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."

Trizah is an 18-month-old baby girl who is especially playful around her mother. Trizah lives with her parents and three siblings in Kenya, where her mother works as a casual laborer washing clothes, and her father is employed at a welding workshop. Because of the hydrocephalus she was diagnosed with early on, Trizah has already undergone more than three surgeries in her young life. She had a shunt insertion procedure done a few days after her birth, which needed to be revised in May 2022. Her hydrocephalus has worsened, requiring the placement of two external ventricular drains in 2023. Sadly, the revised shunt has failed, and Trizah is now in need of another surgery to have a new shunt inserted to drain the excess fluids in her brain and alleviate the intracranial pressure caused by the fluids. Trizah also needs surgery to stop the convulsions she has been experiencing, and prevent the severe physical and developmental delays that result from untreated hydrocephalus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $720 to cover the cost of the surgery to treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 22nd at BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. The excess fluid will be drained from Trizah's brain, reducing the intracranial pressure, and greatly improving her quality of life. With proper treatment, Trizah should develop into a strong and healthy young girl. Trizah’s mother says: “She has been having surgeries since birth. Her head is increasing in size, and she is experiencing scary convulsions. I just hope this treatment will help her to recover.”

Panha is a 19-year-old male from Cambodia who lives in Kampong Speu province. He is the second child in his family and has three siblings- two brothers and one sister. Due to his disability, he is currently unable to work. In January 2022, he was hit by a motorbike and fractured his right femur. He went to a government hospital and doctors used hardware to heal his fracture. Now that the fracture has closed, he would like to remove the hardware in order to increase his mobility and move with ease. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 3rd, Panha will undergo a hardware removal procedure. This procedure will help him fully rehabilitate his leg so he can find a job to support himself. Panha and his family need help raising $304 to fund his procedure. After the operation, he hopes that he will be able to return to his previous job or find a new one.

27-year-old Naw Lah lives with her husband, their two year old daughter, and other members of their extended family from Burma in a refugee camp across the Thai border. Naw Lah has a small mohinga shop, where she sells the traditional Burmese fish based soup. Her husband is a leader of their church meeting group. Naw Lah is currently expecting her second child. Because she delivered her first child via a Caesarean section - and because she is currently suffering from pre-eclampsia - a dangerous elevation of her blood pressure - her doctors recommend that she deliver via a C-section to ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Naw Lah undergo a C-section on May 17th, at Mae Sariang Hospital. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Naw Lah needs your support to raise this money. Naw Lah said: “Thank you BCMF and donors for helping me. I would love to relocate to another country for a better future for my babies. We are waiting for the chance to go.”

Huoy is a 18-year-old garment factory worker. Huoy has two brothers and one sister. Currently, Huoy lives with her mother who grows and sells vegetables. In her free time, Huoy helps her mom with housework and spends time on social media. In mid-December 2021, Huoy was in motorbike accident and fractured her left forearm. At a local hospital, she had a screw and plate fixed to the bone to heal her fracture. Now, The fracture has healed but she still have pain, and she is afraid it will get worse and affect her work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On January 12th, Huoy will undergo a fracture hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. Removal of the hardware will reduce pain, reduce risk of infection, and improve mobility and use of her arm. Huoy shared, "After the plate and screw are removed, I hope I can move my arm and work comfortably."

Yan is a 66-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has five sons and one daughter. Her husband passed away many years ago, so she lives alone close to her children. She enjoys cooking for her family and visiting the local pagoda to hear the chanting of the monks. In June 2022, Yan fell and dislocated her left elbow. She visited a Khmer traditional healer, but her elbow has remained numb and swollen. She has limited movement, is not able to use her arm, and is in chronic pain. When Yan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction of her left elbow. Yan needs assistance with the $485 cost of the surgery. After surgery, her pain will be healed and she will be able to use her arm again. Yan shared: "After surgery, I hope my left elbow will have no pain or swelling and I can cook for my family again."

