Juley is a 16-month-old baby from Haiti. He lives with his parents who are market vendors, and his grandparents in a small village near the capital. He is a very cheerful and curious child. Juley has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. Two separate holes exist in and near his heart: one between the two lower chambers of his heart, and a second between two major blood vessels next to the heart. Blood leaks through these holes, leaving him weak and short of breath. Juley will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 2nd, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew the holes closed so that blood can no longer leak through them. Another organization is contributing funds to pay for surgery. Juley's family needs help funding the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, checkups, and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Juley's family overseas. Juley's mother says: "Our family will be praying for everyone who is helping our son become healthy!"

Anthony is an 18-month-old toddler who lives with his parents and an older sibling in Uganda. Anthony's parents are small-scale farmers, primarily growing food crops for sustenance. Since he was born, Anthony has had inguinal hernia, a condition in which soft tissue bulges through a weak point in the abdominal muscles. According to his mother, the swelling had worsened in pain in the last six months, causing Anthony to experience more discomfort when he cried, which was also very worrisome for her. She had previously not sought treatment due to lack of funds. However, as the condition worsened, she decided to take him to hospital where upon review, surgery was recommended. If left untreated, the condition may lead to strangulation, cutting off blood flow to the tissue that is trapped, which could be life threatening. Despite their farming efforts, Anthony's family is unable to afford the medical bills required for their son's surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Anthony receive treatment. On April 9th, surgeons at Karoli Lwanga Hospital in Nyakibale will perform a hernia repair surgery to relieve his symptoms and allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Anthony's family needs help to fund this $230 procedure. Anthony’s mother says, “I will be grateful when my son gets this surgery done and feels comfortable, so that I can resume farming work and support our livelihood.”

Enita comes from Ntcheu District and is a widow who lost her husband in 2011. She has 6 children of which the first four are married while the last two are aged 18 and 16 respectively. She is a farmer who is also supported by her last two children. Enita is grateful when she has time to rest and enjoys eating anything available. Enita was well until 10 years ago when she noted a small lump on the right side of her neck that was not painful. She did not bother visiting the hospital since this problem did not affect her daily activities. As time passed, the lump kept on growing bigger and bigger though without pain up until December 2023 when she shared that things got out of hand with her condition. She noted a blister that was very painful and affected her daily activities. She decided to visit her son who lives in the city of Lilongwe where different tests were done, and a diagnosis of goiter was made at Kamuzu Central Hospital. She was then referred to our medical partner's care center Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) for further management. Currently, she is experiencing pains from the scratched wound on her neck, neck heaviness, and frequent coughs that have affected her daily activities. On January 19th, Enita met the surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis of right goiter and the need for surgical intervention called thyroidectomy, which is the removal of part of the thyroid gland. Enita was referred to the Watsi program for assessment due to her financial instability. After a thorough assessment, she was eligible and thanks everyone for their consideration. Her daughter-in-law is helping commit some funds for her treatment support and their family needs help raising $1,015. Enita believes that the surgery will help her get better and continue to live a normal life. She shared, “Kindly help me. I need my peace of mind.”