Meet Brian: a four year old boy, he second and last born in his family. Brian recently graduated from pre-school and is to join middle-class this year which he is extremely happy about. His mother told us that he likes carpentry work. “Whenever Brian sees a hammer and nails, he will utilize them to the maximum," his mother told us. The family hails from Maji Mazuri village, Eldama Ravine town in Nakuru county. His mother is a housewife while the father is a farmer. Brian was born with a condition known as genu valgus on his right side. His mother thought he was suffering from rickets and went to a nearby hospital where they were referred to Watsi partner CURE hospital for specialized care. Brian is unable to walk well; his right foot knocks the left and thus hinders his mobility. Surgery will be of great help to him as it will help him walk and he will be able to continue with his studies without any difficulty. The family has applied to the National Health Insurance Fund for funding several times, but all were rejected. “I am kindly seeking for support to help my child undergo surgery,” Brian’s mother told us.

Nasma is a ten year old girl from Tanzania who has had a challenging health background since she was young. When she was one year old, Nasma's ability to walk and talk was affected. This was followed by increased head size due to fluid accumulation in the brain. Nasma previously had surgery and she recovered well, albeit with slow growth. Unfortunately in 2016, she fell sick again and was in a coma for 6 weeks. Her parents had lost hope and thought she would pass away. However, she made a remarkable improvement and further needed hydrocephalus care. Her parents were not able to settle the hospital bill and went back to the village. With a continuous head migraine, Nasma's parents brought her to our medical partner in June 2019 where she had VPS shunt insertion with Watsi donor support. Later in December 2019, she was brought back with complaints of cries and head migraine. Upon review and several days of observations, the surgeons recommended a shunt revision to reduce intracranial pressure. She is in much pain, neither able to walk nor talk. The surgery will greatly reduce the pain and chances of brain damage. Nasma's parents are peasants who rely on subsistence farming to make ends meet. They had to borrow bus fare to reach our facility. Nasma has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Nasma has been experiencing Increased head circumference and persistent pain. Without treatment, Nasma will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $728 to cover the cost of surgery for Nasma that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 2nd and will drain the excess fluid from Nasma's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. Nasma’s mother says, “Please help my daughter get this treatment so that she may even be able to smile and talk again.”

Sao is a 56-year-old father of seven from Cambodia. He has five sons, two daughters, and ten grandchildren. He enjoys listening to the radio, feeding the farm animals. and looking after his grandchildren in his spare time. In October 2019, Sao had an accident while working out in the rice fields, fracturing his right knee. He experiences pain and swelling, and cannot extend his leg or walk without support. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On December 11th, Sao will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $430. Surgery will help Sao to walk easily on his own again. "I hope that my knee surgery will go well and I will no longer have any pain and will be able to walk and return to work again," share Sao.