Waily is five years old and lives in a small city in southern Dominican Republic with his parents and two brothers. He is in kindergarten. His favorite activity is to go to birthday parties. Waily was born with a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sickly and weak. Although Waily is not Haitian, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is collaborating with their partners in the Dominican Republic to offer treatment to Dominican children. He will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center. First, Waily will undergo a full cardiac assessment on February 14. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Waily also covers the cost of medications and social support for him and him family. Gift of Life International is contributing $7,000 to cover additional costs associated with Waily's surgical care. "We are very thankful to everyone who is helping Waily receive this surgery, and we are hopeful that he will return in good health after his surgery is finished," says Waily's mother.

Elineris is six years old and lives in a rural community in the Dominican Republic with her parents and one older sister. Her parents are both farmers. She is in kindergarten and loves everything having to do with princesses. Elineris was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and weak. Although Elineris is not Haitian, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is collaborating with their partners in the Dominican Republic to offer treatment to Dominican children. Elineris will be one of the first children to receive this care. First, Elineris will undergo a full cardiac assessment on February 11. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Elineris also covers the cost of medications and social support for her and her family. Gift of Life International is contributing $7,000 to cover additional costs associated with Elineris's surgical care. "We would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping Elineris. We never imagined she would ever have this chance" says her mother.

Meet Julio, a one-year-old baby boy from the Dominican Republic. Julio was born with a ventricular septal defect. In this condition, there is a hole in the wall that separates the two lower chambers of the heart, causing oxygen-rich blood to combine with oxygen-poor blood. This then forces Julio's heart to work harder than normal, making him feel ill. Although Julio is not Haitian, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is collaborating with their partners in the Dominican Republic to offer treatment to Dominican children. Julio will be one of the first children to receive this care. First, Julio will undergo a full cardiac assessment on February 8. This assessment will include physical exams, labs, and an overnight stay at the hospital. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1,500 to fund these procedures. Funding for Julio also covers the cost of medications and social support for him and his family. Gift of Life International is contributing $7,000 to cover additional costs associated with Julio's surgical care. His mother says, "We would like to thank everyone who is helping answer our prayers for Julio to become healthy!"

Naw Blu is a one-month-old baby girl who lives in a refugee camp in Thailand. Her parents moved to the camp from Burma to escape civil war and raise a family. In addition to her parents, Naw Blu also has three older sisters. One week after Naw Blu was born, her mother noticed that her left leg wasn't moving. X-ray results did not show any bone abnormalities. On December 16, Naw Blu will undergo a CT scan, which will help her doctors diagnose the problem. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, is requesting $414 to fund the scan. Over the past year, life in the refugee camp has grown more difficult, due to reduced food rations and fewer community workers. Jobs within the camp have become scarce. Despite these challenges, Naw Blu's mother is optimistic about the future. She will do whatever it takes to ensure the wellbeing of her children. She says, “I want my daughter to finish school, and after that she can do whatever she wants.”

Srey Pin is a two-year-old girl living in Cambodia. She has one brother and one sister, and she likes to play with the other children in her neighborhood. When Srey Pin was nine months old, she burned her left hand with hot water. As a result of this injury, she has developed contractures on four of her fingers. In other words, the skin around the burned area has painfully tightened, restricting mobility. Currently, Srey Pin finds it difficult to hold or carry objects, and she experiences pain when moving her left hand. Srey Pin's neighbor told her parents about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. She and her mother traveled four hours to seek treatment at their care center. The surgeons there will operate to release the scarred tissue, allowing Srey Pin to regain mobility in her hand. Srey Pin is scheduled to undergo surgery on January 5. Our medical partner is requesting $194 to cover the cost of surgical supplies, medicine, and post-op care.

Shakir is a cute and charming boy who loves people. He enjoys discovering new things and eating sweets and rice. Shakir has been diagnosed with Hirschprung's disease, a condition that affects the large intestine and causes uncomfortable symptoms. He underwent a previous treatment, which only solved the problem temporarily. On December 27, he underwent a corrective surgery at our medical partner's care center. During this surgery, doctors removed the diseased part of Shakir's intestine. Shakir’s mother is a single mother who is unemployed. Her brother supports the family, but he cannot afford healthcare. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 in funding.

