Sarah is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents, brothers, and sisters in a rural area in the mountains of central Haiti. Her parents are both farmers. Sarah has graduated kindergarten but is not attending first grade this year because of her illness. Sarah has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This diagnosis involves several related defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a blockage of one of the valves. Sarah will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On November 10, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in her heart with a patch and remove the muscular blockage in her valve. Another organization, Health City Cayman Islands, is contributing $22,000 to pay for surgery. Sarah's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. 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 Sarah's family overseas. Her aunt says, "Our family is very excited for Sarah's surgery so that she can be healthy and safe, and can go to school."

Sarah is a 59-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Kenya. Until her stroke in 2013, Sarah worked as a business lady. Due to her stroke, Sarah had to abandon her business in order to concentrate on her treatment. Sarah is thankful to have been accompanied by her husband in her medical journey, which has been ongoing for several years. Sarah's stroke left her with difficulty ambulating, a monthly uptake of expensive medications, and hearing loss. Hearing aids were recently prescribed for Sarah's condition. Without assistance from the hearing aids, Sarah will continue to fear for her safety as she cannot perceive an oncoming vehicle and is at greater risk of accidents. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $712 to cover the cost of Sarah's hearing aids. She is scheduled to receive them on June 20 and hopes to experience positive results. “I mind about my safety and want to hear with clarity. I also would want to be active in church and in conversation," shares Sarah.

Zion is a four-month-old baby from the Philippines. He lives with his parents, to whom he gives great joy. Zion was born with congenital cleft lip and palate, meaning that there is an opening in his lips and palate where they did not fuse completely. This makes it hard for him to feed, and puts him at risk for aspiration (inhaling food or liquid). Zion's mother says, "I really desire that my son will be cured from his condition. I am thankful that you help us in doing that. I want to see my son grow normally and not be bullied by other people." Watsi is requesting $153 to fund Zion's cleft lip repair. His surgery is scheduled for May 21.

Jericho is a three-year-old boy from the Philippines. Jericho loves to play with the neighborhood kids and is the youngest son of the three siblings. Jericho was recently diagnosed with malnutrition, a condition that results from consuming too few calories, proteins, and nutrients. Beginning on July 11, Jericho will receive at-home malnutrition treatment through our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). ICM will provide Jericho with nutrient enriched food packs to help him gain weight and achieve optimal physical and mental development. The program will also teach his family about proper nutrition, sanitation, and organic gardening to better care for their son. ICM is requesting $173 to cover the cost of Jericho's ongoing care.

“My daughter has been struggling,” shares Felina’s mother. “She needs this surgery so she can return to school and keep learning.” Felina is a 13-year-old girl from Malawi who loves school—especially math and Chichewa (a native language of Malawi). When she isn’t in class, Felina likes to hang out with her friends and to help her mom cook. Since she was four years old, Felina has had an umbilical hernia—meaning tissue bulges through a hole in her abdominal wall and forms a bump in her naval area. Because the family did not have the money to pay to fix the hernia, her parents left the hernia untreated. However, Felina has gradually begun to feel discomfort at the site of the hernia. Recently, the pain has been so intense that she has had to miss school. In the long term, if she does not receive medical care, Felina risks falling prey to potentially fatal complications, such as gangrene. Fortunately, healing is just around the corner for Felina. For $334, we can sponsor the hernia repair surgery she will undergo on April 27, as well as her six-day hospital stay and follow-up visit. Felina’s mother was very relieved to hear that her daughter would be able to receive this much-needed surgery. And Felina, for her part, is happy that she will soon be free from pain and be able to return to school.

Lenard is a 37-year-old farmer from Malawi who lives with his wife and their two children. He works hard on his land and also helps his wife with chores at home. In his free time, Lenard likes to listen to the radio or watch videos with his family. Since last October, Lenard has been suffering from an inguinal hernia, which has made it hard for Lenard to work and provide for his family. He wants to have this hernia repaired properly, as an attempted repair performed in 2014 did not relieve him of his symptoms. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $334 to fund hernia repair surgery for Lenard. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 27 and, once completed, will hopefully allow Lenard to live comfortably again. Lenard is ready to have his operation and go back to living a healthy life. "Thank you for the support," he shares.

Samuel is ten years old and lives with his mother in La Romana, a city in eastern Dominican Republic. He is an excellent student and would like to grow up to be a pediatric cardiologist. Samuel was born with a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which involves several related defects. There is a hole between two chambers of his heart and a muscular blockage in one of his heart's valves. This condition prevents oxygen from fully circulating through his body, leaving him weak and short of breath. Although Samuel is not Haitian, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is collaborating with their partners in the Dominican Republic to offer treatment to Dominican children. He will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center. First, Samuel will undergo a full cardiac assessment on February 13. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Samuel also covers the cost of medications and social support for him and him family. Gift of Life International is contributing $7,000 to cover additional costs associated with Samuel's surgical care. After his treatment, Samuel will be able to grow normally and be free from his condition. He will also be able to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. "I am excited to be a doctor when I grow up so that I can help other kids who have the same problem I have now," says Samuel.