Joseph is a young boy from Uganda. He is the second born in a family of two children. His father is a boda boda taxi driver who transports luggage in and outside of their village for a living while his mother offers casual labor in one of the factories near their home. They rent a single room for shelter. His elder sibling is six years old and in top junior class and Joseph is in preschool class. Their home is a walking distance from our medical partner's care center Rushoroza Hospital. For one month, Joseph has had a left inguinal hernia. He developed a small on and off inguinal swelling that was painless. He is very playful and therefore it normally appears when he plays for a while. Currently, the swelling has increased in size and his father believes that his condition will continue to worsen if not treated. His family came to Rushoroza Hospital and after examination, the doctor recommended surgery, which the parents cannot afford. Fortunately, on January 10th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $170 to fund Joseph's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Joseph's father says, “My son is not well and feels uncomfortable when the swelling appears. I believe he will live a normal life after surgery so that he may be able to take on his studies comfortably.”

Margaret is a single mother of two children. She moved from Uganda to Kenya in search of a better livelihood. She works as a house help in Loresho area in Nairobi and lives in a one-room rental house costing about $35 a month. She has an immigrant identification card and cannot get national health insurance coverage within Kenya. Since two months ago, Margaret has been experiencing lower abdominal pains. She visited a nearby health facility and was treated for typhoid and ulcers. The pain did not end and she could feel a painful lump on her abdomen. She was forced to go back for a checkup and advised to visit Kijabe Hospital for a cancer review. Early this month a biopsy was ordered and results revealed a vaginal mass and squamous cell carcinoma. She urgently needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1260 to fund Margaret's surgery. On September 22nd, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Margaret will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Margaret says, “This news is tough but I am determined to battle the cancer.”

Sithoeun is a 43-year-old mother of two from Cambodia. Her husband works in construction, and she sells fruit from a cart on the back of her motorbike. At home, she enjoys watching TV in her free time. Three years ago, she noticed a mass growing on her nose. Over time it has gotten bigger, and she has even tried using whitening skin cream from her local market to make it go away. She has been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer, which needs removal surgically. She is concerned that the mass will grow bigger and lead to cancer. Sithoeun traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 6th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will remove the mass. Sithoeun needs help to raise $273 to fund this procedure. After surgery, she hopes we will remove the wound on her nose and look better.

Ivan is an 11-month-old baby who is very energetic. He is now at the crawling stage, and from the moment he arrived at our medical partner's care centre, Ivan has not stopped crawling from one point to another. Ivan lives with both his parents. His father is a small-scale farmer, and the sole provider for the family, while his mother stays at home taking care of household chores. He is very close to his mother, but also not afraid to meet new people. His mother enjoys watching him move around. She has struggled to find treatment for him since he was a newborn baby. When Ivan was born, his parents tried their best to pay for his treatment, but halfway through the treatment plan, they could not afford to pay anymore. Ivan has clubfoot of his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and wearing shoes as he grows. Fortunately, Ivan's family came to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on November 8th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Ivan's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily when he grows up. Ivan’s mother says, “my biggest wish is to see my son learn how to stand and eventually start walking.”

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.

Titus is a hardworking 24-year-old from Kenya. He is the only child to his single mother, who sells tea and porridge at the market. Due to their financial situation, Titus was compelled to drop out of high school and do casual labor jobs to support his mother. Together with his mother, they live in his uncles’ home who is a small-scale farmer. Titus also helps his uncle with farm work. A month ago, Titus fell at work and his hand was cut by a sharp object. Titus went to a nearby facility where his wound was sutured because the fracture was open, and a splint was applied in order to stabilize the fracture. Now he cannot work using his hand and therefore he depends entirely on his mother. When he realized that there was no improvement of his injury, Titus visited a nearby facility where he was referred to our medical partner's care center Kapsowar Hospital. On physical examination, the surgeon told him that he required an urgent surgery in order to repair his tendon and fix his fracture which had taken time to heal. Titus has no medical insurance and is worried about how he can pay for the care he needs. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On September 27th, Titus will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. Titus will be able to go back to his work and continue to earn a living. He will be able to assist his mother. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $941 to fund this procedure. Titus says, “I get my income through working with my hands. Now that I cannot use them, I feel so bad. I don’t want to burden my mother who is also struggling. Kindly help me.”

Silvanus is a 2-month-old baby boy who has brought much joy to his family. His father is a boda-boda (motorcycle for hire) driver, and his mother is a local food vendor. Silvanus was born with clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Silvanus's parents did not seek treatment when he was born because the doctor who delivered him told his parents that the condition usually corrects with time. They have been waiting for his legs to improve as he gets older, but they see no improvement and are worried. They started talking to people in their community about how they can help their child, and were advised to take Silvanus to another hospital for diagnosis. They have tried their best to save money for their son’s treatment, but meeting the family's basic needs make it challenging. Fortunately, Silvanus traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Silvanus's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will heal and be able to walk normally and wear shoes as he grows up. Silvanus's mother says, “I wish my son's feet will be like other babies’ feet and he will grow up to have a normal life."

Vorn is a 78-year-old retired rice farmer. He has one son, one daughter, and five precious grandchildren. He lives with his wife and youngest daughter, who works as a waitress in a restaurant. Since Vorn can no longer work in the rice fields due to limited vision, he enjoys listening to the news on the radio or visiting his local pagoda to hear the chanting of the monks. A year ago, Vorn developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him burry vision and light sensitivity. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he cannot go out on his own. When Vorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 1st, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund Vorn's procedure. Vorn says: "After surgery, I hope I can see better and recognize faces. I want to help my wife with the housework so she doesn't have to do it all."

Abigaelle is an 18-month-old infant from Haiti. She has two siblings: one brother and one sister. She is a happy and cheerful baby who loves to smile and play! Abigaelle 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, Abigaelle has been experiencing an increase in head circumference. Without treatment, Abigaelle will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Abigaelle at Hospital Bernard Mevs to treat her hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 13th. This critical treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Abigaelle's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, she will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Abigaelle's family shares that they are looking forward to their child being healthy.

Prayer is a bright 10-year-old student from Uganda. She is in primary school in grade five. Prayer loves playing netball, and she is very active in her church's events. Prayer is the youngest of eight children, and her siblings are also studying in school. Her parents are small-scale farmers, with their produce primarily used for family consumption. Prayer has been experiencing swelling in her submandibular glands, which is a gland located beneath the floor of the mouth. Recently, her symptoms have worsened, and the pain makes it challenging for her to eat. Prayer is also unable to attend school due to this condition, which is impacting her ability to complete her school term. Prayer was referred to our medical partner's care center for review, where doctors diagnosed her condition as macrocystic lymphatic lymphangioma and determined she will need to undergo surgery to heal Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On November 8th, surgeons will remove the mass. AMH is requesting $188 to fund this procedure. Prayer's mother says, “I will be happy when my daughter is treated for this condition and she becomes normal again. I believe that she will go back to school after treatment."

Phana is an active ten-year-old boy. He has three brothers and three sisters, and his parents are rice farmers. Phana finished grade one in school, but was not able to continue due to his limited vision from congenital cataracts, so he stays home with his parents. At home, he likes to listen to cartoons and spend time with his siblings. From birth, Phana developed a cataract in each eye, causing him blurry vision, cloudiness, or lack of transparency, of his lens. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Phana learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for seven and a half hours seeking treatment. On October 24th, doctors will perform a lensectomy and then implant a new lens in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $443 procedure. His father said: "I hope after surgery my son can see well like his siblings and go to school again."