Wilna is a 13-year-old student from Haiti. Her family lives in a rural area in northwest Haiti, as Wilna's parents both work as farmers. Wilna is in the sixth grade and enjoys her math and social studies classes. Wilna has a cardiac condition called severe mitral regurgitation, which means one of Wilna's heart valves was damaged due to an infection she experienced earlier in childhood. As a result, Wilna's heart is not adequately pumping blood through her body. The care that she needs is not available in Haiti, but fortunately, Wilna will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On July 26th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will either repair her damaged heart valve or implant an artificial replacement, so that her heart can pump blood normally. Wilna's family is requesting assistance to cover the costs of her surgery prep, as our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is contributing the funds to cover the cost of surgery. HCA is requesting $1,500 to cover Wilna's surgery prep, which includes all labs, medication, check-up and follow-up appointments, and the passports needed for HCA's social workers to accompany Wilna and her family overseas. Wilna shared, "I am glad to be having this surgery so that I will be able to walk without feeling tired."

Phorn is a 63-year-old retired rice farmer. She has one son, two daughters, and six grandchildren. She lives alone near her son. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. Two years ago, Phorn developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her discomfort (photophobia), itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, impacting her independence and ability to go places and do things alone. When Phorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for over three hours seeking treatment. On September 5th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Phorn says, "I hope that after surgery I will see better. I want to recognize people’s faces and go to the pagoda by myself."

Korn lives with her sister and works as a rice farmer. She enjoys cooking and planting vegetables. In January 2021, Korn was knocked to the ground by a cow. She spent a month going to a Khmer traditional healer where natural medicine was given to her, but the fracture on her right wrist and the dislocation of her right elbow did not heal. A friend in her village recommended for Korn to visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). She was able to visit the hospital and now surgeons want to perform an open reduction procedure on her right elbow to heal her injuries. Our medical partner CSC is requesting $412 for the surgery to allow Korn to use her right arm again. Korn said, "I hope I can bend my elbow like normal again."

Lomoro is a 15-year-old teenager and the last born child in a family of six children. Lomoro has not had the chance to join school due to the size of his family and financial challenges. Lomoro and his siblings look after their father's cattle, which requires them to walk a long distance in search of pasture and water. Lomoro was diagnosed with genu valgus, or knock knees. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Lomoro is currently having difficulty walking and he can no longer go out grazing the cattle. He is forced to stay at home to rest. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Lomoro. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 9th. Treatment will hopefully restore Lomoro's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Lomoro shared, "I am now seen as the weaker one in my family because I am exempted from most of the daily home activities due to my leg. I need help for my surgery. Thank you for your support."

Sambath is a 68-year-old potter with two daughters, five sons, and 17 grandchildren. Sambath lives with her husband and their youngest daughter who is a farmer. Sambath used to make pots and sell them at the market, but now she stays at home due to her poor vision. She enjoys listening to Khmer and Indian dramas on TV. Three years ago, Sambath developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her sensitivity to light and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Sambath learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On August 31st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Sambath shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly so I can go outside and recognize my family members. I want to help my daughter cook and be able to take care of my grandchildren."

Byamugisha is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. Byamugisha is a father of eight children. He lost his first wife in 2013 but has married again. He currently earns a living from small scale framing where he grows cabbages and tomatoes. Byamugisha has been experiencing a painful back swelling for the past three months. Byamugisha traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On August 18, surgeons will remove the mass causing the swelling. Now, Byamugisha needs help to raise $196 to fund this procedure. Byamugisha says, “I look forward to having better health through your support so that I can continue with farming to support my family.”

Nyirantozi is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. Nyirantozi is a mother of six but shared that she has lost three of her children. Her living children are all married and are only able to offer limited support to her due to their education background along with their personal responsibilities in their respective families. Nyirantozi and her husband's farming output is considerably low because of their age; they survive on the little support they obtain from their relatives and friends. They own a two room semi-permanent house for shelter. During her free time, she likes very much playing with her grandchildren. Ten years ago, Nyirantozi began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe neck pain and difficulty in breathing and speaking. She was diagnosed with multi-nodular goitre. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Nyirantozi receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on September 3rd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $293, and Nyirantozi and her family need your support. Nyirantozi says, “I am in severe pain and seek help. I can no longer go to the fields to be able to support my family with food. I will resume farming as soon as possible after my surgery.”

Rachel is a tailor from Kenya. She is a middle-aged woman from the east of the country. Eight years ago, she noted a lump on her right breast and consulted several hospitals. She had FNA tests run and cancer was ruled out. In 2014, she had a lumpectomy but unfortunately, the lump recurred in 2018. She was biopsied in a different hospital and still did not get a cancer diagnosis. Late in 2019, she opted to come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Kijabe Hospital where she had several tests done, including an ultrasound and CT scan. Doctors diagnosed early-stage cancer. Rachel returned to the hospital in April and surgery is advised. If not operated on, she is at risk of cancer metastasis, which might result in an early death. Rachel is a mother of two children, ages 10 and 8 years old. She lives in a two-roomed rental house paying $34 per month. She sustains her family through her small tailoring venture in their house. Living with a disability, where she had a right femur osteomyelitis in 1982, she is not able to move with ease, and this limits her ability to earn a better living and lifestyle. She separated with her husband, making it hard for her to meet the daily cost of living. She left her two children with a neighbor to come for surgery and appeals for financial help. Without treatment, her 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. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $898 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Rachel. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 6th. After treatment, Rachel will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Rachel says, “Thank you for agreeing to support my surgery. I am grateful and look forward to quick recovery.”

Chork is a 67-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has four children, five grandchildren, and in his spare time he enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio and watching boxing on television. Five months ago, Chork developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision and photophobia. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Chork learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for six and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 10th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $211 procedure. "I hope that I will be able to see better and can recognize things again. I also hope that I will be able to go outside on my own again and return to work."

Julius is a young boy from Kenya and the oldest among his 3 other siblings. He is very ambitious and aspires to be a pilot in future. Recently, he was diagnosed with right inguinal hernia and requires surgery to repair it. He complained of a swell around his groin area and together with his mother, decided to observe it over time. However, for the past one month, Julius has been experiencing pain around the swollen location. He was taken to a local clinic and later referred to our hospital. With successful surgery, Julius will be able to lead a life free of the pain and achieve his aspirations.  Julius comes from a humble background. His father sells coffee and mandazi to provide for the family. His mother is a housewife. The family is not able to raise funds needed for his surgery and so appeal for assistance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $423 to fund Julius's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. “I want to be a pilot when I grow up,” says Julius.

Chanra is a teenager from Cambodia. She enjoys studying mathematics, and hopes to become a teacher one day. When she was just nine months hold, Chanra fell out of her stroller and injured her right shoulder. After that time, she has not been able to move her right shoulder, and has difficulty flexing her elbow. She was treated for her injuries at the Khmer Soviet Hospital in Phnom Penh, but no diagnosis was given. She still experiences stiffness in her shoulder, and spastic muscle movements in her elbow and wrist. Surgery will attempt to repair the damaged nerves, and allow Chanra to make use of her right shoulder and arm muscles again. Surgery is scheduled for August 14 and will cost $497.

Ruos is a 72-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has three children, eight grandchildren, and enjoys visiting the pagoda in her free time. Six months ago, Ruos developed a cataract in each eye, causing her irritation, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ruos learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On September 2nd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. "I hope that I will be able to cook, go outside, and visit the pagoda again on my own."