Lucito is a boy from Haiti. He was born with a cardiac condition called double outlet right ventricle, in which the aorta connects to the wrong chamber of the heart, causing the heart to pump oxygen-depleted blood to his body. He will require an open-heart surgery to correct this condition. Lucito lives in a small city in western Haiti with his parents and four siblings. He has not yet started school because of his cardiac problems, but is studying at home with his mother. Lucito will fly to India to receive treatment. On August 7, he will undergo cardiac surgery. Another organization, Rotary International, is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery. His 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 his family overseas.

Tatu is an eleven-week-old baby girl with a twin sister from Tanzania. Tatu and her twin sister are the first-born children to her parents. They live in a small rental home, and her father is a small-scale farmer. Tatu 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, Tatu has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Tatu will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,238 to cover the cost of surgery for Tatu that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 13 and will drain the excess fluid from Tatu's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Tatu will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Tatu’s mother says, “I pray that Tatu will receive treatment, and I hope she will be well like her twin sister.”

Joshua is a student from Tanzania. He loves going to school to make new friends and learn. Joshua 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, Joshua is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 9. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $986 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Joshua’s mother says, “I was scared that it is too late for my son to get any treatment since I could not afford to pay for his treatment sooner. Please help my son get the help that he needs so that he can be well.”

Baraka is a baby from Tanzania. His parents are small-scale farmers. Baraka has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Baraka has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Baraka will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,238 to cover the cost of surgery for Baraka that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 2 and will drain the excess fluid from Baraka's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Baraka will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Baraka’s mother says, “Please help my son because we have nowhere to get the money needed for his surgery”

Min is 17-year-old boy from Burma. Min and his 14-year-old sister support their family, working as agricultural day laborers four months out of the year. During the rest of the year they do odd jobs or their family has to borrow money to buy food. Min's vision became blurry when a small piece of metal flew into his left eye, injured the lens in his eye, and caused him to develop cataract. He also has pain in his left eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Min. On March 5, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Min's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. "After surgery I will go back to the wood mill, and I will work as a wood cutter for them," says Min.

Nandar is a 25-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her mother and 30-year-old brother in a village in Chaungzon Township of Mon State. Nandar was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Nandar experiences tiredness and difficulty breathing. She is unable to work because of her symptoms. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Nandar. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 25 and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Nandar said, “I would like to get better so that I can go to work and help my mother. My brother is not able to work, so if I was stronger, I would take any job to help my family.”

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.

Sun is a mechanic from Cambodia. He has two daughters and two sons. He likes to do housework at home. Seven months ago, he developed hip pain on his right side. He cannot walk and is in chronic pain. Fortunately, Sun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Sun of his pain and allow him to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for November 5, and Sun needs help raising $1,025 to pay for this procedure. He says, "I hope I can return to work soon."

Candle is a seven-year-old student from Burma. He lives with his family in Htee San Ra village, Myawaddy Township, Karen State. During his school holiday, Candle was riding with his uncle and grandmother on a motorbike. While they were going down a hill, the motorbike slid and fell onto Candle’s left thigh, breaking his femur bone. Currently, Candle is in pain, and he cannot move his leg. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Candle will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for October 15 and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Candle to be free from pain and walk again. His father says, “This is the first time that an accident has happened to someone in our family. We are both very upset to see our son suffer from the pain and as a father I feel sorry for him and I cannot sleep well."

Sweet is a four-month old baby girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, grandparents, uncle, and two aunts. They live on a family farm. Sweet was born at home with the assistance of a traditional birthing assistant. Shortly after birth, Sweet’s mother noticed that she had a mass near her tailbone. At ten days old, Sweet was taken to Mae Tha Rain Clinic. The medic prescribed a medication and they stayed in the clinic for one month for monitoring. Sweet is able to sleep and eat well, but the mass is growing at a steady rate. Sweet experiences no pain related with her condition but the mass is increasing in size, and it makes Sweet's parent worry. Sweet's family sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on September 18. The family is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Her mother says, "I am worried to see my daughter's mass is increasing in size but I am also happy that she will receive surgery soon. I am excited and looking forward to see she will be cured and become healthy after the surgery."

Nar is a four-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, grandparents, and two aunts in Mawlamyine City in Mon State. Just before she turned two, her mother noticed a small lump on her neck. The mass became larger as she grew. Her mother took her to several hospitals for possible treatment. At our medical partner's care center, her doctor recommended a surgery to remove the benign tumor. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on August 27. Her family is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care.

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."