Edeau, who is 13 years old, lives in a farming community in southwest Haiti, with his godmother and his godmother's family. He is in the seventh grade. Earlier in his childhood, Edeau suffered from rheumatic fever, which severely damaged one of the four valves of his heart, making it difficult for his heart to pump blood through his body. Edeau requires surgery to correct his condition. On February 6th, surgeons at Welcare Hospital will replace Edeau's damaged valve with an artificial one, a $6,000 procedure, which is being subsidized by Gift of Life International. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs associated with the pre-operative and post-operative care that Edeau will need, and the travel expenses for Edeau and his family. From Edeau: "I would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping me to get this surgery."

Naw Bay is a 36-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband and five children in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Originally from Karenni State, Burma, she and her family fled to the refugee camp in 2011 due to armed conflict in their area. Naw Bay is a homemaker, while her husband is a laboratory staff at the hospital in the refugee camp. All of her children go to school in the refugee camp. During her free time, Naw Bay enjoys foraging for bamboo shoots near the refugee camp. In 2018, Naw Bay gave birth to twin boys. She gave birth to her first son at the hospital in the refugee camp but had difficulty delivering her second son and had to undergo an emergency C-section at Mae Sariang Hospital. Afterwards, she had postpartum hemorrhage and anemia. In January 2023, Naw Bay became pregnant again and has been receiving regular antenatal care at the hospital in the refugee camp. Doctor told her she would need to have a C-section again so that doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Naw Bay undergo a C-Section on October 4th. This procedure will cost $1500, and Naw Bay and her family need your support. Naw Bay hopes for a better life for her and her family in the future. She said, “I would love to relocate to another country so that my children can have a better future."

Roem is a mother of four from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Chnang province with her husband. She is a retired rice farmer and her husband still works in the nearby rice fields. All of their children have left the province to seek work closer to the capital city. At home, Roem likes listening to music and cooking. In 2019, while she was walking near her house, Roem tripped over a rope and broke her left hip. After enduring pain for six months, she decided to travel several hours to a hospital in the north of the country where she had surgery. After surgery, her hip improved slightly, but she is still having trouble walking and takes regular pain medications. She often wakes up at night from the pain. Fortunately, Roem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Roem of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for December 4th, and Roem needs help raising $1,118 to pay for this procedure. She shared, "I hope I can walk again and be able to stop the pain so I can help more around my house."

Naw Aye is a 28-year-old woman who lives with her husband, son, sister-in-law, brother, two nephews, and two nieces in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Originally from across the Burmese border in a conflict-area called Karen State, she fled to the refugee camp with her family in February 2023 due to airstrikes on her village. Her husband and her brother are unemployed, while her son, nieces, and nephews go to school. She and her sister-in-law are homemakers. During her free time, she loves to play with her son and enjoys planting vegetables in her small garden. She is currently expecting her second child. Her doctors recommended that she deliver via cesarean section because In January 2020, when Naw Aye was pregnant with her first child, her water broke prematurely which put her baby's life at risk. She was brought to a hospital in Burma, where she gave birth to her son through a caesarean section (C-section). In February, after they had fled to the refugee camp, Naw Aye became pregnant. She went to the hospital in the refugee camp regularly for antenatal care. She was told during one of her visits that although her pregnancy was going well, she would need to give birth through a C-section to ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, will help ensure a safe C-section on November 3rd. This procedure costs $1500, and Naw Aye needs your support. “I want to sell sacks or Mohinga (Burmese soup) for extra income soon. But I don’t have enough cash to start doing that, and I am pregnant. I hope I can do that after I give birth,” Naw Aye said.

Bunaidie is an 18-year-old student living with her parents and younger sister outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Bunaidie would like to become a doctor or nurse one day and was a junior in high school last year, but is taking this year off of school because of her health. Bunaidie has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of her four heart valves was severely damaged by a fever she suffered earlier in childhood. As a result, her heart cannot adequately pump blood through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. The surgery that Bunaidie needs is not available in her country, so Bunaidie will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 5th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove the damaged heart valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Haitian Hearts, is contributing $12,000 to pay for surgery; however, Bunaidie's family also needs $1,500 to help to fund the costs of surgery prep and follow up, including labs expenses, medicines, and checkup and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social worker from our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Bunaidie's family overseas. Bunaidie says, "I am hopeful that after my surgery my heart will be normal. I want to be able to focus on my school and be ready for the rest of my life."

Linn's Baby is a four-day-old girl who lives with her parents and three older sisters in a village in Thailand. She is so young, that she is not yet named. Her parents are day laborers. Linn's Baby was born with multiple health challenges including Down syndrome and congenital heart disease. In addition, her mother noticed that she wasn't passing stool, and when the doctors examined her, they discovered that she also has a condition known as imperforate anus. What this means is that Linn's Baby was born without an opening, which is a birth condition that occurs while the fetus is still developing in the womb. To address her condition, Linn's Baby will undergo surgery on August 4th at Mae Sot General Hospital, to place a colostomy, that will allow her to pass stool until she grows bigger and stronger, and better able to tolerate additional surgeries. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs of this procedure. Her mother said: "I cannot watch my daughter suffer from these conditions. I think she is crying because she wants breastmilk. She is my first baby born with such conditions. My other daughters are all healthy. I feel very sad for her.”

Anastasia is a 12-month-old baby girl from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three older siblings in a small village in eastern Haiti where her parents are both farmers. Anastasia has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, meaning that a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Anastasia also has Down syndrome. Our medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) is helping Anastasia which is especially challenging as the treatment she needs is not available within Haiti. On August 2nd, she will fly to the Dominican Republic to undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole with a patch so that blood can no longer leak through it. HCA is subsidizing $8,000 of the cost of transportation and treatment, and Anastasia's family is asking for $1,500 to help to fund the costs of surgery prep, labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It will support passport obtainment and the social workers from HCA who will accompany Anastasia's family overseas. Anastasia's mother shared, "Our family would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping to fix our daughter's heart."

Juan, an 11-month-old boy from Bolivia, lives with his mother and five older siblings in a neighborhood in the mountains above La Paz. Juan was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and making it difficult for him to gain weight. To address Juan's condition, congenital heart surgery is the only viable treatment option. Skilled doctors at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría will perform the surgery by closing the hole in his heart using a patch. However, due to Juan's low weight, the surgeons have determined that it is unsafe to proceed with the procedure. As a result, he will be hospitalized for several weeks before the surgery to receive proper nutritional support, enabling him to gain weight and prepare for the operation. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is actively seeking your generous support to raise $1,500 to support Juan's cardiac care. Your contribution will play a vital role in enabling Juan to receive the life-changing congenital heart surgery he urgently requires. By partnering with Haiti Cardiac Alliance and making a financial contribution, you can make a significant difference in Juan's life and overall well-being. Juan's mother shared, "I am very hopeful that after this surgery, my son will gain appetite and start growing and gaining weight more normally!"

Vortey is an 11-year-old sixth grader who lives in a rural village with her parents and two younger brothers. Her mother runs a juice street cart, and her father is an electrician. In her free time, Vortey likes to play with friends and do art. She wants to attend university and become a doctor when she grows up. Since she was about five years old, Vortey has had a recurring ear infection which caused a cholesteatoma - an abnormal skin growth - to develop behind her ear drum. Because of this, Vortey experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear discharge. She has difficulty hearing in school and feels self-conscious around her classmates. Vortey traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, to receive treatment. On March 7th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her right ear to remove the cholesteatoma. CSC is requesting $926 to fund this procedure, which will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Vortey said she is looking forward to improving her hearing so that she has a better future.