Kidus is a cute and playful little boy. He loves playing with toys and football with other children. His favorite food is Shiro (Ethiopian staple food) and meat. He also loves watching cartoons and is good at observing and imitating some characters from cartoon shows. He is the only child in the family. His dad is a tailor, employed at a local tailor shop. His father uses the little income to provide food for their family and pay rent. Kidus was born with a congenital anomaly called bladder exstrophy and he underwent surgery at BethanyKids with Watsi's support in 2021 to heal this condition. He was also born with a congenital anomaly called epispadias and has an inguinal hernia. Now he is scheduled for epispadias and right inguinal hernia repair. Epispadias impacts his ability to urinate and puts him at risk of future complications. Kidus is now much more playful than beforeand his family can see how intelligent he is. His family also shared how very much better psychologically they feel after his first treatment. But they are still worried about his urinary condition. He is now scheduled for the two surgeries that will take place simultaneously, and his family needs financial support. Kidus' father said, “Kidus means the world to me. To see him completely well will bring me so much joy. I want him to have a great personality with a kind heart; just like the amazing people helping him recover and become healthy. I really hope that he becomes a doctor in the future and helps those who are in need.”

Ally is a 4-month-old baby from a remote area of northern Tanzania. He has three siblings, and his parents practice small-scale farming. They grow agriculture crops for the family's consumption and sell the surplus harvest to cover some of their expenses. However, climate change has severely affected their livelihood; in the past three years, their harvest has been inadequate to meet the family's food needs. Ally was born with clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. On February 24th, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), will perform clubfoot repair surgery that will allow Ally to be able to walk as he grows. AMH, is requesting $935 to fund this procedure. Ally's mother says: “I hope that my son lives free from this condition. I hope this treatment will make it possible.”

Dah is a 63-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her daughter, two sons, and a daughter-in-law in a village on the Thai-Burma border. They all make and sell traditional rice wine, and grow and sell vegetables on their small farm. In her free time, Dah enjoys watching television and working on her small farm. On the morning of February 3rd, one of her sons drove her and her other son to their farmland. The road was undulating and full of potholes. Suddenly, their motorbike slid and they all fell off. Both her sons were fine, but Dah broke her left femur. As a result, Dah cannot walk or move her left leg and is in a lot of pain. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Dah will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for February 3rd and will help her walk free of pain. Dah and her family need help raising $1,500 to funder her procedure and care. "I worry that I will not be able to walk like before", she said. "If I cannot walk I don't know how I will be able to work on our farmland."

Raheel is a 15-month-old boy from a small family with one sibling and two parents. Raheel’s father is a local vendor selling fish at the market, and his mother sells clothes and accessories. Raheel's parents work to make sure their family is provided for, but have struggled to make ends while business has been slow. Raheel has clubfoot of his left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape making it difficult for Raheel to learn to walk and wear shoes. Fortunately, Raheel's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Raheel's parent's raise $935 to fund his clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Raheel’s mother shared, “It feels good seeing my son be playful despite his foot condition. I wish for his other foot to be normal too.”

Leap is a chatty, two-year-old with a big smile. He lives with his parents and two older sisters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Leap does not yet attend school, and likes playing with toys and falling asleep in his mother's lap. His father repairs cars for a living, while his mother is a homemaker. Leap's delivery was a difficult one, during which he suffered from an injury known as shoulder dystocia, which occurs when one or both of a baby's shoulders gets caught inside the mother's pelvis during childbirth. This often results in a brachial plexus palsy, when the neck of the infant is stretched during the birth process. The nerves responsible for providing feeling and movement in Leap's shoulder, arm, and hand have been affected, leaving Leap unable to move his right hand. Fortunately, on December 15th, specialty surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will perform a tendon transfer, to improve Leap's shoulder function and the use of his hand. After surgery and rehabilitation at Kien Khleang Rehabilitation Centre, surgeons hope that Leap will have movement in his shoulder, and be able to use his hand. Leap's family needs your help to fund the $572 cost of the procedure, the hospitalization, and Leap's rehabilitation. Leap's mother said: "I hope Leap will be able to move his hand after surgery and use it well."

