Vireak is a 26-year-old garment worker who has been married for one year. His wife also works in a garment factory. In his free time, Vireak enjoys playing football, snooker, listening to music, and meeting with his friends. Vireak was in a traffic accident in October 2019 and fractured his left femur. Doctors fixated a nail in his left leg to treat the fracture. Now, the bone is healed and the nail needs to be removed to prevent future complications and infections. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 2nd, Vireak will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. This procedure will allow him to be full recovered from his accident. Vireak says, "I hope my leg is without pain and I recover quickly so I can return to working and supporting my family."

Nop is a caring grandmother from Cambodia. She has two sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren. Her husband unfortunately passed away, so she now lives with her eldest daughter, who is a farmer. Nop enjoys spending her free time going to the mosque. Two years ago, Nop developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience eye tearing and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Nop learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for five and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 18th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Nop says, "I hope my eye can see well enough that I can help my daughter do housework, take care of my grandchildren, and visit the mosque on my own."

Tola is a 34-year-old with a younger brother and a younger sister. Tola's father works as a tuk tuk driver, and his mother sells vegetables at the market. In his free time, Tola enjoys playing football, drinking coffee with his friends, and reading the news. Tola was in a traffic accident last February that caused fractures to his right arm. He underwent fracture repair surgery at a local hospital, but even after the wound healed, he still cannot move his right wrist. He visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for help. Fortunately, on June 7th, surgeons at CSC will perform a tendon transfer procedure so he can regain use of his right arm. CSC is requesting $572 to fund this procedure. Tola was able to gather $100 to contribute to his medical care. Tola says, "I hope I can move my arm again after surgery, so I can return to work and support myself."

Vun is a 40-year-old construction worker who is married and has two daughters—a 13 year old and a 3 year old. Vun's wife works in a garment factory. In his free time, Vun enjoys listening to the radio, spending time with his daughters, and watching TV. In January, Vun was electrocuted in a workplace accident. His family took him to a hospital to have his wound dressed, and for a partial amputation of his left arm. These treatments cost the family $5,000. They shared with us that Vun had to leave the hospital when they ran out of money, even though he still needed additional care. After visiting a Khmer traditional healer, Vun sought treatment at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, where he underwent a partial amputation of his right arm. His right arm was also modified, to enable Vun to be able to use it in his daily activities. The wound on his right arm remains open, however, and a skin graft is required in order for it to heal properly. Children's Surgical Centre is seeking $487 to fund the skin graft procedure, which is scheduled for May 12th. Vun says: "I hope after surgery my wound will heal and I can gain back some function of my right arm."

Lhory, a 30-year-old woman from the Philippines, experienced severe right-side abdominal pain starting in January. She went to the closest hospital and was advised to undergo a whole abdominal ultrasound. The test showed that she has gallstones that need to be surgically removed. With her husband’s limited income as an Air Conditioner Technician, they’re unable to cover the cost of her treatment. Fortunately, she was able to reach out to our medical partner, the World Surgical Foundation Philippines. Lhory is now scheduled on May 3rd to undergo surgery to treat her condition. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,253 to cover the total cost of Lhory’s procedure and care. After her recovery, Lhory will no longer experience severe abdominal pain or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. “My current condition hinders me from doing my usual day-to-day chores. My condition makes it hard for me to bend, sit or lift objects," Lhory shared. "We don’t have the capacity to finance my surgery. So, I’d like to thank the World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi for helping me. I hope that after this surgery, I can fully take care of my family again,” says Lhory.

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!"

Nathalia is a crafty and creative seven-year-old from Bolivia who just completed first grade. She lives with her parents and one younger sister. Some of Nathalia's favorite activities include creating artwork and making crafts! Nathalia was born with an atrial septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole instead of flowing properly through her body, leaving her feeling weak and short of breath. Fortunately, Nathalia is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 27th with the support of our long-standing medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance, which is now growing and expanding into Bolivia. Surgeons will close the hole with a patch, allowing blood to properly flow through her body and improving her quality of life. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $2,500 to pay for a portion of Nathalia's procedure costs. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to cover the remaining costs, which cover surgical expenses, cardiac exams, medications, and travel fees so Nathalia and her family can travel to receive her life-changing cardiac procedure in La Paz. Nathalia's mother shares, "Ever since we learned our daughter was sick, we have been praying every day for this surgery, and we are so glad our prayers are about to be answered!"

