“All I wish is to be able walk with ease,” shares Titus, a 76-year-old man from eastern Kenya. “This will allow me to work again." Although he has four children, Titus has lived alone since his wife passed away 17 years ago. This has made it especially hard for him to deal with an injury that he sustained over a year ago. In May 2016, a motorcycle accident left Titus with a broken left ankle. He was taken to the local hospital, where he received basic care and was scheduled for surgery. However, he was ultimately not able to receive his surgery due to a medics' strike. As a result, for over a year now, Titus has experienced substantial pain and numbness when walking. He has had to stop tending his livestock, which used to be his livelihood. Because of the resulting dip in his finances over the past year, Titus is unable to pay for the surgery that would repair his ankle. His children have been able to collect $51 for the procedure, but they need your help raising an additional $742. This sum will pay for Titus’s operation on December 8, as well as his lab tests and five-day hospital stay. Let’s make sure Titus can return to the self-sufficient life he once knew: raising livestock and walking without pain.

Kyel is a 15-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his two younger brothers in an orphanage in Mae Sot. Two days ago, Kyel was playing football with some friends. He slid and his friend tripped and landed on top of his arm, fracturing it. Kyel is in a great deal of pain and is unable to sleep at night. He is sad that he won’t be able to play football in the foreseeable future. He also won't be able to do his laundry or garden. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Kyel will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 18 and will cost $1,500. After recovery, Kyel will be able to return to school. Kyel says, "I my dream of being a professional singer one day."

Aun is a rice farmer from Cambodia. She has two daughters and five grandchildren. Five months ago, Aun developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision and sensitivity to light. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Aun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On September 5, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $211 procedure. She says, "I want to go to the pagoda by myself if I can improve my vision."

Just one month old, Iyan lives with his parents and two older siblings in a one-room rental house in Kenya. His parents are subsistence farmers without an external source of income. Iyan was born with spina bifida, a condition in which the spine does not form completely. His spinal cord and its surrounding membranes protrude through an opening in his backbone, forming a sac on his lower back. As a result, Iyan's spinal cord is exposed, making him vulnerable to infection and loss of muscle function in his lower limbs. Iyan's mother did not know what the mass on his lower back meant until she took him to a district hospital. There, the medical team changed the dressing on Iyan's back for two days. A doctor explained to his mother the risks of his condition and referred them to our medical partner's care center for specialized treatment. Iyan underwent surgery to place his spinal cord and nerves back inside his spine, cover them with membranes, and close the opening on his back. Now, Iyan’s head is increasing in size, and a CT scan has revealed excess fluid accumulation in his skull. This condition, known as hydrocephalus, may lead to a progressive increase in head circumference, brain damage, loss of sight, and even death if not treated. Iyan's family used the little amount of money they had on the CT scan, and they are not able to raise funds for his continued care. Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), requests $685 to pay for an operation to insert a shunt in Iyan's head to drain the excess fluid and transport it to his abdomen, where it can be resorbed by the body. Funding for Iyan also pays for five days of hospital care, blood tests, a second CT scan, pain medicine, and antibiotics. Iyan's surgery is scheduled for July 20. "I am pleading for help to see our only boy gets well," says Iyan’s mother. Let's help make that happen!

Last week, Bridget was running with her friends when she slipped and dislocated her elbow, causing her bone to protrude from her skin and rendering her arm completely immobile. Bridget needs surgical realignment to prevent this injury from turning into a permanent disability. Doctors at CURE are hopeful that with medical care, Bridget, "will regain full use of her arm, which would be permanently damaged without surgical intervention." Bridget's father works as a security guard to support Bridget, her brother, and her sisters. He hopes his daughter is able to make a speedy recovery!