Nitchie is a 12-year-old girl from Haiti. She is known for her friendliness and love of interacting with others. She particularly enjoys playing with her neighbors and helping her mother around the house. Nitchie was born with a heart condition called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Normally, there is a hole in the heart that closes soon after birth, but for individuals with PDA, the hole remains open. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through the lungs for oxygen. Because of this, Nitchie feels fatigued and short of breath. She needs to undergo surgery to repair this hole. First, Nitchie will undergo a full cardiac assessment on January 20. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Nitchie also covers the cost of medications and social support for her and her family. Gift of Life International is contributing $3,500 to cover additional costs associated with Nitchie's surgical care. Nitchie's mother is ecstatic that her daughter is receiving help. She says, "It always makes me sad to see Nitchie get out of breath when she tries to play. We will be very happy once her heart is fixed."

Sem is a 47-year-old mother who is married and has one son. She enjoys going to the pagoda and listening to monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Sem developed a cataract in each eye. A cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively cloudy, causing blurry vision. Sem experiences frequent tears, cloudy lenses, and sensitivity to light. She also has trouble recognizing faces and going places on her own. A fellow villager told Sem about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Sem traveled three hours to reach CSC. On February 2, surgeons will remove the cloudy lenses and replace them with artificial ones. This $292 procedure will help her see more clearly. Sem says, "I hope to see everything more clearly than now so that I can help my family do some work...and easily go to the pagoda by myself."

William is an 88-year-old father of two from Uganda. He is a farmer who grows bananas, sweet potatoes, and beans. During his free time, William enjoys listening to news on the radio, telling stories to his grandchildren, and going to church. William has an enlarged prostate gland, which has caused urinary dysfunction. He visited our medical partner’s hospital, Bwindi Community Hospital, where doctors advised him to have his prostate removed. He is scheduled to undergo a prostatectomy surgery on February 4. William has subsidized his payment by $8. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting an additional $314 to fund this surgery. After his recovery, William hopes to go church to give thanks for his treatment. “I would like to thank the donors for minding and caring about my health. I pray for blessings to be upon them,” says William.