Su is 10-year-old girl who lives in Thailand. Both of her parents work for a community based organization helping others in their area. In her free time, Su likes to draw pictures and play with her friends. Su was born with clubfeet and a dislocated hip. She received corrective surgery in Chiang Mai with the help of our medical partner BCMF after she was born. During her last visit to the hospital when she was young, the doctor told her mother that they only had to return to the hospital when she outgrew her clubfeet correction shoes. However, her parents could never bring her back. In additional to financial constraints, their legal documents expired, and later when they had legal documents, they could not go to Chiang Mai due to covid-19 travel restrictions. In June 2022, Su started to experience pain in her right foot whenever she walked more than 10 minutes. She also experienced pain in her right hip for the first time when she walked. The doctor at Mae Sot Hospital diagnosed her with a dislocated hip and referred her to the larger hospital Chiang Mai for further treatment. In October an MRI was performed for Su and it was determined that she may need two surgeries: one for hrt hip and another for her clubfeet condition. The first surgery is for a hip replacement and the doctor scheduled her for surgery on November 25th so she can be out of pain as quickly as possible. Her family needs $1500 for her hip replacement surgery. Su's father said, "I am hopeful for my daughter to receive surgery soon. After surgery, I hope that she will be able to walk like other children and she will not be shy when she grows up. Now, when she goes to school, some of her friends tease her that she cannot walk properly like other children."

Phearun is a 33-years-old gardener. His wife works in a hair and nail salon. Together they have an eight-year-old son in public school and a two-year-old son who stays home with family. In October 2022, his left wrist was deeply lacerated, and he lost sensation in his fingers. His family took him to a government hospital for care but was unable to manage the nerve injury. Fortunately, the hospital transferred him to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, where doctors determined the laceration to his hand cut his nerves and tendons. This type of injury can cause damage to the nerves that control motor function and requires immediate nerve repair surgery to minimize long-term damage. Phearun has pain, weakness, numbness, loss of feeling, and doctors are unable to feel the pulses in his wrist. Phearun traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. He will undergo an exploratory procedure to repair the lacerated nerves and tendons and needs help to pay for the $572 procedure. This will cover his hospitalization, operation, medications, and post-operative rehabilitation. Phearun's wife said: "We are hopeful after the surgery that my husband can use his hand again to work to support and feed our family."

Nancy is a small-scale farmer from Kenya. Together with her elderly husband, they grow food crops for home use on their half-acre piece of land. She is a mother of eight children who are all adults. All her children don’t have a stable source of income at the moment. She needs care but does not have medical coverage and hasn't been able to raise the required amount for treatment. In early July this year, Nancy was tripped by her dog and fell on a stone, hurting the left side of her hip. She sustained a left sub-trochanteric fracture that is making her immobile. This is a fracture of the proximal femur located a few centimeters from the hip. She was taken to a nearby health facility and had an x-ray done after review. She was then referred to our medical partner's care center Kijabe Hospital for surgery. She is unable to walk and is currently using a wheelchair and although jovial and smiling, she is in pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On September 30th, Nancy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will relieve her of her pain and help her walk easily again. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Nancy says, “I am unable to walk. I am desperate, and also struggling to pay for my treatment. I need this treatment to be able to get out of this wheelchair.”

Peter is a 75-year-old man from central Kenya who has never been married and has no children. He is the thirdborn in a family of 10 siblings, all of whom are now adults. Peter previously worked on his small farm to support his basic needs, but he had to begin depending on his family members once he grew older and became unable to continue farming. On July 12th, Peter was hit by a sports motorcycle, causing him to sustain an injury to his left leg. An X-ray was taken at a nearby hospital, which showed that Peter fractured his left tibia and fibula. If left untreated, he risks developing a bone infection, since it is an open fracture. His injury can also result in a malunion, meaning the bones may not heal in their proper position, potentially impairing functioning of the bones and limb. Fortunately, his brother brought him to our medical partner's care center. On August 15th, Peter will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help ensure he heals properly, and it will allow him to walk again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. Peter says, “My brothers have been feeding me, but this is too much for them. They have no money to pay for my treatment. Please help so that at least I can be able to move around and also become less of a burden.”

Jeremy is a beautiful five-year-old boy from Kenya who has autism. To support their family, his mother manages their home and cares for her children, and his father currently works as a mechanic. His parents share that their income is just enough to sustain the basic needs of their family of six. On July 7th, Jeremy was playing with his brother when he fell and broke his leg. An X-ray scan showed that he has a fracture of his femur bone on his right leg. Since the incident, he has been experiencing severe pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, can help. On July 12th, Jeremy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will allow his injury to heal and help him walk again. Now, our medical partner is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. Jeremy’s mother expressed, “I am desperate and worried...I am pleading for assistance so that soon he can be treated. I thank God in advance."