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."

Sothea is a 55-year-old food vendor. She is a loving mother to two sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. Sothea’s husband passed away many years ago, and now she lives with her youngest daughter who works in a garment factory. When she’s not helping her daughter with the house, Sothea likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Sothea developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her tearing, photophobia and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Sothea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled there hoping for treatment. On October 13th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs your help to fund this $253 procedure. She said, "After surgery, I hope my vision can improve so I can go outside again without trouble, take care of myself and help my daughter with my grandchildren."

Den is a 47-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He and his wife have two sons and one daughter. Their oldest son is married, while the other two children are still students. The family grows rice in the rainy season. In his free time, Den likes to watch boxing on television and listen to the radio. In December 2018, Den fractured his right arm in a motor vehicle accident. He underwent an open reduction/internal fixation procedure at a local hospital, where a plate and screws were placed to stabilize the broken bone. Unfortunately, it has been several years, and he still feels poorly. The hardware is chronically infected and requires debridement. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On September 6th, Den will undergo a hardware removal procedure at CSC's care center, which will resolve the chronic infection and help him to use his arm again. Now, he needs help raising $304 to fund his procedure and care. Den shared, "after surgery, I hope my right arm will have no pain or infection, and I can support my family again."

Hser is an 11-year-old student from Thailand who is in sixth grade. He lives with his parents and three brothers, all of whom attend school, in a refugee camp. His father is on the school committee at the camp, and his mother occasionally works as an agricultural day laborer outside of the refugee camp. Hser enjoys going to school, attending church, and praying. In his free time, he also likes playing games on his parents’ phone. This past June, Hser slipped on the mud under his house and landed on his left arm and shoulder. Although he initially felt fine, he developed pain and swelling in his left arm and shoulder a week later. He was diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder and a fractured upper arm. However, after visiting another hospital, his doctor suspected he might have osteomyelitis, or inflammation of the bone, in his left upper arm. Doctors want Hser to undergo an MRI, an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $814 to cover the cost of Hser's MRI and care, which is scheduled for August 4th. Hser shares, “I would like to become a pastor when I grow up.”

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.

Nelvis is a very playful baby boy and the only child in his family. He was born when his mother was still a student in secondary school, form three. She had to take a break from her studies for some time to take care of her newborn baby. They do not receive any support from his father. Early this year, she resumed schooling and Nelvis is under the care of her aunt. When he was born, Nelvis' mother first noticed that something seemed different for Nelvis and his aunt also shared the concern. Nelvis’ grandmother advised them to bring him to BethanyKids Hospital for treatment. Upon arrival, he was examined and diagnosed with cryptorchidism where one or both of the testes fail to descend. The medical team has recommended surgery to cure his condition. If left untreated, Nelvis has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Nelvis will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on June 21st. Now, Nelvis and his family need help raising $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Nelvis' mother says, “When I learned that my son needed surgery, I was very much worried and stressed out as I have no money to cater for the surgery.”