Rayvan is a 1 month old baby boy living with his parents and three siblings in Kenya. Rayvan's mother used to plough her neighbors' farms, while his father herds cattle and ploughs farms to earn a living for their family. Rayvan parents shared that he was born at home because they could not afford to pay for his delivery at a hospital. After his birth, his mother noticed that Rayvan had a large swelling on the lower part of his back. She immediately took him to a nearby hospital to be examined. Rayvan was given some medication, and sent back home. After using the medication for a few weeks, there was no change in his condition. His mother shared her concerns about Rayvan with her friends, and one of them referred her to our medical partner's care center BethanyKids Hospital in Kijabe. On arrival, he was examined and diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition that requires surgical intervention to heal. Without surgery, Rayvan is at risk of developing paralysis of his lower limbs, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, and possible developmental delays. His parents do not have health insurance, and are unable to pay for the surgery he needs. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,151 to cover the cost of Rayvan's spina bifida closure surgery, which is scheduled to take place on May 18th at BethanyKids Hospital. This procedure will hopefully spare Rayvan from the risks associated with his condition, and enable him to grow up strong and healthy. Rayvan’s mother says: “I have never seen such a condition before and I was very much worried about my child. Now I’m happy to hear that he can get treated. The sad part is that I cannot afford the treatment but I believe that God will make a way.”

Daw Nwe is a 61-year-old woman from Thailand. Originally from Mon State, Burma, she moved in with her sister’s family in Thailand in January 2022, when her vision worsened and she did not have anyone to take care of her at home. In her free time, she enjoys watching videos about Buddhism, reading books about Buddhism and praying. She has cataracts and she can can only perceive darkness and light with her left eye. The vision in her right eye is slightly better as she can still see a bit, but her vision is blurry and she needs help from her family for daily personal activities. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Daw Nwe. On April 25th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Daw Nwe's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Daw Nwe said, “I am very happy when I think about how my vision will be restored. I am thankful to all the donors and the organisation [BCMF] for helping me receive eye surgery.”

Medius is a farmer from southwestern Uganda and a mother to five children. She lost her husband in 2008 and became the sole provider for her family. Medius shared that the limited income from her small-scale farming meant she could not afford the school fees to educate her children past primary school. Nonetheless, she is glad all of them are now grown with some already having families of their own. Ten years ago, Medius began to experience troubling symptoms, including fatigue, breathing problems, and difficulty swallowing. She was diagnosed with a goiter. Upon learning about our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), she came in for review, and doctors determined she will need to undergo surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Fortunately, AMH is able to help Medius receive treatment to finally heal. On March 29th, she will undergo a thyroidectomy, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family requested assistance raising the funds. Medius says, “I have had several issues with my condition. I wish this burden can be relieved from me, and I can resume farming.”

Jackson is a fifteen-year-old student and the last-born child to his mother. He has a large family, as is common in the Maasai community where he lives. Jackson is a very hard-working boy both at home and at school. He is social and self-driven. He shared that most boys his age don’t like school or don’t get the chance to attend school, but not Jackson! His favorite subjects are Physics, Swahili, and History. He wishes to be a teacher in the future to help educate his community. Jackson is a big football fan, but he had to stop playing because his legs started hurting and it has gotten difficult for him to walk. Jackson was diagnosed with Bilateral Genu Varus, where both of his legs are curving outwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, he experiences pain and difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Jackson. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 22nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Jackson's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Jackson says, "My legs have made walking very difficult due to the pain. I would like to walk to school without difficulty and enjoy playing sports and helping my parents."