Jhon lives in a city in the mountains of central Bolivia. His mother is a homemaker, and his father is a farmer. Shortly after Jhon was born, his parents noticed he was struggling to breathe. He was diagnoses with Tetralogy of Fallot, a condition involving a hole between the two lower chambers of his heart and a muscular blockage of one of his heart valves. Through surgery, doctors will patch the hole in his heart and remove the blockage so that blood can flow more normally through his heart and body. Jhon's mother states: "Our family is very hopeful that after this surgery our son will be able to breathe normally and have more energy."

Thorn is a 23 year-old who lives in Kandal province with his parents and two siblings. Three of his siblings have moved nearby with their families and visit often. Thorn enjoys playing soccer, volleyball, and checking out social media. On October 12th, Thorn was in a motorbike accident and wounded his right foot. He went to a nearby hospital and had wound debridement and regular dressings. Thorn returned home and continued to care for the wound, but it still has not healed and is now infected. He is in pain and cannot walk properly. On December 4th, Thorn will have a leg surgery to remove damaged tissue and reconstruct defects in the foot and ankle. After surgery, he will be able to walk more easily and eliminate pain from the infection. Our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $991 to fund this surgery. Thorn shared, "I hope I can feel better so I can go back to work and hope to play soccer again too."

Su said, "I gave up after I learned the surgery would cost more than we could ever pay. I thought about taking medications to control my symptoms until my time came to go. But now I feel less stressed. Thank you so much for releasing us from our financial problem. I am looking forward to returning to work once I recover." Su lives with her husband, who works as a baker. She stopped working as a factory worker in August due to her deteriorating health and is currently unemployed. Back in 2016, Su began experiencing occasional tiredness, which worsened with physical activity. She also has difficulty sleeping, irregular heartbeat, and loss of appetite. Subsequent investigations, including an ECHO and ECG, revealed she needs a heart surgery called mitral valve replacement. After the surgery, she will no longer experience tiredness, irregular heartbeat, or difficulty sleeping.

Kiberian is a 3-year-old boy from Kajiado County who needs surgery to help him walk well. He comes from a large pastoralist family with many siblings. His father is a farmer/herder, while his mother takes care of their family and home. Kiberian was born with a deformity in his legs that has greatly affected his mobility. His knees bend inward, while his ankles remain apart. He cannot walk long distances and often falls while walking. Kiberian's father took him to a satellite clinic for treatment and the doctors recommend procedures that will reposition the femur and tibia of each leg into alignment. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,224 to cover the cost of the surgery, scheduled for June 20th. This treatment will be impactful to Kiberian because he will be able to walk well, play with other children, and continue with his education. Kiberian’s father shared, “The joy of a father is to see his children growing well without any challenge or deformity and I would love to see my boy walking well.”

James is a 39-year-old father of two young children. His wife stays at home with the children, while James works whenever he can get jobs on construction sites - work that is both inconsistent and poorly paid. On the 10th of August, James was hit by a speeding vehicle when he was on his way to work. He was left seriously injured, and his colleagues rushed him to the hospital, for emergency care. He has been in the hospital for four days, awaiting surgery to repair a fractured tibia. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On August 16th, James will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, at AIC Kijabe Hospital. The procedure will enable him to walk easily again, and to resume working, so that he can continue to support his family. African Mission Healthcare is requesting $979 to fund this procedure and care. James says: “I feel stranded and worried. The accident left me immobile and unable to work. My family entirely depends on me, and I cannot work in this condition. I need surgery to walk and work.”

Kim Huoy is a 13-year-old girl who lives in Kampong Cham province, Cambodia, with her parents and two brothers. Her mom works long hours in a factory making medical gloves, and her father works at a nearby construction site. Kim Houy's favorite subject is Cambodian history, and her dream is to get good grades so she can study to become a writer. In her free time, she likes to read and play hide and seek with her friends in the village. For the last few years, Kim Houy has had bad posture, and occasional discomfort in her back. Then, in June, she fell off the top of the stairs at the front of her house, which caused her back pain to worsen. Her parents took her to a nearby clinic, where her x-ray showed curvature of the spine, and she was diagnosed with scoliosis. Kim Houy and her family traveled 3 hours by shared taxi hoping to receive treatment at our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). On July 31st, she will undergo a scoliosis correction procedure with implants to improve the position of her spine. Surgeons will realign and fuse together the curved vertebrae so that she feels comfortable and can stand straighter. Her mom shared, "I hope my daughter can feel better after surgery and go to school without any problems."

Mameulove is a 10th-grade student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three siblings in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. In addition to studying, Mameulove helps her parents with their ironwork business. Mameulove has a cardiac condition called pulmonary valve stenosis. When she was six, she underwent surgery for a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. While the surgery was successful, one of the valves of her heart could not be completely repaired at that time. Now, Mameulove needs to undergo cardiac surgery to repair or replace her pulmonary valve so that it functions normally. She will fly to the United States to receive treatment on July 10th. Another organization, the Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $20,000 to pay for surgery. Mameulove's family also needs help to fund the costs of her surgery prep, which is $1,500 and covers all labs, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. Additionally, it covers the cost of the passports they need to travel and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Mameulove's family overseas. Mameulove said, "I am so grateful to everyone who is helping me to have a strong and healthy heart!"

Sai Laung, who is 18 years old, lives with her parents and her younger sister in Shan State in Burma. Sai Laung used to be an agriculture day laborer, but she stopped working in July 2022 due to her illness. In her free time, Sai Laung likes to read Buddhist books and study English online. During the first week of July 2022, Sai Laung began to feel very tired and she developed a fever. At first, she thought it was because she was working a lot, but when she had difficulty breathing a few days later, her mother brought her to the hospital. She was told she might have a congenital heart condition, and the doctor recommended that she have an echocardiogram to confirm the diagnosis. Sai Laung had an echocardiogram at another hospital, confirming that she has a ventricular septal defect, or a hole in her heart. The doctor advised her to go to the Pun Hlaing Hospital in Yangon to see a cardiologist, which Sai Laung did towards the end of November 2022. During that visit, the doctor also diagnosed her with aortic valve regurgitation, and told her that she needs surgery. Currently, Sai Laung has difficulty breathing and is only able to walk short distances before experiencing fatigue. Performing ordinary household chores like cooking or cleaning is exhausting for her. Her lips turn blue, and she has sharp chest pain, fever, and difficulty sleeping. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, has stepped in to assist Sai Laung access the care that she needs. On March 7th, she will undergo surgery to repair her heart at Pun Hlaing Hospital. Now Sai Laung and her family need your help to raise the $1,500 to fund this life-saving procedure. “I have felt so sad since I was diagnosed with this [heart disease]. I need surgery and we have no money. I look at my parents and I pity them because they work so hard to help me get treatment. I want to recover quickly and go back to work so I can help my parents with the extra income. When I learned that there are donors who will help pay for my treatment cost, I felt so happy," said Sai Luang.

Dessonlove is a nine month old infant boy from Haiti. He is the youngest child in a large family. Dessonlove has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain, and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Dessonlove has been experiencing a persistent growth in the circumference of his head. Without treatment, Dessonlove will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Dessonlove, at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in the country where hydrocephalus care and treatment are currently available. This critical procedure is scheduled to take place on March 30th, when surgeons will drain the excess fluid from Dessonlove's brain to reduce intracranial pressure, and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Dessonlove should develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Dessonlove's family is hopeful and looking forward to their child being able to grow and thrive with this care.