Ruth lives in the mountains of Haiti with her mother, grandmother, and four siblings. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us that eight-year-old Ruth "does not attend school, but likes helping her mother around the house, playing with her brothers and sisters, and singing." Ruth loses her breath and energy quickly, however, because she was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. "A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart," HCA says. "Ruth also has down syndrome." Ruth's heart condition makes it difficult for her body to circulate and process her blood efficiently. HCA explains that "because she has lived for so long with this condition, there is a chance it may no longer be repairable, but the only way to determine this is by inserting a catheter into the chambers of her heart. Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring her to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that she can have heart surgery soon." For $1500, Ruth will be taken to the Dominican Republic for the catheterization procedure that will determine whether she is a candidate for heart surgery. If she is operable, she will be prepared for surgery as soon as possible. "We are very happy that there is hope for Ruth, and hope that she will be able to have surgery," her mother says.

Three-year-old Love Faela lives with her parents, grandparents, and two older siblings in Haiti. She likes wearing frilly dresses and listening to her mother sing. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us, “Love Faela was born with a congenital heart condition called tetralogy of Fallot.” The condition accounts for one third of all cases of congenital heart disease in patients younger than 15 years old. “[Tetralogy of Fallot] involves several related defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the heart's valves,” HCA continues. “As a result, Love Faela's heart cannot deliver enough oxygen to her body, and she is sickly and weak. If untreated, the condition would be fatal.” Treatment for Love Faela is surgery to close the hole between the chambers of her heart and open the obstructed heart valve. “Following surgery,” HCA explains, “normal circulation should be restored to Love Faela's heart, and she should be able to lead a normal life.” For $1500, HCA will provide the overseas preparation and transportation required for Love Faela’s treatment. Gift of Life International is donating $5000 to cover the remaining treatment costs. "We are praising God that Love Faela can have surgery for her heart problem," her mother shares.

This is Clinton, a 30-year-old husband and father of two children from Kenya. His family lives on a one acre farm where they grow maize and beans. Clinton broke his right tibia in a motorcycle accident. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares: “Early this year, Clinton was riding his motorcycle when he was involved in an accident with another motorcyclist. Clinton suffered multiple injuries including internal bleeding, a chest injury, and his broken leg.” AMHF continues, “Clinton is not able to walk on his own, which has prevented him from working on his farm. If not treated, Clinton may suffer severe infection, which could result in amputation of his leg.” Clinton's family and friends have already joined together to pay for the many hospital bills that have incurred, but Clinton is now struggling to pay for his next procedure. With $1,500, Clinton can undergo surgery to fill in the gap in his tibia and restore the bony tissue. AMHF reports, “We expect that after the surgery and recovery, Clinton will be able to walk on his own again and go back to working on his farm with his wife.” "I have not been able to work and support my family for a while now. My friends and relatives stepped up and made sure that my family had meals and my children stayed in school," Clinton shares. "I am very grateful for the support that I have received thus far and hope that I will get the next treatment so that I will be well again."

Bye Kon, a 56-year-old woman in Cambodia, lives with her husband and son. Bye Kon and her husband fish to make a living, and her son works as a religious education teacher. According to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), Bye Kon noticed an unusual mass in her abdomen about eight months ago. When the mass began to grow and become more painful, Bye Kon went to the clinic and was diagnosed with a uterine myoma. A uterine myoma is a non cancerous growth on the uterus that causes severe abdominal pain. Bye Kon's clinic was unable to perform surgery and instead administered medicine and sent her home. Since then, Bye Kon has been constantly worried about her condition and unable to eat or sleep very well. "She said in the past she was big and now she has lost so much weight. Bye Kon says that she does as best as she can with her condition, but it has become considerably more difficult for her lately," BBP adds. "She says that she wants to be healthy." With $1,500, doctors will be able to remove the mass in Bye Kon's abdomen so that she can return to a fully healthy and active life. "I cannot wait for the surgery; I want to be better soon," says Bye Kon. "I am so grateful for the treatment."

Meet Chai, a very active nine-year-old boy who lives in Thailand with his parents and older brother. He and his brother attend school, and his parents are farm laborers. Chai enjoys playing football despite being born with a malformed right leg and foot. “His right leg is stunted and significantly shorter than his left, and his foot is swollen and clubbed,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “He has difficulty walking, and his foot frequently becomes infected.” BBP adds, “If left untreated, Chai will continue to suffer from infections and will likely develop hip problems in the future.” Chai’s parents do not have enough money to pay for treatment for their son. They already find themselves sometimes needing to work extra hours or take loans from their employer to support their family. To prevent future infections and hip joint issues, doctors recommend amputation of Chai’s right leg. $1500 will cover the cost of the surgery as well as travel to and from the hospital, inpatient pre-operative and post-operative care, and follow-up appointments. Chai, who wants be a police officer when he grows up, looks forward to one day being able to wear shoes on both feet with a prosthetic.