Kenan, who is two months old, lives in the mountains near La Paz, Bolivia. His father is a gardener, while his mother sells fruit door to door. Kenan was born with two holes in and near his heart: one between the heart's two lower chambers, and the other between two major blood vessels next to his heart. Blood leaks through these holes, making it difficult for him to breathe and to gain weight. As a result, Kenan has been hospitalized on oxygen and nutritional support since he was born. He also has Down syndrome. On August 4th, doctors at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría will sew the holes closed so that blood can no longer leak through them. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs of Kenan's surgery and care. Kenan's mother said: "Our family is praying that once Kenan's heart is fixed, he will finally be able to come home from the hospital!"

Leonardo is a 9-month-old boy who lives with his parents and older brother in a neighborhood of La Paz, Bolivia. His father is a maintenance worker and his mother is a homemaker. Leonardo was born with a heart condition called total anomalous pulmonary vein return. This means that the blood vessels between his lungs and heart connect to the heart at anatomically incorrect locations. As a result, his body cannot obtain enough oxygen, and he has required an external oxygen tank since he was born. Our medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) will perform a surgery to detach the blood vessels and reconnect them in their correct locations. HCA is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Leonardo's surgery scheduled for June 21st. Leonardo's mother shared, "We are all praying that after this surgery our son will be able to breathe normally."

Saw Ywa, who is an eight year old fourth grader, lives with his parents, his two sisters, and a brother, in Mae Ra Ma Luang Refugee Camp in Thailand. His mother helps at home, while his father works for an organization in the refugee camp. Saw Ywa loves to go to school, and to play football. When Saw Ywa was two months old, his mother noticed a concerning swelling. His parents brought him to the clinic in the refugee camp, where they were told to bring Saw Ywa back when he was five years old, and at an appropriate age for surgery they were told. Over time, Saw Ywa’s parents noticed that the swelling was increasing in size. He would also experience pain sometimes. is parents brought him back to the clinic, and after another examination, Saw Ywa was diagnosed with an irreducible inguinal hernia, which would require surgery. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,486 to fund the hernia repair surgery that Saw Ywa needs. The procedure is currently scheduled for May 18th, at Mae Sariang Hospital. After he has recovered, Saw Ywa should no longer suffer from the pain that he lives with now. He should also be able to walk comfortably, and to be free of the embarrassment he feels by the visible bulge in a sensitive area. Saw Ywa’s father said: “He loves to play football with his friends. But sometimes, he feels ashamed to play because his friends will make fun of him. I hope after surgery he will be free from discomfort and shame.”

Joemer is a hard-working street vendor from Philippines. He is the breadwinner in the family. He earns money by cooking and selling local delicacies and his earning of $4 daily is just enough to bring food to the table. In January 2020, Joemer began to experience troubling symptoms. He sought medical consultation and was told to undergo an ultrasound. The test showed that he has a 1.2cm gallstone. Due to the financial crisis, he decided to delay his treatment and opted to take pain relievers instead. His pain intensifies forcing him to be checked again by a surgeon. Joemer has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, his 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), Joemer is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 7th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Joemer's surgery and care. Joemer shared, "I'm truly grateful to WATSI and World Surgical Foundation Philippines for being one of your beneficiaries. Your hearts are so kind for helping out people like me who are sick but not capable of paying for our needed surgery."

Antonela, who is just two months old, lives in La Paz, Bolivia, with her parents and two older siblings. Antonela's parents both work as market vendors. Antonela was born with two heart defects: a hole between the two lower chambers of her heart, and a leak between two of the major vessels next to her heart. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, can help Antonela access the care that she needs. As she is too small and fragile to repair both conditions at the same time, surgeons at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría will first close the leak next to her heart on April 5th, allowing her to become stronger and more stable. Approximately one month later, Antonela will undergo a second heart surgery to close the hole inside her heart. She and her family need your support to raise the $1,500 for this critical procedure. Antonela's mother said: "Our family is all praying that after this surgery our daughter will be healthier and will start growing and gaining weight."

Caleb is a playful and talkative 3-year-old boy from Kenya. He is an only child, and his mother works as a casual laborer at a local hotel. Currently, due to his clubfoot, Caleb cannot stand without assistance. He can roll over, but cannot yet walk or crawl. Caleb has clubfoot in both feet, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This can cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Caleb traveled to visit our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, for treatment. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 14th. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,286 to fund Caleb's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to stand, walk and continue playing with other children. “I am appealing to people of goodwill to help my son undergo surgery to gain strength and walk on his feet,” Caleb's mother said.

Nine-year-old Thiri is a first-grader, living with her mother and two brothers in Burma. Her mother sells vegetables in a local shop, while Thiri and her brothers attend school. While playing with her friends in front of her house in early January 2023, Thiri tripped, and fell into a pile of rice sacks, injuring her left eye in the process. Immediately, she realized that she could not see out of her left eye. Over time, her eye injury became more painful, red, and sensitive to light. Eventually, when her eye did not heal, her mother brought her to Mae Sot Hospital, where she was diagnosed with traumatic glaucoma. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Thiri. On February 1st, doctors at Mae Sot General Hospital will remove the natural lenses from both of her eyes, and replace them with intraocular lens implants. Once she has recovered. Thiri will regain her ability to see clearly. Now she needs your help to fund this critical procedure. Thiri's mother said: "I want her to receive surgery and recover soon so that she [Thiri] can go back to school and I can go back to work. I want her to be rich in the future, not like me, and own her own shop, because she likes to cook."

Meet Gianna, a lovely, four year old girl from Kenya. Gianna lives with her grandmother, while her mother works at a local hotel, and her father is a casual laborer on construction sites. Gianna was born with Osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. A child born with this condition has soft bones that break easily. Gianna has never walked, and lives in near constant pain. When she did try to walk using support, she fractured some bones. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is here to help Gianna access the care that she needs. On January 16th Gianna will undergo a procedure at AIC Cure International Hospital, that will provide greater support for Gianna's bones, and which may even enable her to gain sufficient strength to walk. Gianna's family is seeking your support to fund the $1,224 needed to pay for the surgery. Gianna's grandmother said: "Gianna has never walked, and my desire is to see her walk like other children. Your financial support to help her undergo surgery will be greatly appreciated."

Kenenitu is a young child from Ethiopia. She is a beautiful baby who loves playing with other children. She developed bowel obstruction and an emergency colostomy surgery was done at our medical partner's care center BKMCM. The condition and care has been challenging for Kenenitu and her mother who has been affected psychologically. Kenenitu's mother is a single mom with four children. Her brother stepped in to help raise the children as her husband has left without support. Before giving birth to Kenenitu, her mother used to make injera, an Ethiopian cuisine, for a living. Currently, she is not working. The family received logistical support from an NGO to arrive at the hospital and Kenenitu's mother is staying at another NGO in Addis Ababa for medical follow-up and accommodation. Due to their financial situation, the family cannot afford the medical bills for Kenenitu's treatment. Kenenitu's mother has struggled emotionally with her daughter's condition. She said, "I wondered what was going to happen to her. I used to cry a lot and I was not in my normal mental condition. But when I heard that she could be treated, my hope was restored and I felt better." Kenenitu was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Kenenitu is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on December 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Kenenitu's procedure and care. After her recovery, Kenenitu will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Kenenitu's mother said, "After receiving treatment, I hope she will start making stool... I want to take her to school and educate her."