Tsion is a curious 22-month-old from Ethiopia. She is the youngest in her family of six children. Tsion loves to play with her mother and other kids and always enjoys eating eggs or drinking milk. Tsion’s father passed away when she was a month old. Tsion’s mother had to close her business to care for Tsion and ask her community for support in caring for her other five children. Tsion has developed an intestinal obstruction and underwent a colostomy at our medical partner’s care center. She was born with a birth condition that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. Tsion needs to undergo a series of procedures to correct bowel dysfunction. Fortunately, on December 16th, she will undergo surgery to correct this condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Tsion’s procedure and care. After her recovery, Tsion will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Tsion’s mother said: “After receiving treatment, I hope she will start making stool normally, and I can’t wait for that day. I know that will change her life for good for her future. People and friends who know me and love me have called me names and disgraced me. But I hope I will stand in front of everyone and my church to give thanks to God and a testimony.”

Emmanuel is a 17-year-old student from Haiti who hopes to become a doctor. He lives with his aunt and uncle in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince so that he can more easily attend school, as his parents live in the countryside. Emmanuel has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation, which means one of his heart valves was severely damaged from an infection he experienced in early childhood. In 2017, Emmanuel underwent heart surgery to repair his existing valve. This surgery stabilized his heart for several years, but the valve remains unable to pump blood adequately throughout his body. Emmanuel needs to undergo a second surgery to replace the valve with a prosthetic heart valve. Emmanuel will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment, as this surgery is unavailable in Haiti. On November 10th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove the damaged heart valve and implant a replacement valve. An organization called Mitral Foundation is contributing $8,000 to pay for help pay for surgery. Emmanuel's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Emmanuel's family overseas. Emmanuel shared, "I am looking forward to growing stronger and having much more energy after my surgery!"

Thanh is from Kampot province in Cambodia, and he and his wife are durian fruit farmers. They have a three-year-old daughter. In his free time, Thanh enjoys exercising, playing chess, and fishing. He also enjoys taking walks with his wife and daughter along the river. In January 2020, Thanh was in a motorbike collision and fractured his right tibia. He had an open reduction with an external fixation device at a local hospital, which was removed several months later. Unfortunately, the surgical site has become infected, with an exposed tibial bone. Thanh has chronic pain and cannot rid himself of the infection. He is unable to walk and feels ashamed that his wife must do much of the management of their small farm that supports their family. Thanh and his family traveled three hours to Children's Surgical Centre, where surgeons recommended debridement of the infected wound and a reverse sural flap. This technique is used to reconstruct defects in the lower part of the leg. Now, Thanh needs help with the $991 cost of this treatment. The cost includes surgery, medications, hospital care, and post-op rehabilitation. Thanh's wife shared: "My husband has been unable to walk or work for more than two years, which has been hard on our family. I hope that the doctors can fix his leg so he can walk well again and help manage the farm."

Chouliya is an eight-year-old student from Cambodia who is in second grade. To support their family, her mother sells goods at a local market, and her father works as a construction worker. Chouliya enjoys studying Khmer in school. She also loves spending time playing games with her sister. Her favorite meal is roast duck with cold milk. For the past two years, Chouliya has been experiencing a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Her mother shares that she also snores every night. Her family sought treatment from a private clinic, but Chouliya's condition unfortunately still has not improved. She often experiences fevers, inflammation, and a lack of appetite. She was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids. If her condition is left untreated, her symptoms will persist and possibly intensify over time. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Chouliya receive treatment. On July 12th, surgeons at CSC will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Chouliya of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. Now, she and her family need help raising $265 to fund her procedure and care. Chouliya's mother shares, "I hope that her sore throat goes away and she has a better appetite."

Yves is a young man from Haiti. He lives with his parents and sister in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; they have been caring for him since he fell ill about five years ago. Prior to his illness, he worked as a clerk for a local business. Yves has a cardiac condition called severe rheumatic mitral insufficiency. One of the four valves of his heart was severely damaged by a rheumatic fever that he suffered a number of years ago, and cannot adequately pump blood through his heart and body. The care Yves is not available anywhere in Haiti, so Yves will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On September 12th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $9000 to pay for surgery. Yves's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It will also pay for the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Yves's family overseas, and the cost of obtaining Yves' passport. Says Yves: "I am hopeful that I can get back to a healthy and independent life once my heart problem is fixed!"

Janet is a hardworking mother of two from the Philippines. To support their family, she works as a merchandiser, and her partner works as an on-call construction worker. Janet has been diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2013, she discovered a mass on her right breast and underwent surgery to remove it, but the mass unfortunately reoccurred in 2015. However, this time there was a mass on each of her breasts. When she was finally able to seek medical care, an ultrasound showed that the masses have grown in size and need to be surgically removed. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Janet receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a mastectomy on August 13th at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising $983 to cover the remaining amount. After treatment, Janet will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Janet shared, "This free surgery is a big help for me. We don't have to worry about my medical expenses anymore. Thank you so much Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines for your help!"

Hiram, an eleven year old boy, lives in Mombasa county in Kenya. He is the lastborn in a family of three and has two sisters. He is raised by a single mother who sells fish for their daily living. Hiram is in grade five and was born with club feet, which he lived with until this year. He had never been to any hospital for help until they heard about CURE hospital's mobile clinic in Mombasa. Fortunately, Hiram was able to undergo treatment for his right foot last September and the surgery was successful. Hiram is so happy to have undergone the first surgery on his right foot and is optimistic that even his left foot will be corrected well now too. Hiram is scheduled to undergo surgery for his left foot at our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital on July 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Hiram's clubfoot repair. The treatment will be of great impact to him because he will finally be able to put on both shoes, walk confidently, play football (which he is very excited for) and continue with his studies uninterrupted. “I am grateful to the donors for providing support to pay for my right foot which has healed well. I am looking forward to walking, playing with my friends, and continuing with school,” Hiram told us.