Alismendy is an adorable five-year-old preschooler from Haiti. He loves to play with toy cars and paint. Alismendy lives with his mother and father in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. His father works and his mother is the primary caregiver for the family. Alismendy has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, where a hole exists between two large blood vessels near his heart. This causes blood to leak through this hole, leaving him weak and short of breath. The surgery that Alismendy needs is not available within Haiti, so he will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On March 4th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use a device attached to the tip of a catheter to plug the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, Gift of Life New York, is contributing $5,000 to support his surgery. Alismendy's family also needs help to fund the costs to prepare him for surgery and provide follow-up care. The $1,500 bill covers laboratory tests, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up visits. It also supports obtaining a passport for him and the social workers from our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Alismendy's family overseas. Alismendy's mother says, "Our family has been hoping for this surgery ever since our son was diagnosed three years ago. We are so glad that the time has finally arrived."

Abraham is the 5th child born into a family of 8 and hails from a small village in Kenya. We met him at Cure Hospital accompanied by his mother. He is in the 2nd grade and aspires to become a driver in the future. Abraham was born with a condition where his leg curves at the knees. Currently, he walks with discomfort, cannot walk for a long time because he falls, cannot play football like his friends, and his self-esteem is greatly affected. He is scheduled to undergo a bilateral "8-plate" surgery to correct the condition. The treatment will be impactful because he will walk well, play football with friends, improve his self-esteem, and continue his education like other children. “I want my legs to be corrected so that I can walk well, play football with my friends, and continue with school like my friends,” said Abraham.

Kennedy is a 55-year-old married man who has three daughters, all of whom are still in school. Kennedy - who is a primary school teacher - lives with his family in Malawi. He is the sole breadwinner for his family. Kennedy started having pain in his neck in 2016. Because the pain kept recurring, Kennedy went to Kamuzu Central Hospital, where some tests were performed, after which Kennedy was sent home with pain medicine. This past year, the pain in Kennedy's neck increased, and began to affect his shoulders. In addition, a swelling in his neck developed. Kennedy returned to the hospital, and after additional testing was done, he was diagnosed with a goiter. Kennedy met a friend who helped to connect him with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare to help him get treatment. Kennedy's diagnosis was confirmed, and he is now scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 21st, at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Now he needs your help to raise the $1,015 to fund his surgery. Kennedy believes that the surgery will help him get back to his normal life, enabling him to be more effective and efficient in delivering his duties as a teacher.