Remedan is a baby from Ethiopia. He is a sweet baby boy who is the fourth child to his parents, and he loves to play with balloons and squeeze toys. He has started weaning, and he loves Plumpy Nut, a nutrition supplement donated by the Ethiopian government for underweight and malnourished children. Since he got the donation, his weight has improved and is now in an expected range which is a relief for his parents. Remedan's dad is a small-scale farmer and dropped out of school in grade seven. He had to sell his land when he went to the city for treatment for his son. Remedan's mom, who is a homemaker, heard about our medical partner BKMCM from a neighbor who lived nearby and who got her child treatment at BKMCM. She traveled all the way to the hospital from her home town with her dad and they now stay in the Missionaries of Charity for accommodation since they can’t afford hotels and transport costs. Remedan developed a bowel obstruction and had an emergency colostomy. He has had multiple issues with his colostomy and associated complications. His family shared that they have suffered throughout the entire process but are hopeful that things will improve. Remedan's condition means he cannot make a stool. His mom and dad are very sad and worried about their son. Remedan still requires additional surgery to complete his treatment; his family is appealing for financial support. Remedan's surgery is scheduled for October 31st and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of Remedan's procedure and care. After his recovery, Remedan will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. His mom said, "I hope my child will get treatment, and I hope he will heal well after the treatment."

55-year-old Leonida lives with her partner and her son in the Philippines. She is a vegetable vendor, while her partner works as a part-time tricycle driver. In 2022, Leonida began to experience troubling symptoms, including easy fatigability and abdominal pain. Despite the discomfort of living with these symptoms, she was reluctant to seek medical attention due to financial constraints. However, as her symptoms worsened, she was compelled to consult a doctor. After undergoing some tests, she was diagnosed with chronic calculous cholecystitis- an inflamed gallbladder, complicated by gallstones. Leonida has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If her condition is 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), Leonida is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on April 18th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, but Leonida and her family need help to raise the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Leonida's surgery and care. Leonida said: "Whenever the pain attacks, it would last for a week, and I had nothing else to do but to put up with it since we're poor and can't afford the treatment. This free surgery is truly helpful to me. To WATSI and World Surgical Foundation Philippines, I can't thank you enough for your generosity. May you continue helping people like me."

Negash, who is five years old, is the youngest of the six children in his family. Their family lives in rural Ethiopia, where his parents are farmers who grow wheat and barley. Additionally, they work as daily laborers on government construction projects to earn extra money to support their family. A few years ago, Negash's parents learned that he had been born with hypospadias, a congenital condition that causes urinary dysfunction. The doctors at the hospital in Sekota told the family that Negash would need to return for treatment when he turned four years old. As the hospital in Sekota could not perform the procedure required to address Negash's condition, a social worker accompanied the family to Addis Ababa, helping to cover all of their travel costs. However, the family needs money to pay for the surgery that Negash must have in order to prevent him from higher risk of cancer and infertility, and other worrying symptoms in the future. Fortunately, Negash is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 30th at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Negash's father said: “I want my son to be completely well. I hope he will be well educated and become a president.”

David is a 24-year-old male from Kenya. He is the last born in a family of four children raised by his mother. He works at a timber workshop near his home. In June 2020, David was involved in an accident where he was hit from the side by a motorbike. He was taken to the nearest public hospital and received emergency care. An x-ray revealed that he had an open right tibia fracture that needed surgery. Following his initial surgery, he has since had several additional surgeries due to the severity of the injury. In October 2022, he was referred to the care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, run by our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), for specialized review and care. His doctors quickly realized that he still walks with a limp, and his ankle is stiff with bloody discharge from the incision site. His doctors determined that a deeper examination was needed, and he ended up having a hardware removal surgery. However, the region where the fracture occurred is still severely infected, and he risks losing his right leg due to the infection. The doctors have recommended an additional procedure to remedy the remaining issues and clean the infection. Fortunately, AMH has scheduled David for a second-stage bone transport in hopes of avoiding amputation and helping him walk again. AMH is requesting $1,500 to fund the procedure and provide for David's post-operative care. David says, “I feel exhausted and worried. I am unable to walk despite having several surgeries. I hope this surgery [helps] to save my leg.”

Meet Dennis, a 12 year old boy living in Kenya with his parents and two younger siblings. When Dennis isn't in school - where math is his favorite subject - he enjoys playing with friends and reading books. Dennis' father works as a casual laborer, while his mother is a housewife. Dennis was healthy at birth, but at the age of two, his left foot started to bend inwards. His parents brought him to numerous hospitals, but his condition remained unresolved. This is very frustrating for Dennis, who has to walk on tiptoes, and is in pain when he walks. Doctors at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, diagnosed Dennis with a clubfoot. Now he is scheduled to undergo clubfoot repair surgery at AIC Cure International Hospital on January 16th. This procedure which will allow Dennis to wear shoes and to walk with ease. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,286 to fund Dennis' life changing procedure. “Our joy will be to see Dennis walking and playing like other children,” Dennis’s mother told us.

Hannah is a 70-year-old mother of seven children. She is a widow who lost her husband ten years ago. She is a small-scale tea farmer and relies on her children for upkeep and survival. For eight months, Hannah has been experiencing abnormal bleeding and pelvic pain. She has been diagnosed with endometrial cancer. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Although supportive, her children are unable to raise the funds required for her procedure. She had one cow that she sold to pay for a biopsy, treatment and fare to the facility. However, she is requesting financial support for her surgery cost. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping raise $1260 to fund Hannah's surgery. On December 16th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Hannah will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Hannah says, "I am old now and fragile. This cancer has depleted my financial resources and affected my health. I need the surgery to avoid the spread of the cancer.”