Zoe is a seven-year-old student who lives in central Haiti with her parents and younger brother. Her mother supports the family as a vendor. Zoe is in the second grade and likes arts and crafts. Zoe was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart, causing blood to leak through the hole without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen. This leaves her weak and short of breath and puts her at risk of heart failure in the future. Zoe needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On June 24th, she will undergo heart surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in her heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization is paying for the surgery, but Zoe’s family also needs help with the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Zoe's family overseas. Zoe’s mother shares, “Our family is so happy that Zoe was finally chosen for surgery; we have been waiting since she was a very small child!”

Simion is a 15-year-old student from Kenya who is currently in Grade 5. He is the youngest in his family of six children. His parents are small-scale farmers who also keep livestock for their daily livelihood. Simion's village has limited access to healthcare services, so his journey to receive care began unexpectedly when a stranger noticed Simion's walking pattern and kindly informed him and his mother about our medical partner's hospital program, encouraging them to seek help. When Simion and his mother came to the hospital, communication was initially challenging because Simion and his mother speak little Swahili and are more comfortable communicating in Maa, their local dialect. Simion has been diagnosed with clubfoot of the right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Simion was also born with a condition known as hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which has affected movement on one side of his body. This condition has made walking difficult for him and limited his ability to participate in childhood activities. Fortunately, Simion can undergo treatment with our partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on May 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Simion's treatment. After surgery, he will be able to walk easier, play with his friends, and continue his education with greater confidence. Simion's mother said, "I am looking forward to seeing my son walking normally like other children."

Dion is 18 months old and the only child in his family from Bolivia. He lives with his mom, who is studying IT, and his dad, who works as a small entrepreneur. Dion's mother noticed that he has problems gaining weight and frequently gets colds. After a medical consult, Dion was diagnosed with a heart condition called a ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart: blood leaks through this hole instead of circulating normally, leaving him weak and short of breath. On April 22nd, Dion will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in his heart so that blood can no longer leak through it.. Dion's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Dion's mother shared, "We are very grateful my child can receive this lifesaving surgery; we are so thankful."

Korb is 65 years old and a father of two from Takeo Province, Cambodia. His wife sells rice, while their two children work as bag factory workers. In his free time, he likes exercising and helping his wife with some works Around two years ago, Korb began experiencing pain in his left hip due to avascular necrosis, which can occur when blood supply to the ball of the hip joint is disrupted, leading to bone cell death and the collapse of the femoral head. This condition has caused difficulty walking and limited his ability to perform daily tasks independently. The condition developed naturally, without trauma or accident. He had previously undergone a total hip arthroplasty on his right hip in 2017 with the help of our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Korb decided to travel back to CSC for treatment on his left hip. On March 17th, Korb will undergo a hip replacement procedure, where surgeons will operate on his hip to relieve pain and improve mobility, allowing him to move comfortably and return to work. Korb and his family can contribute $25, but they need help raising $1,475 to fund his procedure and care. Korb said, "After the surgery, I hope that I will no longer have hip pain and be able to walk more easily, so I can move around more independently and do some works to support my family."

Clemence is a small-scale farmer from Malawi. He is married and has two children. Five years ago, Clemence began to experience troubling symptoms, including abdominal symptoms whose cause was unclear. He moved between hospitals without improvement. In 2021, it was discovered that his esophagus was obstructed, and he underwent treatment. Fortunately, his symptoms reduced and he experienced some relief. However, in 2025, he began experiencing severe gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, including heartburn, chest pain, and regurgitation, sometimes causing food to come up through his nose, especially when lying down. This created a constant fear of choking in his sleep. During one of his recent hospital visits, he underwent an endoscopy. Doctors have now diagnosed him with a hiatal hernia, and he was urgently referred to our medical partner PIH for support where surgery is recommended. Physicians recommend a laparotomy, which is a surgery that opens up the abdominal cavity to treat his condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,244 to fund Clemence's surgery. On February 6th, he will undergo surgery at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve his quality of life. Clemence said, "Kindly help me to get better, I am afraid of eating in fear of choking that can cause death; food comes through my nose sometimes and I am very terrified now. I can no longer do anything to generate cash apart from spending."

Yonas is a quiet and shy 10-year-old from Ethiopia who loves playing football, making handmade crafts, and helping his mother around the house. Yonas lives with his parents and his youngest cousin. His mother is a teacher at a government school, and his father is a security guard at a bank, though he will be stopping work this month. Together, his parents work hard to support the family and meet their basic needs. Most of their income is spent on food, making it challenging to afford medical bills and medication. Yonas was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. His mother was unable to find a health center to address his needs and was advised by relatives to leave the condition as it was. However, when Yonas was four years old, another relative noticed the condition and informed his mother that the symptoms were unusual. Distressed for her son and fearful of the stigma associated with this condition, she felt overwhelmed and hopeless. After moving to Addis Ababa, Yonas's mother took him to a hospital, where they were referred to a pediatric specialty hospital. The doctor reassured her that surgical intervention could correct the condition, which gave her hope; however, they were also informed that there was a waiting list for the surgery. Yonas's mother continued to worry whenever he fell ill, fearing it might be related to his condition. After waiting five months, she finally received a call from the referral hospital informing her that Yonas had been referred to our medical partner's hospital, BKMCM Hospital. Fortunately, Yonas will undergo corrective surgery on January 15th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications. Yonas's mom said, "I wish my child could be as healthy as other children and safely complete his surgery. I long for the day when we can put this ordeal behind us."

Alex is a 29-year-old single man from Kenya. He is an orphan and lives with his grandmother. HIs mother passed away when he and his twin brother were seven years old. He completed his education up to secondary level, but his grandmother was unable to support him to continue to college. Currently, Alex works as a conductor to earn a living. He enjoys playing football, and this accident has left him feeling devastated. Three days ago, while on his way to work, Alex was accidentally hit by a motorbike and sustained an injury to his left leg. He was taken to our medical partner's care center, Nazareth Hospital, where an X-ray revealed a double fracture of the left tibia. He needs surgery to ensure proper healing. On December 16th, Alex will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This treatment will restore his strength and mobility on his leg, and will allow him to play football again, which he deeply loves. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,048 to fund this procedure. Alex shared, "I am very disappointed because I will be out of the field. I hope my leg will be treated and I get well soon. I can't wait to go back to what I love to do most; play football."

Win is a 48-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife in a refugee Camp in Phop Phra District, Tak Province, Thailand. They have lived in the refugee camp since 2011. Win is a homemaker, as he is unable to work due to a leg injury he sustained in 1997 when he was arrested by the Burmese Army and forced to be a porter and laborer for them. While cleaning outside the camp one day, he hit a mine, which injured his leg. Win's wife is a day laborer, but her work is inconsistent, as she only works when employers come to the camp and announce that they need help. Since 2019, Win has had a right inguinal hernia. Currently, he continues to experience pain in his lower abdomen. The pain is worse when he sits up, so he must stay in a supine position. Fortunately, on November 5th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Win's hernia repair surgery. Aside from the physical symptoms, Win says, “I feel useless. Even if I couldn’t work before I was admitted to the hospital, I could cook and clean and take care of the house. Now I can’t even do that.”