Meet Fernanda: an 11 year old who is in need of heart surgery. She lives with her parents and younger brother in La Paz, Bolivia. Her father works for a paper company, while her mother is an eldercare social worker. Fernanda was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart, and blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. She needs surgery to correct this condition. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to fund Fernanda's cardiac surgery, which is scheduled for May 17th, at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. After she has recovered from her surgery, Fernanda will be able to resume her schooling, and even to return to playing sports which she loves to do. Fernanda's mother said: "Our family has been waiting for this surgery for many years, and we are glad the opportunity has finally arrived!"

Panha is a 14-year-old student from Cambodia who is studying in the 9th grade. He has an older and younger brother. His father works as a rice farmer, and his mother sells fish at the market. When Panha was a year old, he experienced burns on his legs from a cooking fire accident. Burn scan contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the burns, especially on his right foot. As a result, it is difficult for Panha to wear shoes and walk, his legs feel itchy, and he is shy around his peers at school. When Panha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment for him. On November 17th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him walk easily again. CSC is requesting $495 procedure to fund this procedure. Panha's family was able to gather $100 to contribute to his care. Panha shared: "I hope I feel comfortable about my legs and can walk easily after this surgery."

Nat is a 48-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He is married and has 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren. Two of his daughters are married, and the other lives at home and is a seller of fish in the local market. His wife is a farmer and a fish seller too. For at least 7 months, Nat has experienced pain in his right hip. He was treated at a clinic by injection but only had brief relief from the pain. He visited our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) in April but was unable to have surgery due to the pandemic. Nat returned recently and is in constant pain from his right hip. He is unable to walk without a crutch, his gait is unbalanced, and he is now unable to work. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Nat of his pain and allow him to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for November 24th, and Nat needs help raising $1,087 to pay for this procedure. "I hope the pain in my hip will go away and I can return to farming and supporting my family," shared Nat.

Baby Nejat is a sweet six-month-old boy from Ethiopia. He has one brother, a father who works as a laborer, and a mother who is a homemaker raising their two children. Baby Nejat loves playing and spending time with his parents and brother. Baby Nejat was born with an abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage, and needs to undergo a series of procedures to correct his condition. Baby Nejat's surgery is scheduled to take place on June 24th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Baby Nejat's procedure and care. After his recovery, Baby Nejat will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing serious health complications in the future. His mom is optimistic, “After the operation, I believe my son will grow healthy. And I hope I will educate him and help him reach higher in life."

8-year-old Arnold was born with a cardiac condition called complete atrioventricular septal defect, in which multiple holes exist between the upper and lower chambers of his heart. “He also has Down syndrome,” says our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “Blood flows through the holes in his heart without first passing through the lungs to get oxygen, leaving him sickly and short of breath. Because of the severity of this condition, there is a chance it may not be repairable, but the only way to determine this is by inserting a catheter into the chambers of his heart. Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring him to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that he can have heart surgery later in the year.” Arnold lives in Haiti with his mother, father, and seven brothers and sisters. He is the youngest and is unable to attend school. His mother tells us that he likes helping around the house and playing with his siblings. For $1500, Arnold will be transported to the Dominican Republic for this procedure. A catheter will be inserted into the chambers of his heart to determine whether or not his condition is operable. “If operable, plans will then be made to move forward with his surgery as soon as possible,” HCA continues. “It makes me sad to see Arnold get tired so easily and not be able to run and play,” his mother says. “I am hoping the doctors can fix this problem."


Samuel is a six-year-old Ethiopian boy who is suffering from a severe case of osteomyelitis, a condition that causes inflammation in bone marrow. Samuel's osteomyelitis is located in his right leg, and is bringing him intense pain and reduced mobility. A bone transplant that would give Samuel relief costs $1,495 – an amount that Samuel's father, a manual laborer recently forced to quit his job to care for his ailing son, can't field by himself. Once he's healthy, Samuel hopes to start school. Let's set Samuel down the path to recovery and give him a chance to pursue his schooling!