Japhet is an eight-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the firstborn child in his family, but due to mobility challenges and limited family resources, Japhet has never attended school. Japhet’s father supports his family through small-scale farming. Japhet has clubfoot of his left foot, a condition which was identified during a village outreach clinic. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual, and this causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Japhet's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Surgeons there will begin clubfoot treatment on February 10th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,119 to fund Japhet's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will gain a chance to walk more comfortably, begin school, and participate fully in community life. His parents are looking forward to Japhet having a fuller and richer life. Japhet's father said: “He struggles to walk long distances, that is why he has never been able to start school. Your assistance would go a long way in enabling him to walk better, and to start school.”

Mili is a five-month old baby girl from Bolivia. She lives with her mother, who is a homemaker; her father, who is a truck driver; and two older siblings in a neighborhood of La Paz. When Mili was born prematurely, doctors informed her family that she had Down syndrome and a heart condition. Since then, Mili has had difficulty breathing and gaining weight, and needs this surgery to become healthy. Mili has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two blood vessels next to the heart. This condition prevents Mili's blood from circulating properly, causing her weakness, and leaving her at risk of heart failure if the condition is not treated. On January 13th, Mili will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew the hole closed so that blood can no longer leak through it. Mili'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. Her mother says: "I trust my child will have a successful surgery. I'm grateful for the kindness that people at the hospital have shown me; the doctors and nurses and everybody here are very nice to me and my daughter!"

Nicole is a beautiful six-year-old girl from Kenya. She lives with her single mother and three siblings. Her mother does casual work on other people's farms to support her children. She is in the first grade and loves to sing. Nicole dreams of becoming a gospel musician when she grows up. Nicole has clubfoot on her left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. “My heart is heavy. I feel like my daughter didn’t do anything wrong,” says Nicole’s mother. “I just hope she can walk like other kids,” she added. Nicole walks with difficulty, often tiptoeing and sometimes falling. She cannot play freely with her friends and feels sad when other kids laugh at her while she walks. Fortunately, Nicole traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 10th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Nicole's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to wear shoes, walk easily, and enjoy playing with her friends. Nicole's mother shared, "I have high hopes that at CURE Hospital, she will get better, be able to continue her education like other children, and achieve her dream of becoming a gospel musician."

Aun is a 52-year-old working father from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He lives with his wife and youngest daughter, who attends university in the city. His oldest daughter is married and visits often with her family. Before his hip pain, Aun enjoyed exercising in the park and riding his bicycle. Since 2022, Aun has had difficulty walking due to pain in his right hip. He now relies on crutches, which has affected his work and his daily activities. He is unable to stand for long periods of time and wakes up at night from the pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On November 10th, Aun will undergo a hip replacement procedure, which will relieve his pain and improve his mobility, allowing him to work and take care of his family. Aun and his family can contribute $100 toward the cost, but need help raising $1,400 more. Aun shared, “After the surgery, I hope that I can walk without crutches and feel better at work."

Roy is a baby boy from Bolivia. He lives with his mother, who works on a farm, two older brothers, and an older sister. His mom noticed he used to cry a lot, and he was tired when breastfeeding, so she took him to a doctor who discovered his heart problem. Roy has a cardiac condition called the Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related conditions, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. This prevents Roy's body from getting enough oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. On October 15th, Roy 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 and remove the muscular blockage from the valve. Roy'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. Roy's mother shared, "I just want the best for my child. Thankfully, his surgery will be soon and then we can go back home with him!"

Win is a 46-year-old widow from Burma. She lives with her 18-year-old son in Tak Province, Thailand. She used to work as an agricultural day laborer, but had to stop because she started experiencing back pain in April 2024. Win experiences lower back pain which intensifies with prolonged sitting. Due to the pain, she sometimes has trouble sleeping. Physicians at our medical partner's care center, Maharaj Nakron Chiang Mai Hospital, diagnosed Win with kidney stones. She needs a percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which removes kidney stones from the body, to relieve her of the pain and discomfort she feels. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on September 15th and once completed, it will hopefully improve Win's quality of life. Win said, “I would like to say thank you to the donors who are helping me with my treatment. I cried when I heard that I needed surgery because I cannot afford it. Now, I am full of joy that I will have the chance to receive treatment with the help of you. Once I recover, I will work alongside my son. I do not want to be a burden to him.”

Sokuntheary is 14 years old and an eighth-grade student from Pursat Province, Cambodia. She is the youngest of two siblings and has one older brother who is currently unemployed. After her parents divorced when she was just one year old, Sokuntheary has been living with her aunt, who works as a farmer. She enjoys studying literature, which is her favorite subject at school, and she hopes to become a teacher in the future. In her free time, she likes to read books and help with housework. Her favorite food is spicy stir-fried chicken. Sokuntheary was born with scoliosis, a condition in which the spine curves abnormally to one side, often resembling a "C" or "S" shape. As she has grown, her spinal curve has worsened, bending toward the right side. This condition often causes her pain and makes it difficult for her to sit for long periods. As a result, she struggles to concentrate in class when the teacher is speaking and worries about being teased by her classmates because of her appearance. Additionally, she experiences difficulty walking, which impacts her daily life. In the past, Sokuntheary had never sought hospital treatment because her family could not afford it. However, a relative informed her aunt about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). They traveled four hours to attend a consultation. On August 11th, surgeons at CSC will implant a metal "growing rod" into her spine to help correct the curve and allow for further spine growth. CSC is requesting $1,500 to cover the costs of her surgery, the implant, and post-operative care, including physiotherapy. Once she recovers, her spine will be straighter, her pain will be reduced, and she should be able to participate fully in school and everyday activities without fear or discomfort. Sokuntheary's aunt said: "After the surgery, I hope that Sokuntheary will no longer have any pain so that she can do a good job at school and focus on her studies."

Andrice is a 15-year-old student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and three siblings in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He enjoys going to school and would like to be a minister when he grows up. Andrice has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of Andrice's heart was severely damaged as a result of an infection when he was young. Although the valve was surgically repaired six years ago, he has continued to grow, and the valve needs another repair or replacement to function normally. Andrice will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On July 14th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will either repair Andrice's damaged valve or remove it and implant an artificial replacement. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $6,000 to pay for the surgery. Andrice's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. He needs $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 Andrice's family overseas. Andrice's father shared: "Our family is all praying that everything will go well with Andrice's surgery!"