Bariki is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. As a baby he was diagnosed with meningitis, a bacterial infection of the thin covering protecting the brain and spinal cord. The infection was causing a bacterial brain abscess and hydrocephalus. He was prescribed antibiotics to treat the infection and received a shunt insertion to drain the fluid from his brain. However, he continued having breathing problems, and was diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which were immediately removed. A month after returning home, Bariki's fevers returned. Doctors believed it was a shunt failure and infection. The shunt was replaced, and he was given another round of medication. All seemed well for a few months, but now, the shunt isn't draining enough fluid and the infection symptoms are back. Bariki’s father is an iron fabricator and welder, and his mother left her job to care for Bariki. His parents have spent all of their savings and sold most of their belongings to pay for Bariki's previous surgeries. They can't afford the medical bills necessary to treat their son. Bariki's mother was advised to seek help from Watsi from a neighbor whose child had received treatment before. On June 27, Bariki will receive hydrocephalus treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $728 to fund the surgery. “Please help my son get better," said Bariki's mother. "We have been from hospital to hospital, and sold most of what we owned, but we no longer have any way to pay for Bariki’s surgery.”

Gritlie is a four-year-old girl who lives with her parents and three siblings in Haiti. Her father is a teacher and her mother works at home. Gritlie goes to preschool and enjoys playing with her friends and watching cartoons. Gritlie was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sick and short of breath. Have a Heart Cayman is contributing $17,000 to the cost of Gritlie's heart surgery. And although Watsi has already funded Gritlie's [transportation](https://watsi.org/profile/08e136f72108-gritlie) to the hospital, she is still in need of $1,500 to cover medications, labs, exams, and surgery preparation. "We are all praying that Gritlie's surgery goes well and that she will become healthy afterward," says Gritlie's mother.

Said is a 54-year-old farmer from rural Malawi. He lives with his wife, and together they have nine children. When Said isn't farming, he weaves mats to sell. For over a year, Said has had difficulty urinating, causing him pain and making it difficult for him to work. He has been diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate. He is relieved that he finally has an opportunity to receive the treatment he needs. Said will undergo prostate surgery on August 15 and is now seeking financial assistance to cover his treatment costs. "I give thanks. I need to be free," shares Said.