Somaly is a two-year-old girl from Cambodia. She has one older brother and two older sisters. She likes to play with dolls and play games. Somaly was born with a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision and cloudy lenses. She has difficulty walking around independently. When Somaly's mother learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On December 22, doctors performed a lens aspiration in each eye to remove the cataract. After recovery, Somaly's vision will improve. Now, her family needs help to fund this $292 procedure. "I hope my daughter can see like other kids," says Somaly's mother, "so that I don't have to worry about her eyes having any problems. I want her to be able to play with her siblings and friends, and I want her to go to school to study like other children."

Shadrack is a five-month-old boy from Kenya. He was born with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. Shadrack is the youngest in a family of two children. When he was two months old, his mother noticed that his head was rapidly increasing in size. She notified a medic during a pediatric checkup, and a scan revealed the excess fluid in his head. They were referred to our medical partner's hospital, Bethany Kids Kijabe Hospital, for specialized treatment. On December 8, Shadrack underwent a shunt insertion, during which doctors inserted a device to drain the fluid from his brain. Shadrack lives with his older brother and parents in a one-room rental house. His mother is a housewife, while his father is a fisherman. They cannot afford to pay for healthcare. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to fund this procedure. Shadrack's mother is relieved that her son is receiving care. "We love him so much, and it hurts so much to see him cry in anguish," she says.

Three-month-old Len is the only child in his family. He and his parents live in Cambodia. Len was born with a congenital cataract in each eye, which causes his lenses to be cloudy and he has poor vision. He traveled two hours with his parents to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), after a doctor at another hospital sent him here. Eye doctors at CSC will perform a lens aspiration surgery to remove the clouded lens from each eye and prevent him from going blind. The treatment and surgery costs $292 and covers all of Len's medical expenses. When he is a few years older, he will return to have an IOL implant in each eye.

Six-year-old Navaraj is a student from Nepal who enjoys playing volleyball with his neighborhood friends. While his mother looks after the farm and the family, his father works in India to support the family back home. One day, Navaraj was playing with his little brother on the porch of his house when he slipped and fell down, fracturing his right elbow. "It was raining, and the porch was slippery," explains Navaraj's father about the conditions leading to his son's injury. Thankfully, because his father had come home on holiday, Navaraj could be brought to the hospital right away. "It would've been difficult for his mother to leave behind the cattle, the farm, our younger son and bring him all the way to the hospital," his father added. Since the accident, Navaraj has been in a lot of pain and has been vomiting, too. Naturally, his parents are concerned about his condition. "I am worried that this injury will hinder my son's mobility," shares Navaraj's father. For $579, Navaraj will undergo surgery to align his fractured elbow and hold the bones together with pins. Funding also covers the costs of four nights in the hospital, X-rays, physiotherapy, medicine to relieve pain and prevent infection, and cast removal after Navaraj’s elbow has healed. Let's help fund surgery for Navaraj!

Meet Bikram! Bikram is three years old and lives with his parents in Nepal. Bikram recently injured himself while playing outdoors. Our medical partner, Possible, explains: "He fell off the porch of his house and fractured his left femur. He has been in a lot of pain since and the area of injury looks swollen and slightly deformed." Bikram’s parents tend a farm for a living, and cannot afford the treatment their son needs to reset the fracture. Luckily, we can help. For $224, Bikram will have his fractured bone aligned and secured correctly, and he will be on his way to recovery. “It’s so unfortunate for this accident to have happened," Bikram's mother shares. "I hope it does not stop him from having a normal childhood.”

Oeun is a 75-year-old man from Cambodia who is “married with four sons, three daughters, and 13 grandchildren.” He assists his daughter in taking care of her children, and “he enjoys visiting the pagoda in his free time to listen to the monks pray.” Four months ago, “Oeun developed a cataract in each eye,” explains Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), our medical partner in Cambodia. “This causes him blurred vision, tearing, burning, and cloudy lenses.” Oeun shares, “It is hard for me to see everything clearly, do any work, or go anywhere by myself.” He wishes to restore his vision to its previous quality, stating, “I hope my eyes can see everything clearer than now so I can help my daughter take care of her children at home and I can easily do any work better than before. I want to be able to go walking anywhere outside too.” For $225, Oeun will receive Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) and an Intraocular Lens (IOL) in each eye at the Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. During this procedure, doctors will break apart and remove the cloudy lenses and replace them with artificial implants. CSC shares, “After a SICS and IOL implant in each eye, Oeun will be able to see clearly again.” Oeun’s daughter wishes for an improvement in his eyesight so that he can return to his daily activities free from hampered vision. She states, “I hope my father can see everything clearly as normal again so he can easily do any work and go somewhere that he wishes to by himself. I hope I won’t have to worry about his eyes losing vision anymore.”