Oo is a 52-year-old man from Burma, living with his wife and daughter. Oo's wife is a day laborer, while his daughter works as a salesperson in a store. Oo is unemployed because of health issues, but he enjoys growing vegetables, and guarding the entrance gate of the village. In the midst of the rainy season in July, Oo placed his belongings on a friend's bullock cart, and went to climb on top of the cart to ride. As he was preparing to climb onto the cart, it suddenly jerked forward, throwing Oo to the ground, and injuring his right arm. After a week had gone by, Oo, who was experiencing significant pain in his arm, traveled to a local free clinic, where he was given a shot to ease the discomfort. He was told that he would need to have the injury investigated further at a hospital in Yangon. In October, Oo's arm was X-rayed at the Karen Baptist Convention Hospital in Yangon, and it was determined that the bone in his arm had been broken, and had never healed properly. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Oo will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones on October 25th, at Karen Baptist Convention Hospital. This surgery will promote the complete and correct healing of the fracture, enabling Oo to lift his arm without pain, and to return to work. Oo needs your help to raise the $885 for this procedure. Oo said: “I am very worried that the doctor will not be able to treat me because I sought treatment so late. It is so difficult to go to Yangon because I live in a conflict area and there are a lot of travel restrictions."

Khine is a 17-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her mother, her older sister, and her uncle's family. She works as a domestic worker. Three months ago, she started to feel dizzy and have headaches. She had a CT scan at Mae Sot Hospital, which indicated she might have a brain tumor. Shine experiences headaches, dizziness, and sometimes vomits. She has also had seizures multiple times and weakness in her limbs. She has little appetite and has lost weight. Gradually, she is losing her ability to speak. Khine sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the tumor on February 3rd. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Her uncle said, "Although I am a man, I have cried for my niece. I even thought about selling one of my organs (for money), one of my kidneys perhaps, because we cannot afford to treat her. Thank you to all the donors for helping my niece. After she is treated, I want her to have a happy family, with a husband and children. I cannot wait to see my niece happy."

Busingye is a small retail shop owner. Busingye stays in a double-roomed rental house at a trading center where she uses the front room as a shop and the back room as her home with her husband and two children. She has great social skills and makes everyone laugh. Busingye holds a diploma in economics, but was unable to get a job in her profession so operates a small retail shop where she earns little profit. For some time now, Busingye has been experiencing bleeding, abdominal pain, backache, and other symptoms. She has been diagnosed with a premalignant cervical lesion and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Busingye's surgery. On September 27th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Busingye will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Busingye shared, “My doctors say if I don’t undergo surgery, it will become cancerous. This gets me worried but I hope with your support, I will be able to succeed.”

Shwe is a 24-year-old woman who lives with her family in Burma and enjoys listening to Burmese pop music! Shwe previously worked in a factory, but she had to stop working last December when her health began to deteriorate. Her brother and stepfather both work as agricultural day laborers, and her sister-in-law and mother are both homemakers. The rest of her siblings are all waiting for schools to reopen so they can return to their studies. The schools were closed in February of 2021 following the Mayanmar military coup. About a year and a half ago, Shwe began to experience pain in her chest, as well as fatigue. She initially did not think that her symptoms were serious, but this changed after she fainted at work a few months later. After receiving an echocardiogram, she was diagnosed with mitral valve, aortic valve, and tricuspid valve regurgitation, which are all cardiac conditions that occur when the specified valve does not close properly. As a result, she experiences difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat, a lack of appetite, and trouble sleeping. She also feels very tired when walking longer distances. Shwe now needs cardiac surgery to help alleviate her symptoms and allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. However, once the doctor told her and her family the cost of surgery, they left the hospital because they could not pay for Shwe's needed procedure. Fortunately, they happened to meet a taxi driver who kindly told them about our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). BCMF is now helping Shwe undergo cardiac surgery on August 12th at Pun Hlaing Hospital. Shwe and her family need your support to fund this $1,500 procedure. Shwe says, “When I recover fully, I will go back to work and work hard. I will save my money and support my family.”

Faith is a bright and ambitious 18-year-old from Kenya. She is the firstborn in a family of three children. Her mother works as a tailor, and her father is a pastor. Her favorite hobby is singing, especially singing gospel songs. She completed her O-level this year and aspires to continue her education and complete a course in beauty and therapy, which are other passions of hers. Faith has clubfoot of her left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Faith traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on July 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Faith's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk easily. Faith shares, “I am appealing for support from Watsi to help me undergo surgery so that I can resume a normal life like other people, as well as continue with my studies and achieve my passion.”