Leleshwa is a child from Tanzania. Leleshwa’s father is a tour guide, and her mother is an accountant. Leleshwa was born a healthy and happy child at the regional hospital in northern Tanzania. After her birth, her mother noticed a tiny mole on her lower back with red mark around it. By the time she was nine months old, the small mole had grown and started to give her fevers. The hospital kept her on antibiotics, but they did not work as a permanent solution. Leleshwa traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 5, surgeons will remove the mole. Now, Leleshwa's family needs help to raise $689 to fund this procedure. Leleshwa’s mother says, “I am so happy that my daughter may be able to get the surgery that will allow her to live a healthy happy life. I am so grateful for this opportunity. God bless you.”

Meet Melisa, an eight-month-old girl from Guatemala. Melissa is the youngest of five children and is a curious child who loves to play, shares our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). Melisa is acutely malnourished. “Melisa has started to fall away from the growth curve and is losing weight,” shares WK. She has not yet started eating solid food and is still relying on breast milk and a corn-based drink for nutrients. $512 funds a multifaceted intervention for Melisa. “This treatment will help get Melisa back on track. This treatment will supply her with the growth monitoring, supplementation, and medication for her to make a full recovery,” explains WK. “Her mother will receive intensive nutrition education thus building her confidence and ability to take care of Melisa and her siblings.” WK continues, “Melisa will recoup the weight and height she has lost and her energy will improve. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Melisa the chance to live a healthy productive life.” Melisa's mother adds: “I want to learn how to give my children the right amount of food and how I can increase their health.”

“We all want what is best for Kendory and hoping that this test will provide a way to fix his heart,” says Kendory's mother. Kendory is a two-year old boy from Haiti with a condition called a ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two chambers of his heart. To determine whether this condition is repairable, doctors need to insert a catheter into the chambers of his heart to diagnose his condition with confidence, and come up with an accurate treatment plan. This procedure costs $1,500, and following the procedure, Kendory's family will know with certainty whether the condition is operable or not. “If operable, plans will then be made to move forward with this surgery as soon as possible,” explains our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring him to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that he can have heart surgery later in the year,” shares HCA. Kendory lives with his mother, father, and older sister and brother, and is a very happy child, curious about everything around him. Let's help Kendory receive the test and treatment he needs.

“Thu Thu is a very smart girl,” says her father. “She puts efforts into studies but her current health condition prevents her from going to school.” At two years old, doctors discovered that Thu Thu had a hole in her heart, a condition called patent ductus arteriosus. They expected that it would heal itself, however, now at 16 years old, Thu Thu requires surgery to close the hole. “Thu Thu lives in Burma with her parents and two older sisters,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “Her father works as a tailor while her mother takes care of the house and children. Thu Thu’s father’s income is just barely enough to cover daily expenses so they do not have money saved to pay for healthcare.” While untreated, Thu Thu suffers with the symptoms of her condition. “Thu Thu has severe fatigue and gets sick with colds frequently,” continues BBP. “Her breathing and pulse are irregular. Her condition has forced her to drop out of school even though she has excelled in her classes until now.” For $1,500, Thu Thu will receive cardiac surgery to help her regain energy and attend school again. Once she recovers, she plans to go back to class, pass her exam, and move on to a university. “I really want to pass my matriculation exam,” shares Thu Thu. “I cannot wait to be as healthy as other people.”

Meet Adrian, a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), says, “Adrian likes being around other children and to play, he especially enjoys scribbling things on a piece of paper, coloring some pictures, and playing with Lego blocks.” When Adrian was two years old, “His mother saw that her son’s legs were unusually bowing outwards and that his gait was gradually changing; she started giving him some multivitamins and other herbal remedies, but nothing helped,” AMHF explains. Adrian has a condition called bilateral genu varus. This is the misalignment of the knee joint and femur, common in Tanzania as a result of the high levels of fluoride in the water. AMHF reports, “Adrian is unable to walk properly, he wiggles when walking and sometimes he falls down when he tries to run – if not treated, Adrian will have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age.” Adrian needs a surgery called an osteotomy to re-align the bones and the joint. $940 will fund Adrian’s surgery, hospital stay, antibiotics, painkillers and recovery care. Funding also provides for Adrian’s four-month stay at Plaster House—a rehabilitation facility in which medical staff supervise the children’s care, while housemothers look after them on a daily basis. Adrian’s mother says, “I just hope that his legs can be straightened so that he can continue with normal growth, have the ability to walk to school and do other things like his siblings.”

"Allan is a bubbly and likable three-year old boy," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "He has a twin brother and an elder sister who is twelve years old. They live with their parents in a three-room house in their paternal home. His mother is a shop attendant while his father is a casual worker on construction sites." Allan was born with hypospadias -- his urethral orifice is abnormally placed and he has an irregular stream. His family was advised to seek specialized care, but they cannot afford the $1,155 cost of treatment. Surgery will restore normal function, as well as lower Allan's risk of developing urinary tract infections, and infertility in the future. “I pray that God will not with hold His mercy from us. May his love be with our son through this," Allan's mother shares.

