Sok Ny is a 52-year-old vegetable farmer. He and his wife have three sons and two precious grandchildren. He lives with his wife and two of his sons who are still students in public school. When Sok Ny isn't working, he enjoys watching boxing and the news on TV. One year ago, Sok Ny developed a pterygium in his left eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Sok Ny has found it increasingly difficult to drive his motorcycle due to declining vision; this interferes with his ability to raise and sell his crops. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Sok Ny learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. Sok Ny needs surgery to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for October 10th. Sok Ny says, "I hope after surgery I will see better, support my family, and can drive my motorcycle again."

Socheata is a 33-year-old who is married and has a three-year-old son. Socheata's wife sells clothes at the market and Socheata works in the IT department at a company in Phnom Penh. In his free time, Socheata enjoys playing football, volleyball, swimming, listening to music, singing, and joking with his friends. In September 2019, Socheata was in an accident while playing football that caused a fracture of his left leg. He went to a clinic and doctors fixated hardware to heal his fracture. Now, the bone is united and the hardware needs to be removed so he can fully heal. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. CSC is helping Socheata raise $304 to cover the cost of this surgery on September 5th. This procedure will prevent future complications and infection in his leg. Socheata shared, "I hope I heal quickly after my operation."

Elkana is a cheerful and friendly man from Kenya. He is the fourth born in a family of seven. He attended school up until class seven but had to end his studies due to financial constraints. He now works as a farmer and has a small piece of land on which he plants maize and potatoes, primarily to feed him and his family. To earn money, he works as a casual laborer, working on people's farms, as well as doing work such as clearing bushes and carrying loads. Until now, his wife has worked alongside him, but she has stopped working because she is currently pregnant. On July 16th, Elkana was brought to our medical partner's care center after being involved in a road traffic accident involving a lorry, or large truck, and a tractor. This accident left many people injured, including Elkana. He experienced a fracture of his left femur and is now experiencing pain. He is also unable to walk or stand. Without treatment, he will not be able to return to work and provide for his family. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 19th, Elkana will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After surgery, he will be able to use his leg again, return to work, and continue providing for his family. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Elkana shares, ”My family depends on me for their daily needs, so it is really difficult for them. Kindly help me so that I may lead a normal life once again.”

Hellen is a charming and playful 3-year-old girl, living with her mother. They live with Hellen's grandparents who are also helping to raise her. The grandparents are small scale farmers, who rely on the crops that they grow, and on any income their surplus crops generate. While Hellen was born a healthy child, her mother noticed that when she began to walk, her legs bent outwards. Ultimately, Hellen was diagnosed with bilateral varus, a condition which is typically caused by the accumulation of excess fluoride in the bones, which results from the drinking of contaminated water. Hellen now walks with a limp, and has pain in her knees when she walks. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Hellen. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 17th, at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. Treatment will hopefully restore Hellen's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of any future complications. Hellen’s mother says: “I have watched my daughter's legs move from bad to worse for two years, but I cannot afford to seek treatment for her. I am in dire need of your support.”

Sok Khorn is a 73-year-old widow with three sons, four daughters, and many grandchildren. Her husband passed away during the Khmer Rouge era, so she lives with her oldest daughter who is a farmer. She helps with cooking for the family, caring for her grandchildren, and likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Sok Khorn developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her photophobia and blurry vision. Doing household tasks has become frustrating for Sok Khorn and she feels like there is a film covering her eye. When Sok Khorn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On May 13th, 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 again. Now, she needs your help to fund this $253 procedure. She says "I hope after surgery I can be more independent, and help my daughter with the house and my grandchildren."