Paw is a 46-year-old woman who lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province. Originally from the conflict area of Karen State, Burma, she and her family fled to the refugee camp due to conflict in their area. Today, her daughter goes to school in the camp, while her son stays home because he has an intellectual disability. In her free time, Paw enjoys gardening. Paw and her husband also raise chickens and grow vegetables to supplement their family's diet. Every month, their household receives 1,460 baht (approx. $49) on a cash card from an organization called The Border Consortium to support their day-to-day needs. Sometimes, Paw also receives pocket money from her other son, who works as a security guard in the refugee camp and lives with his wife and children. This amount is not enough to cover their daily needs, so they often have to purchase food on credit, which they pay back at the end of the month. They receive free basic health care at the hospital in the refugee camp, provided by Malteser International (MI) Thailand, but surgery there is not available. In early 2020, Paw started to experience pain in her lower abdomen. She also experienced severe back pain, dizziness and nausea when she ate. She went to the hospital in the refugee camp, where she was treated for a urinary tract infection (UTI). When the UTI kept returning, MI staff referred her to Mae Sariang Hospital for further treatment. Paw went to that hospital in February 2020, where she was diagnosed with a stone in her right kidney and acute pyelonephritis, a bacterial infection causing inflammation of the kidneys. She was admitted for five days and received treatment for the infection. Afterwards, she was referred to Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH) for further treatment for the kidney stone. In July 2020, MI staff brought Paw to CMH, where she received various x-rays. Doctors confirmed her diagnosis, but also diagnosed her with severe hydronephrosis, or a buildup of urine, in her right kidney. She received a catheter to drain urine from her kidney, and was brought back to CMH every three months to change the catheter. The doctor also scheduled Paw to have the stone removed from her right kidney on October 31st. Our partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is asking for financial assistance to help Paw pay for this surgery. Currently, Paw experiences pain and has difficulty sleeping. Traveling to the hospital regularly is also difficult for her family. Paw thinks a lot about her future and shared: “In the future I want to buy and raise a pig and more chickens. I do not want to be resettled in another country because I love living near my siblings. If they [my siblings] are resettled, I might go with them."

Dennis is a handsome young man aged 28 years old from a village in Kenya. He is married and has two children, ages 8 and 1. Dennis is the bread winner of his young family. He operates a small business selling chicken meat. He is very social and friendly. Recently, as he was going home, he was hit by a hit-and-run motorbike which had lost control. He was injured on the right leg and was taken to the hospital. Now he is not able to walk on his own and is in a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On October 4th, Dennis will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After he heals, he will be able to walk again on his own. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1049 to fund this procedure so he can get back to his life and supporting his family. “I am very disappointed because I have a very young family and they all depend on me. I hope I can get help and fast treatment so that soon I can be on my foot again, to restart my small business and earn for my family,” said Dennis.

Henrico is a kind 3-year-old boy, who lives with his parents in a small fishing village in western Haiti. He was born with a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which involves several related defects including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. As a result of these defects, his heart cannot adequately provide oxygen to his body, leaving him weak and short of breath. As the care he needs is not available in Haiti, Henrico will fly to Italy to receive treatment and, on September 27th, he will be able to undergo the life-saving cardiac surgery he needs. Henrico's family needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany his family overseas. His family hopes he will have a bright future and plans to start him in preschool as soon as he has recovered from his heart surgery. Henrico's mother shared, "Our family is praying for everyone who is making it possible for our son to have this surgery!"

Chris is an adorable 19-month-old baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest of two children in his family. Chris’s parents are both small-scale farmers of corn, beans, potatoes, and other vegetables, which they use to feed their family. However, they also sell whatever they do not eat in order to earn some income. When Chris was born, his mother immediately noticed that his right foot was twisted out of shape. This is because he has clubfoot of his right foot, which caused this to occur and makes it difficult to walk and wear shoes. When his mother took him to receive a vaccination, she was referred to another hospital for treatment, but she shared that he could not undergo it due to financial constraints. She then sought the help of a local traditional doctor, who tried to heal his condition through massages and herbal medications, but they saw no effective change. Fortunately, Chris's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on July 15th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Chris's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Chris's mother shares, “We couldn’t find the money to take him to the hospital, and that’s why he is still this way. We have no other means.”

Biancha is a 4-month-old baby girl from Haiti, who is the first child born to her parents. Biancha's mother loves to sing to her and wants to see her daughter grow up healthy. Biancha has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain, increasing intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, the circumference of Biancha's head has been increasing in size, and she has difficulty feeding. Without treatment, Biancha will experience severe physical and developmental delays as she grows older. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Biancha at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only facility in Haiti where surgery for treating hydrocephalus is performed. This procedure, which is scheduled for June 23rd, will drain the excess fluid from Biancha's brain, reducing the intracranial pressure, and greatly improving Biancha's quality of life. With proper treatment, Biancha will hopefully develop into a strong and healthy young girl. Her family is hoping for a complete recovery, and is happy she will not be suffering anymore.