Kangume is a woman from Uganda. She is married and a mother of two children, a girl and a boy. Her husband is a farmer. Kangume delivered both of her children through C-section. Now she is pregnant with her third pregnancy. She needs to undergo another elective C-section in order to avoid rupturing her uterus. The procedure is scheduled for January 29 and will cost $280. She says, “I like interacting with others during my free time.”

Kakindo is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is a widow with one child. 25 years ago, Kakindo began to experience troubling symptoms, including shortness of breath, disfigurement, and difficulty swallowing. She was diagnosed with a goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Kakindo receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 5 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Kakindo says, “I will continue with cultivation after surgery to get survival.”

Vanna is a farmer from Cambodia. She has two sons. She likes to listen to classical music. Two years ago, Vanna developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her blurry vision, irritation, and photophobia. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Vanna learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. Vanna needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $201. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for October 16. She says, "I look forward to return to working after the operation."

Samwel is a baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of four children. He has been experiencing difficulty breathing, sleeping, and eating. Samwel was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $633 to fund a tonsillectomy for Samwel, which is scheduled to take place on November 2. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Samwel of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. Samwel’s father says, “My son needs surgery of which I cannot afford. Please help my son."

Twesigye is a child from Uganda. He is 22 months old and the youngest in his family. His older brother is in nursery school. His mother is a secretary, and his father has just completed a course in information technology and is looking for a job. Twesigye developed a swelling in his right scrotum when he was two months old. He has been diagnosed with a hydrocele and a hernia. He is experiencing pain. Fortunately, on April 18, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Twesigye's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Twesigye's mother says, "My son’s health has been disturbed a lot with this condition. We need your assistance.’’

Martha is a 12-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the first born in a family of five children. She is in grade seven and was top of her class in the end-of-term exams. Last year, Martha started experiencing abdominal pains and headaches. She underwent a scan, which showed three hepatic hydatid cysts. The surgeon at our medical partner has recommended she undergo a laparotomy to treat the cysts. Without treatment, the cysts may rupture or become cancerous. Fortunately, Martha is now scheduled to undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center on April 16. Her mother says, "I am very worried about my daughter, even the teachers are concerned. I am hoping she can get help and be well again to continue with her education."

Akankwasa is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married with six children. One year ago, Akankwasa began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty breathing and swallowing. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Akankwasa receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 17 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Akankwasa says, “I hope to get a better life style after surgery and be free from the disfigurement and still continue with cultivation.”

"I am desperate to get treated because of my children,” shares Shiela, a single mother of three from the Philippines. Two years ago, Shiela was hit by a tree that fell through her house during a storm. She was rushed to the hospital to undergo emergency surgery. Since then, she has undergone several more operations to address various injuries she sustained in the accident. However, her right leg still has still not healed properly, and she must use a crutch to walk. Shiela’s walking issues pose a major problem for the family. She has not been able to keep a job, and her family’s sole earnings now come from the herbal medicine that she sells informally. Because of their low income, Shiela and her children are presently living with her older brother. This can change if Shiela receives the proper surgery. Our medical partner's physicians have concluded that her fractured tibia can be fully repaired with an open reduction internal fixation procedure. On February 21, doctors will surgically realign the broken parts of Shiela’s leg bone and secure it in place using an internal nail. This will ensure that her leg heals properly. We can sponsor this procedure, as well as the three-day hospital stay and medications Shiela will need to recover safely, for $1,500. Shiela is looking forward to walking again without pain or limping. “This will really help us and change my life and the future of my children,” Shiela says. “Thank you so much in advance."

Lynn is a five-year-old girl from Kenya. She is a very smiley child. She lives with her mother, brother, and grandparents. Lynn is currently in nursery school, and her mother works as a secretary at a high school. In June 2015, Lynn and her brother were sleeping when they were both bitten by a red spitting cobra. Both were taken to the hospital and treated, but Lynn's case was worse. The venom had spread to her hand, leaving her unable to properly use it. Lynn has undergone previous [surgery](https://watsi.org/profile/1a0ddff4f01d-lynn) funded by Watsi, but she needs more treatment. On March 1, Lynn will undergo tendon and nerve repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is asking for $1,064 to cover the cost of Lynn's treatment. Lynn's family has already raised $206 to contribute to her surgery. “I want to be a teacher when I grow up,” says Lynn. After surgery, Lynn will regain use of her right hand, putting her closer to achieving her dream!

Meet Julia, a stay-at-home mother of nine children from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After the birth of her ninth child, Julia noticed that a large mass had developed in her left breast and formed a ball under her armpit. Julia experienced extreme pain, resulting in loss of sleep and limited function of her left arm. After a consultation at a local hospital, Julia was diagnosed with breast cancer. Julia was referred to our medical partner's care center, St. Luc Family Hospital, where she received four sessions of chemotherapy. On February 15, Julia will undergo a mastectomy to remove all the breast tissue and cancerous cells. Our medical partner, Innovating Health International, is asking for $1,085 to fund Julia's surgery. Julia says that her husband is her biggest supporter and that their family encourages her to keep fighting.

Nyakairu is 52 years old, married, and a father of 12 living in Uganda. Some of his children are married and others are still in school. He gets money for supporting his family from agriculture and through milk from his cows. Due to the pain from his inguinal hernia, Nyakairu doesn’t have any income because he is unable to work. He developed a small swelling in his left inguinal area seven years ago, but now the swelling is bigger. Nyakairu feels a lot of pain when walking and coughing. He has been using herbs but has not received any relief from the pain. Hernias occur when soft tissue bulges through the abdominal muscles. It causes great discomfort and pain, and can inhibit a persons day to day life. Nyakairu never reported his condition to a hospital because he knew he couldn’t afford the treatment. “I have a very painful hernia but I have no money to pay for my surgery,” he shares with us. He came to Virika hospital after hearing about the available help. If not treated, Nyakairu may suffer intestinal obstruction, incarceration and strangulation. Fortunately, Nyakairu will receive hernia repair surgery to push back the soft tissue. The treatment will cost $220. After surgery, Nyakairu hopes to regain his strength, resume digging, and taking good care of his cows.

Meet Abner, a four-year-old boy from Guatemala. Abner lives in a one room house with a tin roof. He is the youngest of three children. His mother takes care of Abner, cooks, cleans, and provides for the family. Unfortunately, they cannot afford to give Abner high-calorie and high-protein foods such as eggs and buy nutritious fruits. Abner's dad works as a messenger, but he only gets paid when there is work to do. Abner's family are often left without an income sometimes for days at a time. Abner was diagnosed with acute malnutrition. He is below the average height and the average weight for his age. He is currently not consuming enough calories and enough quality foods. As a result his physical growth is stunted, and we worry his mental growth will be stunted as well. As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. $512 will fund the treatment Abner needs to address his nutritional deficit and improve his low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Abner of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for his parents. With these combined efforts, Abner will recoup his weight and height and strengthen his immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future. "I am very worried about my son because he is not gaining weight," Abner's mother shares. "We have fought for him, but we haven't gotten any results. Nevertheless, we are hopeful."