Marise is a 13-year-old student, living in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with her parents and four siblings. Marise has a cardiac condition called congenital aortic valve stenosis. As a result of this condition, one of the four valves in Marise's heart is much narrower than it should be, making her heart strain to push blood through the valve. This leaves Marise weak, and unable to participate in physical activities. The care she needs is not available in Haiti so Marise will fly to the Dominican Republic, where on February 9th, she will undergo surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT, during which her valve will be repaired. While another organization is helping to support the cost of Marise's surgery, our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to cover her care costs including pre and post operative medical care, and travel expenses for Marise's family, and the social worker who will accompany them for her surgery. Marise shared: "I am looking forward to being able to stop worrying about my heart after surgery."

Shantel, a friendly nine-year-old girl from Kenya, is the eldest of two siblings in her family. She is currently in primary school and enjoys playing with her friends and making new ones. According to her parents, Shantel adds vibrancy and liveliness to their household. Her father works as a casual laborer in construction sites, while her mother is a greengrocer in their neighborhood. About two weeks ago, while Shantel was walking along the road with her mother, sister, and her mother's friend and her daughter, a vehicle lost control and flipped over towards them, resulting in injuries to all of them. Shantel was hit on the left leg and sustained bruises on her thigh and an open fracture of the tibia (shinbone) as confirmed by an X-ray. She is currently in chronic pain, and is unable to walk. Doctors at our medical partner's care center have recommended a procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), but the family is unable to meet the cost of surgery. If left untreated, Shantel may develop serious complications and may never be able to use her leg again. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Shantel receive treatment. On April 9th, surgeons at Nazareth Hospital will perform an ORIF procedure to allow her to walk easily and alleviate her pain. Now, Shantel's family needs help to fund this $1,049 procedure. Shantel’s father says: "Please help my daughter. Since the accident involving my family, I have not slept but I thank God that they are all alive. I request for support so that my daughter's leg can be treated, and she can go back to school."

Chouch, a 52-year-old father of three, has one son and two daughters, hailing from Cambodia. He and his wife are both construction workers based near the northern border of Thailand. Their sons work in nearby rice paddies to help support the family, and their daughter recently got married and moved to a neighboring village. In his free time, Chouch enjoys listening to music and harvesting fruit. Five months ago, Chouch was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture on his finger and a loss of mobility in his left upper arm. He was diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury, which is a sudden damage to nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Because of this condition, Chouch is experiencing paralysis on the left arm and has been unable to work. Chouch traveled to our medical partner's care facility, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to receive treatment. On March 18th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery and upon recovery, he will be able to use his arm again. Chouch and his family are requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Chouch says, "I hope that I can one day move my arm again and go back to work to support my family."