“I work hard to support my sons and parents,” Ian’s mom shares. “I want to see Ian and his brother lead a better life that I do. I will ensure that they get the best education possible.” This is Ian, an eight-year-old boy from Kenya. Ian lives with his younger sibling, mother, and grandparents. Ian’s mother works in a bar along with one her brothers. “Ian was playing when he fell and fractured his leg,” his doctor at African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) tells us. “He was plastered but the fracture did not heal well. Ian experiences pain in his leg especially when walking. This has affected him in school because he cannot participate in activities that will have him walking around, standing or running. If the surgery is not done soon, Ian could develop severe infection which would result in amputation.” Ian will need an ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation) procedure to repair his leg. Ian’s mother has not been able to raise the money for his treatment, but with $1,410 we can help. “We expect that after the surgery and recovery,” AMHF explains, “Ian will be able to focus on his studies and participate in all the school activates. The risk of infection will also reduce.”

"We knew for a long time that Jefferson had a problem, but we didn't know what it was,” Jefferson’s parents share. “We're so glad to know what's wrong, and that there is a way to fix it!" The first-born child to office workers in Haiti, three-year-old Jefferson is an intelligent boy who asks a lot of questions and is learning to read. Jefferson’s parents have not put him in preschool yet due to a congenital heart condition known as tetralogy of Fallot. The condition involves a combination of related defects, including a hole between two chambers in the heart that results in blood passing through without being oxygenated. The lack of oxygen in the blood can cause Jefferson to faint, feel weak and be prone to sickness. Without treatment, tetralogy of Fallot can be fatal. Health City Cayman Islands is subsidizing Jefferson's heart surgery, and Watsi donors can support Jefferson with $1,500 to cover the overseas travel expenses and medical preparation he needs before surgery. “Following surgery, Jefferson should be able to lead a normal life with near-normal blood flow through his heart, and no ongoing risk of death from this condition,” explains our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance. “He will probably never need another surgery in his life.”

“Pan Thu first began showing cardiac disease symptoms when she was 3-years-old,” report our partners at Burma Border Projects. “Her mother noticed that Pan Thu became sweaty and experienced heart palpitations when she was playing. She is unable to pick up heavy objects and suffers from chest and joint pain.” Pan Thu is a gifted 15-year-old student who lives with her grandfather in Burma. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her grandfather takes care of Pan Thu while her mother travels for her work as a nurse. Her mother earns enough to pay for food and school expenses, but cannot afford surgery for Pan Thu’s heart condition. In spite of this, Pan Thu remains positive and dedicated to her studies. Doctors diagnosed Pan Thu with cardiac atrial septal defect, which means she has a hole in the wall between the upper chambers. Blood that doesn’t have enough oxygen can flow to her organs and tissues, which in turn don’t get the nutrients they need to function properly. For $1,500 we can fund complex cardiac surgery to repair the hole in Pan Thu’s heart. The Burma Border Projects team predicts that treatment will improve Pan Thu’s energy levels and that she will no longer experience heart palpitations and struggle to breathe. Pan Thu can then focus on her studies and pursue her dream of attending university to study foreign languages and eventually accomplish her dream of serving as a diplomat!

Say hi to Solina, a two-year-old girl from Haiti! "Solina lives in rural Haiti with her mother and older sister; her father lives at home on weekends and in Port-au-Prince during the week. She is usually a happy child who loves to play. She is now learning her alphabet and her numbers," says our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Unfortunately, "Solina was born with a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect, involving a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart. Blood passes through his hole and back to the body without first obtaining oxygen, leaving her sickly and unable to develop normally," HCA continues. Solina can receive surgery to fix her congenital heart defect so she can live a normal life, thanks to a $5,000 donation from Open Hearts Haiti. She's counting on Watsi donors to raise $1,500 to pay for her surgery prep and overseas transportation. "I am praying that this cardiac surgery will help my daughter lead a normal life," says Solina's mom. Let's help Solina live life with a healthy heart!

This is Chrislove. She is 12-years-old, and lives in Haiti with her mom and two sisters. She is shy and intelligent, and likes to write poetry and draw pictures. Chrislove had a severe case of strep throat when she was a young child, and it was left untreated for a long time. As a result, it damaged two valves in her heart. Chrislove has had to miss school for the last three years due to the cardiac condition called rheumatic heart disease. Her heart can no longer pump blood through her body with enough force, and if left untreated it could be fatal. If Chrislove gets medical attention soon, she could see a full recovery, and will get a chance to lead a normal life. Chrislove’s mother can’t afford the $1,500 surgery, and needs our help. Together we can help Chrislove receive the treatment she needs and grow into a happy and healthy young woman. Chrislove says, “I have been sick for so long it is like a dream to know that I will be healthy again. Thank you to everyone!”

“This has been a very scary time for both me and Christina, but we have faith in God and we believe everything will be ok for her,” says Christina’s mother. Meet Christina, a seven-year-old girl from Haiti who has the congenital heart disease, Tetralogy of Fallot. “Christina was born with a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which involves several related defects including a hole between two chambers in the heart and blockage of one of the heart valves. Two years ago, she underwent a “shunt” operation to allow blood to flow more normally until her arteries could grow to a size that would allow for a permanent fix. However, several weeks ago that shunt became blocked and she is at imminent risk of death in coming weeks without having surgical repair,” reports our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance. “Christina loves going to school and misses seeing her friends since she’s been sick,” continues Haiti Cardiac Alliance. A naturally outgoing girl, she likes to dance, sing, and play with friends. For $1500, we can correct Christina’s heart condition and allow her to enjoy her friends’ company. “Following surgery, Christina’s heart should be completely repaired and she should be able to live a normal, active life,” says Haiti Cardiac Alliance.