Alexander is a 7 year-old student from Haiti. Alexander lives with his parents and younger sister in a small rural community. He is in the first grade and likes going to school and helping his family with farm chores. Alexander has a cardiac condition called double ventricular septal defect. Two holes exist between the two lower chambers of his heart; blood leaks through these holes without passing through Alexander's lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Alexander will need to travel to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On January 30th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew patches over the holes so that blood can no longer leak through them. Alexander's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and follow-up. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Alexander's family. Alexander's mother shares: "Our family feels very blessed to know that our son can have this chance for surgery!"

Kyaw is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and uncle in a village in Karen State, Burma. Kyaw’s mother looks after him and his grandmother while his uncle is a cow farmer. The family also raises chickens and pigs and sells them when they need money. In September 2023, Kyaw accidentally fell on a tree stump while he was playing with his friends. Kyaw was in pain and was brought to a nearby hospital where they found that he sustained an injury to his right kidney. However, due to insufficient equipment at the hospital, Kyaw could not be treated there. Kyaw is not comfortable sitting, so mostly he lies down. He has difficulty passing urine, his stomach is painful, and he cries a lot. Doctors want Kyaw to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $693 to cover the cost of Kyaw's CT scan and care, scheduled for April 4th. Kyaw’s mother said, “I felt hopeless when I learned that Kyaw needed further treatment in Chiang Mai because I have no money to afford his treatment. However, when I heard that there are donors and an organisation who will support my son’s treatment, I was very happy. Thank you so much for your support even though you have never seen us.”

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.