father is a fisherman and her mother stays at home to take care of her children. They live in a single-roomed rental house. They urgently need help to pay for Meva’s operation to help her live a long and healthy life. For $685, Meva will undergo treatment for her congenital hydrocephalus. The procedure will relieve Meva of swelling and pain.

Lisa is a 4-year-old girl from Cambodia, and the youngest in the family. She likes to play with toy cars and with other children in her neighborhood. Lisa's family heard about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a neighbor who had surgery here before. Lisa traveled for three hours with her mother to reach CSC for treatment. Lisa developed a chalazion (a cyst) in each eye about one month ago causing swelling and giving her discomfort. For $148, eye surgeons at CSC will remove the cyst from each eye with a chalazion excision procedure. Lisa's mother says, "I hope she looks better and feels comfortable without a cyst on her eyelids and swelling so that she can easily play games with other children."

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.