David is a 17-year-old from Kenya. He is the oldest child of six, and his parents work on their neighbors' farms to provide income for the family's basic needs. Their home was constructed by volunteers and their church. David's family shared that they do not have national health insurance coverage and are requesting assistance for David's medical care. A few months after David was born, he started experiencing fevers and an increasing head circumference. David's family brought him to different hospitals for treatment, but his symptoms did not improve. When David was three, he was referred to our medical partner's hospital, where he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and underwent shunt insertion surgery. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. Everything was stable following David's surgery until last month when David began experiencing signs of shunt failure. David's doctor recommends EVT/CPC surgery to address the shunt failure as soon as possible. On March 16th, David will undergo surgery to drain the excess fluid from his brain and reduce intracranial pressure. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $720 to cover the surgery cost. With proper treatment, David can continue to develop into a strong, healthy young man. David's father said: "I do not feel well when he is not in good health because it makes it hard for us to leave him with anyone for us to work and provide for the family."

Nan lives with her mother, father, sister, and brother. Nan and her sister run a food stall, and her brother is a teacher. Her parents are both subsistence farmers who raise pigs and sell them yearly. During her free time, Nan enjoys spending quality time with her family. At the age of six, Nan experienced a period of whole-body swelling, which thankfully subsided after a few days. Similarly, when she turned 14, she experienced rapid heartbeat and occasional difficulty breathing, but these symptoms alleviated over time. Without comprehensive examination or treatment for 15 years, her breathing difficulties and fatigue severely returned in January 2022. She then underwent an echo and was diagnosed with atrial septal disorder (ASD). The doctor scheduled to perform an ASD closure procedure on her heart on August 24th. Facing financial constraints, she sought treatment through Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), a partner organization of Watsi, with the hope of securing financial support to facilitate her access to essential treatment. Nan mentioned, “I feel sad that I am so tired and cannot work. I am also worried about my parents because I cannot support them right now. I was concerned with the cost of treatment but now, I am happy that I will receive help with my treatment. Thank you to the donors.”

Prudence is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She and her husband have six kids, with their oldest twenty years old and in secondary school class three, and their youngest is six years old and in primary school class one. Prudence shared that she completed primary school class five before needing to leave due to high school fees. Together with her husband, they practice farming for their family’s sustenance. Sixteen years ago, Prudence developed a small swelling on her neck. It has been slowly increasing in size, and recently, Prudence has begun to experience troubling symptoms, including severe pains and headaches that make it impossible for her to farm. Additionally, she has a lot of ear pain and sometimes cannot hear properly. Prudence was diagnosed with a non-toxic goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Prudence receive treatment. On May 5th, she will undergo a thyroidectomy at AMH’s care center, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMH is requesting $333 to fund this procedure. Prudence shared: “My current condition has greatly affected my productivity. I pray that I may get well through surgery. I will continue with farming after complete recovery.”