Yeu is a 44-year-old mother of two. She lives in Kampong Thom province with her husband and two daughters, who are both high school students. Her husband is a rice a farmer and fisherman in the off-season. Yeu works full-time at a fruit cart in her village. When not at work, she likes to watch TV and be with her family. Ten year ago, Yeu had an ear infection. This infection caused her left ear drum to perforate. For this reason, Yeu experiences pain, severe tinnitus, discharge, and hearing loss. She cannot communicate clearly with her family and customers, and experiences almost constant discomfort. Yeu traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On January 26th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her left ear, where surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She said,"I hope when I have an operation my hearing will improve and I won't have pain anymore."

Irenea is a 60-year woman from the Philippines. She takes care of her grandchildren and helps with household chores. Her daughter, a vendor, and her son-in-law, a baker, support the family financially. In February 2022, Irenea began to experience troubling symptoms, including intermittent fever and episodes of blood in the urine. She sought a medical checkup and underwent an ultrasound test. The test revealed that she was suffering from gallstones. She opted to take medicine in the hopes that it would cure her condition. Unfortunately, her condition seemed to worsen over time. Irenea has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Irenea is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on December 16th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $826 to cover the cost of Irenea's surgery and care. "This treatment is almost impossible for our mother to receive. Our financial resources are insufficient, so we're incapable to pay for her hospital bill," Irenea's daughter shared tearfully. "To WATSI and World Surgical Foundation Philippines, thank you for this early Christmas gift! Our family is so happy to be one of your beneficiaries," she added.

Meet Venensia, a cool and outgoing primary school teacher from Uganda. She teaches at a private school, and her husband works in the boda boda business. They have three biological children and adopted their brother-in-law’s two children after he passed away. As the income from private teaching is limited, Venensia and her husband also practice small-scale farming to supplement their income. In her free time, Venensia shared that she enjoys taking care of her family by cooking, cleaning, and washing. Venensia’s previous deliveries were all via a cesarean section. She is expecting a new baby soon, and her doctors recommend that she deliver via a cesarean section again to avoid any possible complications. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Venensia undergo a C-Section on March 21st. AMH is requesting $252 to fund the procedure. Vanensia said: “We are struggling financially as a family. With the little income we have, we have a lot of dependents and still have to push. We request your support for the success of our delivery.”