Klyn is a 12-year-old boy who lives in a small town in central Haiti with his parents, grandparents, and several other relatives. He likes school, especially science and math. Klyn was born with a condition called atrial septal defect. The defect means there is a hole between the two upper chambers of Klyn's heart. Blood leaks through this hole, which leaves him often weak and short of breath. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, has arranged for Klyn and his mother to travel to the Dominican Republic for surgery since this treatment is not available within Haiti. On May 24th, doctors will first attempt to use a catheter to close the opening between Klyn's upper cardiac chambers. If that's not possible, they will need to perform open-heart surgery and use a patch to close the hole in Klyn's heart. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 for Klyn's care. His family is raising $1,500 to help cover remaining costs of the procedure and related care, including travel expenses for Klyn. Klyn's mother says, "We are very thankful to everyone who is making this surgery possible for our son!"

Alogius is a tutor and loving father. His wife is a farmer and together they have three children, and also care for his late brother’s three children. Alogius shared that it’s challenging to provide for his family’s daily needs and school fees and still have enough money for their healthcare. As a result, he has to sell properties to meet the cost of medical care. Five years ago, Alogius developed a supraumbilical hernia. He could not receive treatment before due to limited funds, but when he learned about the Watsi program, he traveled to Nyakibale Hospital hoping to finally have treatment. Upon review, doctors determined that they could heal his condition through surgery. Alogius will undergo hernia repair surgery on April 12th and our medical partner is requesting $230 to fund his procedure, which will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently upon recovery. Alogius says, “I think I will regain my health back when I am operated with your support. I will be able to work well as I used to before and will be able to support my family and continue educating my children.”

Alejandro is a tech-savvy 11-year-old boy from western Bolivia who just finished fifth grade. He loves everything related to computers and video games. He lives with his parents, who are both schoolteachers, and his two younger brothers. Alejandro was born with a ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him feeling weak and short of breath. Fortunately, Alejandro is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 27th with the support of our long-standing medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance, which is now growing and expanding into Bolivia. Surgeons will close the hole with a patch, allowing blood to properly flow through his body and improving his quality of life. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $2,500 to pay for a portion of Alejandro's procedure costs. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to cover the remaining costs, which cover surgical expenses, cardiac exams, medications, and travel fees so Alejandro and his family can travel to receive his life-changing cardiac procedure in La Paz. Alejandro shares, "I am excited to be allowed to play soccer once I have recovered from my surgery!"

Nedjee is a 17-month-old baby girl from Haiti. She lives with her parents, grandparents, and three siblings in a neighborhood outside of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Nedjee has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, which means a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. As a result, blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. The surgery that Nedjee needs for her birth condition is not available within her country. Fortunately, Nedjee will be able to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On July 25th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Nedjee's family is requesting assistance to cover the costs of Nedjee's surgery prep, as our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is contributing the funds needed to cover the cost of surgery. HCA is requesting $1,500 to cover the surgery prep, which includes all labs, medication, check-up and follow-up appointments, and the passports needed for HCA's social workers to accompany Nedjee and her family overseas. Nedjee's mother shared, "Our family is all praying that this surgery will go well and that our daughter's heart will be stronger afterward."

Thay is a one-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, grandfather, three sisters and a brother in a village. Thay's mother looks after her and her brother at home, her grandfather is retired, and her sisters go to school. Thay's father works as a porter, but has has difficulty finding work for over a month. With the increasing number of internally displaced people settling in their village due to the humanitarian crisis, there are now many individuals competing for the same work. When Thay was around eight months old, her parents noticed that her head was increasing in size. As a result, Thay cannot yet sit up or crawl. She is only able to turn her head, and will cry if she cannot see her parents. Thay was recently diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which has causes fluid to build up in her brain. Without immediate surgery to alleviate the intracranial pressure, Thay is at risk of developing severe, potentially fatal medical complications. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for Thay, which will drain the fluid that has accumulated in her brain. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 20th and, once completed, will greatly improve Thay's quality of life as she grows up. Thay's father said, "I am thankful to every organisation and everyone for supporting my daughter’s treatment cost. Because of you, I believe that my daughter will receive surgery and be healthy and live a normal life after treatment."