Irene is a 43-year-old mother dedicated and resilient mother from Philippines who diligently cares for her family, despite facing the challenges of stomach pain and financial constraints. Her dedication is evident as she strives to provide for her five children by taking on various chores. Her husband works as a room attendant and is the sole provider of the family. The burden of her health issues not only affects her but also weighs heavily on the concerns of her entire family. Five years ago, Irene began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe stomach and back pain. When she was examined, the attending physician recommended an open cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Irene is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on December 8th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP and Irene need your help raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Irene's surgery and care. Irene shared, "I am hoping to be one of the beneficiaries for this surgery. This would be an immense blessing not just for me but also for my family who also suffers greatly from my illness. I would never be able to afford an expensive surgery and so I am very grateful to everyone who will make this possible for me."

Simeona is a 65-year-old woman, living in the Philippines. She lives alone, and works selling clothing outside of the church. While she has two adult children, they have families of their own, and Simeona is determined to be financially independent, even as there are many days when she doesn't earn very much. Three years ago, Simeona began to experience stomach aches that would radiate to her back. These symptoms made it difficult for her to take care of her daily chores, and as she lives alone, there was no one to help her. It was determined that Simeona needs to have her gallbladder removed, in order to alleviate her symptoms, and to ensure that she does not experience further health complications. While a portion of Simeona's surgical procedure is being covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is seeking $1,128 to cover the remainder of what is needed for Simeona's cholecystectomy, which is scheduled for October 18th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Simeona said: "It is a significant help for me to receive medical treatment without any expenses. Even if I sell clothes everyday for the rest of my life, I would have never earned the money needed for this treatment. So, thank you very much to all the donors who will make this surgery possible for me."

Chambi is a one-year-old baby. Her parents are hardworking farmers, working day in and day out to provide for their family in Tanzania. Chambi was born with clubfoot of the left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Concerned for their daughter’s well-being, her parents took her to the local referral hospital, hoping for a solution but it was beyond the hospital's scope of care. Chambi’s mother reached out to our medical partner Plaster House NGO, an organization renowned for helping children like Chambi. Chambi’s mother went on a 2-day journey to our partner centre. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 15. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Chambi's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Chambi will be able to walk comfortably and wear shoes with ease when the time comes. Chambi's mother says, “It is my wish for my daughter to be healthy and okay, free from any kind of disability, I wish she gets the best treatment that will make her have a normal childhood.”

Emelyn is a 34-year-old mother of two from the Philippines. She works as a health worker, while her husband works as a traffic enforcer. In May 2022, during her pregnancy, she noticed a palpable mass in her left breast. After a few months, she experienced frequent bouts of pain in the area. She was advised to consult a surgeon. Following an assessment, it was recommended that she undergo an operation to remove the mass and have a biopsy. Due to potential threats to her pregnancy, the operation was deferred. In December 2022, one month postpartum, she was advised to undergo an ultrasound to assess the progress of her condition and have a biopsy. Unfortunately, Emelyn has now been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing (spreading to other sites in the body). Fortunately, our medical partner World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP) is helping Emelyn receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a mastectomy on August 12th. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is requesting help to raise $1,058 to cover the remaining cost. After treatment, Emelyn will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Emelyn shared, "Thank you, Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines! Thank you for having a good heart and being willing to help people. You are a testimony that God truly provides."

Khin is 28-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, two children, parents in-law, a brother-in-law, and a sister-in-law in a village in Karen State. Khin, his parents, and his sister-in-law are subsistence farmers, while his daughter and brother-in-law are students. His son is too young to enroll in school. They also raise chickens and pigs for their own consumption, forage for vegetables and go fishing. To pay school fees, Khin sometimes is able to get work as a day labourer. On July 10th, Khin was picking dog fruit when suddenly the branch he was standing on broke. He fell out of the tree on to a wooden dwelling and broke his spine. With the help of Watsi donors, he received a CT scan of his back which showed that he had indeed fractured his spine, and he was told that he would need to undergo surgery to heal. He is in pain, and he cannot walk. With the help of our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BMC), Khin will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for July 19th and Khin needs help raising $1,500 to fund the surgery. This procedure will help him walk again. Khin shared, "I am not scared to receive surgery because I know I need to undergo it to recover."

Peace is a primary school teacher. She is currently teaching grade 5 and proudly works as the headteacher at her school. Peace shared that her husband died in 1997 and left her family a three-room, semi-permanent home. She is a mother of 5 children. Her firstborn child is 34-years-old and married, while her last born is 24-years-old and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in education. Peace has worked hard to raise her children and shared that she raised the school fees for her children through manageable loans that she paid over time. In April 2020, Peace began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck pains accompanied by periodic difficulty breathing and swallowing. While at church, her friend noticed that her neck was swelling, especially whenever she tried to sing or speak, and advised her to see a doctor. Currently, Peace develops a cough every morning and suffers from airway obstruction. She is a talented singer and enjoys singing at church but has been greatly affected by her current condition. She visited the hospital at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), for review. Doctors diagnosed her condition as a toxic goiter, which requires surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. On December 14th, Peace will undergo a thyroidectomy at AMHF's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMHF is requesting $333 to fund Peace’s procedure. Peace shared, “I hope to get relieved of the goiter and the complications I am currently facing so that I may be able to continue teaching comfortably.”

Daniel is a seven-year-old boy from Tanzania and the firstborn in a family of two children. Daniel is a big fan of football. He is currently in second grade and he shared his best subject is mathematics. Daniel and his younger sister, who is two years old, are being raised by their widowed mother after their father passed away last December after being sick for a long time. This left their mother with no one to give her a hand or support to take care of her children. Daniel's mother depends on small-scale farming of maize and vegetables to be able to provide for her two children, something she says it has not been easy by herself. Earlier this year in April, Daniel was attacked by a hyena as he was taking a bath outside their hut in the evening. The hyena grabbed him by the leg and started running with him towards the bushes. His mother was just close by bathing his younger sister and she ran after the hyena while crying for help. The hyena dropped Daniel but left him with claw injuries, broken bones and a badly injured face. He was rushed to the hospital where he had several surgeries to help repair the places he had been cut open and casting for his fractures. He has been able to recover but the incident left Daniel with damage to his nose. All of his earlier treatment costs were paid for by their church through donations, but his mom is now trying to raise funds for his additional surgery. Daniel has been scheduled for a skin flap cover surgery that will help repair his nose. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Daniel receive treatment. On October 14th, surgeons at their care center will perform a surgery to help correct his nose. Now, his family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Daniel’s mother says, “All the treatment my son has had ever since the incident it’s through God’s grace. I wouldn’t have been able to afford any of that. Please help fund his nose correction surgery.”

Wai is a 33-year-old homemaker from Thailand. She lives with her husband, son, and daughter on the border of Thailand. She is a homemaker, and her husband is a day laborer. Since Wai injured her left eye, her husband had to stop working to look after their children, since her son has a heart condition and her daughter has asthma. Since a young boy accidentally shot her in the left eye with a slingshot, Wai's left eye has been in pain. Her left pupil is covered by a white spot, and she also cannot see clearly. Wai feels stressed and depressed about her eye, and she has lost her appetite. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a lens replacement surgery for Wai. On October 27th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Wai's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Wai shared, “I will try to be a good mother and make sure my children receive an education because I do not want my children to be uneducated like me. If I get better, I will always bring and pick up my children from school. I will look after them full time so that my husband can go back to work and save money.”