Baby is a baby from Ethiopia. His mother is from Addis Ababa, and she works in an insurance company as a finance officer. She is a single parent. Baby was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Baby is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 1. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,231 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I struggle financially with home rent and other expenses and my saving is limited to cover his medical bill. And I am here with a hope that he gets the surgery," his mother says.

Kyaw Zin is a ten-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his parents in Mae Taung, Mae Sot, Tak Province. Three years ago, Kyaw Zin began to experience blurry vision. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for him to see clearly. Kyaw Zin was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, he could lose vision completely. Kyaw Zin is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his retina on October 25. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. After surgery, Kyaw Zin's vision will hopefully be restored, and he will resume his daily activities comfortably. Kyaw Zin said, “I want to see my parents clearly. I want to play with my brother and I also want to go back to school.”

Samuel is an infant from Kenya. He is 11 days old. Samuel’s mother is a farmer. Samuel was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Samuel is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,097 to cover the cost of Samuel's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 15. This procedure will hopefully spare Samuel from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. “I am hoping that my son can get help in all ways possible because this condition is really heartbreaking,” shares Samuel’s mother.

Levis is a young boy from Kenya. He is an only child and lives with parents in a one-room house in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. His mother is a stay-at-home mom, while his father operates a motorbike taxi to support the family. Levis was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Levis is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on September 27. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $700 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I am happy we can finally get help at BethanyKids," says Levis’s mother.

Blessing is a baby from Kenya. She is the youngest in a family of six children. Both of her parents are casual laborers. Blessing has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Blessing has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Blessing will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Blessing that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 29 and will drain the excess fluid from Blessing's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Blessing will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. “I am glad Watsi could come through for the first surgery and hopefully they can help us again," Blessing’s mother says.

Aleaza is a baby from Haiti. She lives with her mother, grandparents, and three older siblings in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. Aleaza has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sick and short of breath. She also has a condition called pulmonary hypertension, in which the blood pressures to her lungs are higher than normal. As a result, before she can be considered for surgery, she needs to have a diagnostic catheterization procedure to ensure that surgery can be done safely. To determine if Aleaza's condition is operable, she must undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that is not available in Haiti. During the procedure, a catheter probe will be inserted into her heart to perform the necessary measurements and tests. On August 20, she will travel to the Dominican Republic to receive the scan at our medical partner's care center, Clinica Corominas. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Aleaza's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. Her mother says, "Our family has been working very hard to try to keep Aleaza healthy so that she can have a chance for surgery."

Joseph is a young man from Kenya. He is the first born in a family of four children. He works odd jobs because his parents cannot afford to send him to college. Earlier this month, Joseph was riding a motorcycle when he was hit by a vehicle and sustained bruises on his face and a fracture of his right femur. He is not able to walk and is in a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On June 28, Joseph will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $998 to fund this procedure. His mother says, "God always knows when we have reached our end and He comes in to help. I am very happy to know that my son will be well again. He is my first born and we have a lot of hope in him.”

Jane is a widow from Kenya. She is a mother of four daughters. For one year, Jane has been experiencing troubling gynecological symptoms. She has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $718 to fund Jane's surgery. On May 30, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Jane will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. She says, “I kindly request for support because the doctor explained to me the risks. I hope this surgery will be done soon successfully so that I can have hope of living.”

Jenifer is a young girl who lives with her mother, two siblings, and grandparents in Guatemala's rural western highlands. She loves to be at home helping her mother around the house. When Jenifer grows up, she says that she would like to be a teacher because she loves to play with children. Since Jenifer was just two years old, she has shown symptoms of having a congenital heart defect. She often grows tired while playing, and complains frequently of pain in her chest. These symptoms are due to Jenifer's heart condition, which she needs surgery to fix. After many years trying to get her heart fixed, Jenifer has finally been accepted to receive surgery—a procedure that will not only heal her congenital heart defect, but will also change her life. Jenifer will be able to play like a normal child for the first time ever, and she will not be in danger of suffering a life-threatening event related to her heart condition. Jenifer's mother says, "I hope that my daughter can keep growing up healthily so that she can achieve her dreams to become a teacher."

Kilta is a baby from Ethiopia. He is the eighth child in his family. Kilta's parents are traditional farmers. Kilta was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Kilta is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on March 1. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Kilta's procedure and care. After his recovery, Kilta will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. His mother says, “My husband is a traditional farmer with low income and I am a house wife. We have eight children to support and for this reason we can’t cover our boy’s medical bill. It is our hope that we get your help so that our child can be as healthy as any other children.”

Kesny is a student from Haiti. He lives with his mother in Cap Haitien, a city on the northern coast of Haiti. He is in the ninth grade and enjoys school and going to church. Kesny has a cardiac condition called rheumatic heart disease. As a younger child, Kesny suffered a severe rheumatic fever, which damaged all four valves of his heart. As a result, his heart cannot adequately pump blood through his body and he is in late-stage heart failure. Kesny will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On March 26, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will repair or replace all four of the damaged valves in his heart. Another organization, The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, is contributing $60,000 to pay for surgery. Kesny'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 Kesny's family overseas. He says, "I am looking forward to being able to stop worrying about my heart after my surgery!"

Whenatheling is a baby from Haiti. She lives with her parents and older brother in a small city on the north coast of Haiti. Her father works for the local government, and her mother stays at home to care for her. Whenatheling has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Whenatheling will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On February 1, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in her heart with a patch, and remove the muscular blockage near the valve. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $24,000 to pay for surgery. Whenatheling'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 Whenatheling's family overseas. Her mother says, "We would like to thank everyone who is helping God to answer our prayers."