Yvonne is a 15-year-old student and the youngest in a family of two children. She's in grade eight in primary school. Her favorite subjects in school are social studies and mathematics. She enjoys reading and would like to be a lawyer in the future. Her mother is a single mom and works as a farmer. Yvonne has clubfoot of her left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Yvonne receive treatment. She traveled to visit AMH's care center, where, on November 22nd, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery. After treatment, she will be able to walk without pain, wear shoes, and her self-esteem will improve. Now, AMH is requesting $1,286 to fund Yvonne's procedure and care. Yvonne shared, "please help me undergo the surgery. I hope after this, I will be able to walk normally like others with no pain. I will be very grateful."

Chy is a 58-year-old farmer. He's married and has two sons, four daughters, and 10 grandchildren. Chy's wife is also a farmer along his side. In September 2021, Chy felt itching on his left thigh after a day fishing on a lake. He took some herbal medicine but after eight days his leg developed a blistered and infected wound. The necrotic wound is now infected and growing. When Chy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On October 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform a skin graft procedure to to heal his infected wound. Now, Chy needs help to fund this $474 procedure. Chy said, "I really hope my wound will heal soon."

Nakoyai is a 13-year-old student and the second-born child in a family of five children and lives with her parents who keep livestock for a living. Nakoyai was involved in a motorbike accident while walking to school. This left her with acquired valgus of her left foot, in which the joint of the toe closest to the ankle is bent upwards, while the others are bent downwards. She has difficulty walking and was admitted to a local hospital for almost one year, throughout which her parents spent their savings and sold most of their cattle to pay the hospital bills. Nakoyai dropped out of school after her discharge from hospital because she was no longer able to walk to her school, which was quite far from her home. One year later, she received a scholarship to join a boarding school and was brought to our medical partner's care center seeking treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Nakoyai. Treatment will hopefully restore Nakoyai's mobility, allowing her to participate in a variety of activities and greatly reducing her risk of future complications. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 10th. Nakoyai shared, "I feel pain when I walk and I cannot play most of the sports at school because of my leg. I will be happy if my leg could be treated so that I can walk around and play like my friends.”

Sophat is a 28-year-old mechanic. His father passed away when he was young, so he lives with his mother and takes care of her. In addition to working as a mechanic, he also grows vegetables to sell. When he is not working, he likes to ride motorbikes, play sports, and watch the news on television. When he was 14 years old, Sophat had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in his left ear to perforate. Now, Sophat experiences pain, hearing loss, and discharge from the ear. He has difficulty working, taking care of his mother, and communicating with others. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Sophat finally receive treatment. He traveled to CSC and, on August 23rd, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his left ear. During the procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Now, CSC is requesting $464 to fund this procedure. This will cover the cost of the medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Sophat shared, "I hope after surgery my ear will become healthy, and I can hear well and feel no pain. I will be able to work more and feel good when I make more money to support my living and my mom."

Hong is a 27-year-old man who works as a truck driver. He is married and has one son. In July 2020, Hong was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture of his left proximal ulna and his left femur. Now it is difficult for him to use his hand and he is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On June 18th, Hong will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will help him use the left hand easily again. Hong said "I hope I can use my hand better than before so I can return to work."

Hilowie is a social 13-year-old girl, and she is the fourth born in a family of five children. Hilowie is a sixth grade student and likes to read storybooks. Her favorite subjects are English and Kiswahili. Her mother is a businesswoman who has a small shop which she operates in the village, and her father passed away 12 years ago when Hilowie was very young. Hilowie suffered burns when she was only four months old in a house fire. She sustained joint injuries known as contractures on her left hand, and until today the contractures have never improved. Currently, she cannot raise her hand or work at home, and this has greatly affected her studies. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Hilowie receive treatment. On June 28th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery so Hilowie will be able to use her hand, help around the house, and concentrate on her studies. Now, her family needs help to fund this $840 procedure. “I would love my hand to be straightened so that I can continue with my studies and as well help my mother at home,” Hilowie told us.

Htoo is a 29-year-old woman from Burma, and the headmistress for a middle school. She lives with her seven friends in a dormitory, and they are all teachers at the same middle school in the village. She raises chickens and also grows vegetables in a small garden beside the dormitory. She and her friends often go to the forest on weekends. Due to impacts of COVID-19 on her school, her income has been irregular since June 2020, but she and her friends share meals to make sure they have enough. In late March 2021, after a friend had mentioned how to do a self-exam for breast cancer, Htoo found a mass in her right breast later that night. Currently, Htoo does not experience any pain but she is very worried that the mass will turn cancerous. Htoo felt very scared to undergo surgery, as she feels stressed about her condition and she also thinks about the work she has to do at school which stresses her out even more. However, the doctors have recommended surgery to remove the tumor before it causes more risk or has a chance to spread. Htoo is seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo tumor removal surgery on May 25th and is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Htoo said, “When I think about my condition and my work, I become so stressed, and I cannot sleep well at night. I cry very often when I think about my condition. I feel like the stress has made me lose my appetite.”

