Guertha is a mother of one from Haiti. She lives with her parents and young son on a small farm in the mountains of northern Haiti. Guertha has a cardiac condition called severe rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of her heart cannot open and close properly due to an infection she suffered several years ago. As a result, her heart cannot adequately circulate blood through her body and she is weak and short of breath. Guertha will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 1, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove her damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Fundacion Heart Care Dominicana, is contributing $10,000 to pay for surgery. Guertha's 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 Guertha's family overseas. She says, "I am hopeful that after this surgery I will have my health and energy back!"

Maxwell is a baby from Kenya. He is the second of two children. Maxwell 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, Maxwell has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Maxwell will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Maxwell that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 28 and will drain the excess fluid from Maxwell's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Maxwell will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy.

Muoysean is an 18-year-old food seller from Cambodia. She likes to cook and help around the house in her free time. Since she was three years old, Muoysean had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Muoysean experiences discharge, tinnitus, and hearing loss. She has recurrent infections which cause irritation and poor hearing. Muoysean traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 4, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, my ear will be able to heal and I will regain my hearing."

Prickson is a father of six and a grandfatherfrom Malawi. He is a farmer who truly enjoys tending to his garden and spending time with his family. Since 2010, Prickson has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Prickson's surgery. On January 29, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Prickson was very excited to find out he will be able to have surgery. He says, "I am very thankful for this project, please continue to help others."

Han is a 24-year-old Karen man from Burma. He is an army medic. Han was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Han is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on February 10 to correct his condition and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Han's procedure and care. He says, “I cannot sleep at night. Before coming to BCMF I was very worried about my health condition. Now I am a bit relieved. I am looking forward to go back to my duty as a medic again when I am fully recovered.”

Susan is a woman from Kenya. She is a mother of three who used to be a nursery school teacher until delivering her third child. Her husband is a casual laborer, often planting trees for pay. Susan has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Susan. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 31. After treatment, Susan will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Susan says, “My prayer is that God will give me the strength to undertake the treatment and complete it. I want to be there for my children."

Idi is a student from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of eight children. His best subjects are science and Swahili. He loves playing soccer with his friends. Idi has been diagnosed with acquired left genu valgus. Early last year, his parents noticed their son’s left leg was weakening and bending inwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Idi. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 2. Treatment will hopefully restore Idi's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Idi’s sister says, “My parents are not able to afford the surgery cost and my brother's condition keeps worsening. Please help him."

Rabson is a basket-maker from Malawi. He works on a small family farm with his wife and kids, while making baskets from home to earn extra income. He enjoys chatting with his friends in his free time. Since 2017, Rabson has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Rabson's surgery. On September 18, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. He is very eager to be helped through this surgery. He says, "I am just waiting to recover and continue doing everything as I was before these health problems started. Thank you so much for this program to help me get better again!"

Teresiah is a farmer from Kenya. For two years, she has been experiencing heavy bleeding and lower abdominal pain. She has been diagnosed with multiple uterine fibroids. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $718 to fund Teresiah's surgery. On August 24, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Teresiah will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. “My children are looking upon me as their only support. I hope for help and successful surgery so that I can continue guiding them and doing my farming,” says Teresiah.

SreyTouch is a factory worker from Cambodia. She has four sisters and four brothers. She likes to watch TV and listen to music. Ten years ago, SreyTouch had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, SreyTouch experiences pain, tinnitus, and hearing loss. It is difficult for her to hear. SreyTouch traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On August 2, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $842 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Her older sister says, "I am afraid for my sister's operation but we hope there won't be any more ear problems afterwards."

Joseph is a young man from Kenya. He is the first born in a family of four children. He works odd jobs because his parents cannot afford to send him to college. Earlier this month, Joseph was riding a motorcycle when he was hit by a vehicle and sustained bruises on his face and a fracture of his right femur. He is not able to walk and is in a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On June 28, Joseph will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $998 to fund this procedure. His mother says, "God always knows when we have reached our end and He comes in to help. I am very happy to know that my son will be well again. He is my first born and we have a lot of hope in him.”