Alexis is a 16-month-old baby from Bolivia. He lives in a children’s home that houses 30 children. His mother left him there because she had him at a very young age and was unable to care for him. Alexis’s condition was discovered when he was unable to gain weight. He has a cardiac condition called a pulmonary artery sling. This is a rare cardiac condition where the left pulmonary artery branches off of the right pulmonary artery instead of the main pulmonary artery, interfering with normal blood circulation and causing respiratory difficulty. Alexis and workers from the children’s home traveled to our medical partner’s care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. His surgery will take place on October 14th. During surgery, doctors will detach the left pulmonary artery and reattach it at the anatomically normal position. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to help cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. One of Alexis’s caregivers shared, “We are glad to be here. Alexis is such a sweet boy, so playful. Even though he has several health issues, he keeps fighting.”

Naing is a 12-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and elder brother in a refugee camp in Thailand. He and his brother are students, and his mother is a homemaker. His father works as an agricultural day laborer outside of the camp. Since January 2020, Naing has had an inguinal hernia. Currently, Naing experiences pain, discomfort, and swelling. Sometimes, he has to skip school due to the severe pain. Fortunately, on September 2nd, Naing 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 Naing's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 2nd and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Naing's father said, “Our family faces financial problems, and we struggle to afford my children’s school fees and household expenses, as I am the only financial contributor in my house. Now I am very glad that my son gets support for his treatment with the help of BCMF and the donors. I wish you all the best, and may God bless you all.”

Aminata is a 45-year-old home maker from Yirimadio in Mali. Several months ago, Aminata began experiencing uncomfortable gynecological symptoms including pain and a sensation of abdominal mass. She also started losing her appetite. The symptoms prompted her to seek medical attention at a local health center, where she underwent an examination, including an ultrasound. Aminata has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous tumors that grow in the uterus. She needs to undergo a myomectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove the fibroids. Our medical partner, Muso, is requesting $677 to fund Aminata's surgery. She is scheduled to undergo her myomectomy on August 13th at Hôpital du Mali. Aminata says: "I hope to be healthy, and be able to resume my daily activities after my treatment."

Cristian is a six-month-old baby boy from Bolivia. He lives with his mother, who works selling propane canisters. As a newborn, she noticed he struggled to breathe and breastfeed, and he was later diagnosed with multiple heart conditions. Cristian has three openings in and near his heart — one between the two upper chambers, one between the two lower chambers, and one between two major blood vessels. These cause blood to leak through without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Fortunately, on June 30th, our medical partner, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría, will help Cristian undergo cardiac surgery to close the openings in his heart. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Cristian needs your support to fund his surgery and care. Cristian's mother shares, "I hope and pray my sweet boy can have his surgery and be a healthy boy!"

Jhon is an 11-year-old boy from Colombia. He lives in the rural area of the municipality of Peque with his family. He enjoys spending time with his community and playing soccer in his free time. He dreams of becoming a professional soccer player when he grows up. Jhon has an umbilical hernia, a condition in which a small portion of abdominal tissue protrudes through the navel. For this reason, surgery has been recommended to correct the hernia and prevent potential future complications. He experiences constant discomfort that makes it difficult for him to engage in age-appropriate activities, such as playing and staying active, which affects his daily well-being. Fortunately, on June 12th, Jhon will undergo hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, Clínica Noel, is requesting $1,005 to fund Jhon’s surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Jhon’s mother shared, “I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your generosity and solidarity. I cannot find the words to describe what your support means to us and to my son. At such a difficult time, your help brings us peace of mind, relief, and hope. We will never forget this noble and selfless gesture. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing by us. May God bless you always.”

Wislencie is an eight-year-old student from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her parents and two siblings. Her mother is a homemaker, while her father repairs cell phones. She is in the second grade and likes math and science. Wislencie has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect - she has two holes in her heart, one between the two lower chambers and the other between the two upper chambers. Blood leaks through these holes without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Wislencie will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 12th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew patches over the holes so that blood can no longer leak through them.. Another organization, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $7000 to pay for surgery. Wislencie's family also needs help to fund 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 Wislencie's family overseas. Her mother says: "Our family hope is that our daughter will get stronger and healthier once her heart is healed!"