Dismas is a 26-year-old man who is very talkative and cheerful. Dismas works as a laborer getting jobs where he can and was employed recently to take care of a household in his small town. His parents passed away when he was young, so he stayed with his uncle when he was growing up. After he completed his schooling, Dismas joined a polytechnic program to pursue skills in plumbing. Dismas was married in 2017 and now has two children. On April 19th, Dismas presented to the hospital with a history of pain on his left thumb joint following a motorcycle accident. Dismas was a passenger on the motorcycle, which lost control and fell over. He also sustained wound lacerations on his face. After being reviewed by clinicians and undergoing an X-Ray, doctors confirmed he had left thumb metacarpophalangeal dislocation. Surgeons attempted to do a closed reduction surgery, but it was unsuccessful. Dismas was then planned for an open reduction and external fixation procedure to fix his painful dislocation. Unfortunately, Dismas cannot afford the cost of his care. He works hard to make ends meet and support his family. Dismas appeals for financial support for the treatment he needs. Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo an open reduction and external fixation surgery on April 23rd. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $801 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Once recovered, he will be free of pain and will be able to move and use his hand comfortably again. Dismas shared, “It’s barely been a month since I was employed and we have just re-united with my family. My hope is to get treated so that I can resume work, and continue supporting my family and be together with them.”

Say is a four-year-old boy who lives with his mother, brother, sister, and grandfather in a refugee camp on the border of Thailand. His father returned to Burma to visit his village last year. When Thailand closed its borders because of the COVID-19 outbreak, his father could not come back to the camp. Say's grandfather is an assistant pastor in the camp and he receives his income through donations when he visits his church members for home prayers. Say goes to nursery school while both of his siblings go to primary school. His mother does all the household chores. Every month, their household receives some funding to purchase rations in the camp, which is just enough for their basic needs. They receive free healthcare and education in the camp, but specialized procedures like the care that Say needs are often not possible. In early February 2021, Say developed an inguinal hernia on his right side, which has resulted in swelling and pain. His mother has noticed that since he developed the hernia, his appetite has decreased, as eating more can sometimes cause additional discomfort. Fortunately, on March 25th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Say's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 25th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Say's mother said, "When I heard that my son needs surgery, I became so worried because he is the youngest in our family." She is eager for the surgery to be complete and for Say to have healed.

Sanchez is a 3-year-old boy from Haiti. He is an only child who lives with his mother and father in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He likes drawing pictures and playing with toy cars. Sanchez has a heart condition called ventricular septal defect, which means that there is a hole between the two lower chambers of his heart. He will fly to the United States to receive life-saving treatment. On February 17th, Sanchez will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will close the hole in his heart by sewing a patch over it. Another organization, HeartGift Foundation, is contributing $17,000 to pay for the surgery. Sanchez's family also needs help funding the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social worker from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Sanchez's family overseas. Sanchez's mother shared, "our family has been praying for years that our child would be able to have this surgery. We are nervous but very glad it is happening!"

Rebecca is a 1-year-old girl from Tanzania. She is the last born in a family of two children and has started to grow into a strong and beautiful girl. Both of her parents depend on small scale farming to support their family. Rebecca was initially brought to the hospital by her parents seeking treatment to help correct her spina bifida condition. Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord fail to form properly. This puts a child in danger of limb paralyses or death in case of a severe infection. At the time, Rebecca's parents could not afford the proposed surgery. Luckily, one of their friends advised them to seek help at our medical partner's care center, ALMC Plaster House. Through Watsi funding, Rebecca’s life was saved and she has been growing well since then. However, a few weeks ago, Rebecca's mother noticed her daughter's head was increasing in size at a very fast rate and she was complaining of headaches. Her parents had worked hard to save some money and got a health insurance card for their baby, so they decided to take her to the hospital to seek treatment. There, Rebecca was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. She needs to have an ETV surgery that will help relieve her of the pressure build-up, which would otherwise lead to brain damage. Unfortunately, their insurance has not matured enough to cover this kind of major surgery, so Rebecca's parents are appealing for financial support to help her. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,300 to cover the cost of surgery for Rebecca that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 25th and will drain the excess fluid from Rebecca's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Rebecca will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Rebecca’s mother shared, “My daughter’s head is increasing in size and it is making her sick. She needs surgery but the insurance we got for her cannot cover the cost. Please help once more if it is possible because we don’t know where to run to for help besides all of you.”

Horn is a 55-year-old father of four. He has been married for 33 years and together they have one son, three daughters, and seven grandchildren. Horn's wife is also a farmer. In his free time Horn enjoys doing exercises, taking care of his grandchildren, and doing house work. When he was young Horn fell off a truck and never saw a doctor after the accident. Over time, his right hip pain worsened and Khmer traditional medicine treatments did not improve his condition. When Horn arrived at our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), doctors noted his leg lengths are unequal and his right leg has limited range of motion. He cannot walk and is in pain. Fortunately, at CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Horn of his pain and allow him to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for December 24th, and Horn needs help raising $1,087 to pay for this procedure. Horn said, "I hope I can finally walk again after surgery so I can work without pain and support my family."