Sok Heng is a 29-year-old man who lives in Kandal province with his wife and five-year-old son, who is a kindergarten student. He works as a delivery driver for local retail stores, while his wife works in a shoe factory. In his free time, Sok Heng enjoys watching the news on his phone and checking his social media. Since a traffic accident in 2014, Sok Heng has experienced right hip pain and difficulty walking. The pain is severe such that he cannot stand for long periods and often wakes up at night. This has made it challenging for him to continue his work as a delivery worker and support his family. He was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center, by a relative, so he could get surgical treatment to address his hip pain. On November 11th, Sok Heng is scheduled to undergo a hip replacement procedure, which will cost $1500, including surgery and post-op care. This surgery will help Sok Heng walk easily again, stand for longer periods without pain, and return to work more regularly to support his family financially. Sok Heng says: “After the surgery, I hope that I will no longer have pain and be able to do my job and earn money to support my family.”

Thaw is a 22-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband, mother, two sisters, two brothers, and son in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Her husband works as a day laborer outside of the camp, while her mother works as a cook at a preschool in the camp. Thaw is a homemaker who also weaves traditional Karen clothing, which helps her to earn extra money for her family. Thaw is currently expecting her second child. While the family receives free basic health care in the refugee camp, Thaw needs help to fund her delivery. Doctors recommend that she deliver via a Caesarean section due to a high-risk pregnancy. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Thaw undergo a C-section on March 4th. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Thaw needs your support. Since she had a boy previously, she would like to have a girl this time. “But whether it is a boy or a girl, I will love my baby,” Thaw said.

Felix is 61 years old and works as a caretaker in the Philippines. He and his wife have one son who now has a family of his own. In his free time, Felix loves to watch television. Two years ago, Felix felt a lump on the left side of his underarm, which grew bigger and started to cause pain. He underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Felix underwent chemotherapy and is now scheduled for surgery to remove the mass on January 30th, with the help of our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines. A portion of the cost of the procedure will be covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, but he still needs help to raise $1,385 to fund his treatment and care. Felix shared, "This help means a lot to me for raising money to pay for my operation. I am very grateful to everyone who helps people like me who are in need and struggling."

Valentina is a 14-month-old girl from Bolivia. She has five older siblings and loves to laugh and play with her family. Her father works as a driver, and her mother sells food. When she was a young baby, Valentina's parents noticed she was always agitated and couldn't breathe normally, so they took her to the doctor who diagnosed a heart condition called ventricular septal defect. This means there is a hole between the two lower chambers of her heart and blood leaks through this hole instead of circulating normally, leaving her weak and short of breath. Valentina also has Down syndrome. On December 3rd, Valentina will undergo heart 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 her heart so that blood will no longer leak through it. Valentina'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. Valentina's father said, "Valentina is a sweet little girl, we hope everything goes well, so she can have a healthy heart!"

Chorb is 76 years old and a doting grandmother from Cambodia. Five months ago, after her husband passed away, Chorb moved in with her eldest child. She has four other children and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. For the past four months, Chorb has suffered from hip pain that prevents her from walking. Because of this, she cannot move around freely or visit the pagoda, which was part of her daily routine. She worries about losing her independence and being limited in her activities. Chorb was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), by a friend from her village. On November 11th, Chorb will undergo a hip replacement procedure on her left hip. Her family can contribute $100, but needs help to raise $1,400 more to fund her procedure and care. After surgery, Chorb hopes to regain mobility, to be free from hip pain, and to return to visiting the pagoda independently. Chorb said: “After the surgery, I hope that I will no longer have hip pain, and I can walk on my own."

Juliat is a 29-year-old mother of two from Burma. She lives with her husband and two sons in a refugee camp in Thailand. Originally from northern Karen State, Burma, they fled to the camp in March 2024 due to armed conflict and air strikes on their village. Her oldest son goes to school while the other one is too young to enroll. Her husband works as a security guard in the camp, and he helps Juliat sell breakfast items in the camp that she cooks.. During her free time, she enjoys growing vegetables in her small garden. Juliat is currently expecting her third child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of a high-risk pregnancy. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Juliat undergo a C-Section on November 3rd. This procedure will cost $1500, and Juliat needs your support. Juliat is looking forward to her delivery and shared, "I hope I will have a girl this time because I already have two boys."