Ten-year-old Victor was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him fatigued. Victor lives in a small town in central Dominican Republic with his parents, five sisters, and two brothers. He is in the fourth grade, and his favorite subjects are mathematics and social studies. Although Victor 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, Victor will undergo a full cardiac assessment on February 15. 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 Victor 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 Victor's surgical care. "I am excited to learn how to play soccer after my surgery," says Victor. "I have always been too weak to play."

Muhumuza is a 31-year-old father of three children and farmer from Uganda. He earns a living by cultivating and selling tomatoes and onions. In 2014, Muhumuza noticed a small but painless swelling in his right groin. As the swelling increased in size and grew painful, Muhumuza started using herbs to reduce the pain. Muhumuza reports feeling weak often and experiencing pain when lifting heavy items. At the suggestion of a friend, Muhumuza visited our medical partner’s care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia. An inguinal hernia occurs when tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles. Without treatment, Muhumuza may experience intestinal blockage or damage. Fortunately, on January 11, Muhumuza will undergo a hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund the procedure. After the procedure, Muhumuza hopes to continue farming to support himself and his family.

Josephin is a two-year-old girl from western Tanzania. She was born with an uncomfortable condition in a sensitive area. The family traveled seven hours to reach our medical partner's hospital, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. On October 31, 2016, Josephin underwent corrective surgery. This surgery should restore function to her digestive system. Now, her family needs help to fund this $975 procedure.

Menaka is a 12-year-old girl from Nepal. She was returning from school when she stumbled on a stone and fell down, fracturing her left elbow. She has been in a lot pain since and has been crying. She has difficulty moving her injured arm, and there is some swelling too. To seek medical treatment, Menaka's parents took a four hour jeep ride to reach Possible's hub - Bayalpata hospital. Menaka studies in fifth grade. She lives with her parents and her brother. While her father works in India, her mother tends to the farm to keep the family going. Because of her fractured elbow, Menaka needs help with his everyday work like eating, bathing and dressing up. She is also forced to miss school. With $195, she can receive casting that will allow her fracture to heal properly. Menakas's father says, "I hope she gets well soon and returns to the school."

Sopanha is a four-year-old boy who lives in Cambodia with his parents and one brother. A first grader, Sopanha enjoys reading books and watching children's movies on TV. However, there are some playtime activities that Sopanha cannot take part in because of an accident he experienced in his infancy. When he was one year old, Sopanha’s left hand was burned by boiling water. The severe scars left by this burn eventually grew thick and tight, limiting the range of motion in Sopanha’s fingers. This condition, known as contracture, makes it difficult for Sopanha to use his left hand. Recently, worried because Sopanha could still not use his left hand well, Sopanha’s father brought him on the three-hour trip to the Children’s Surgical Centre. There, doctors told them that Sopanha’s hand will not heal unless he undergoes contracture release surgery. Sopanha’s family does not have the means to pay for this operation. But with our help, Sopanha will be able to receive the procedure he needs. $194 will cover his surgery, as well as the lab tests and week-long hospital stay that will make sure he is recovering properly. Once his hand heals, Sopanha will be able to freely move his fingers. Let’s help make it possible!

Alejandro is a 16 year old teenager from Guatemala; he has six sisters and one older brother, who, like Alejandro, was born with club foot. In addition to the club foot, Alejandro also has a currently undiagnosed genetic condition that has caused tumors on his face and in other parts of his body. Approximately one infant in every 1000 live births will have clubfoot, making the condition a common one. Most cases, however, are successfully treated shortly after birth with nonsurgical methods such as stretching and casting. “His parents are extremely caring and want what is best for their youngest child, but he lives in an extremely rural area in northern Guatemala, and so they cannot afford nor do they have access to the care he needs or a prosthesis of any kind,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). For all of Alejandro’s life, “he has never been able to walk and so his father carries him everywhere that he goes, or he crawls on his hands and knees,” says WK. Two months ago, Alejandro received surgery to correct his club foot. $1252 will help Alejandro obtain prosthesis which will enable him to walk on his own. With this new independence, the shy teenager will finally begin to have the confidence and ability to attend school and make friends in his community. “He was born with his disability,” said Alejandro’s father, “But we were lucky that he was a good boy-he slept and ate well.” He adds, “we just want what is best for him."

Piseth is a five-year-old only child from Cambodia. He attends kindergarten and lives with his parents. Four years ago, Piseth caught a high fever which made him develop a condition in his left eye called strabismus. Strabismus means that his eyes are not properly aligned with each other, reports our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). The condition causes Piseth to have a lazy eye and may impair his vision in the future if left untreated. Because of his condition, Piseth has problems with eye contact and tends to be very shy around other people. $290 covers the cost of Piseth's operation to straighten his eye. In this procedure, the doctor will open the conjunctiva, which is the clear covering of the white part of the eye, to move and straighten the muscles on the eye. This will fix his lazy eye and allow the pathway from the eyes to the brain to develop normally. Piseth's mother hopes the operation will help him become less shy around other kids and help him play with his friends more often.

Meet Diana! She is just under two-months-old, and lives in Kenya with her family. She has six brothers and sisters. ”Diana was born at home, and to everyone’s amazement she had a cystic mass on her back,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Her parents took her to the nearest hospital one week after birth, [but] unfortunately, there was no doctor at the hospital who could attend to her.” It is important for her to get this mass removed in order to stop the spread of infection and prevent other spinal complications. “Diana’s father is a motorbike taxi operator, while her mother picks tea from neighbors’ tea farms,” continues AMHF. With a daily income of $7 a day, they are unable to afford Diana’s $805 surgery. Her mother says, “I have never seen anything like this condition before. I pray that she will recover soon after treatment.” The good news is that we can help! If Diana gets medical attention soon, she will be able to get her tumor removed and develop into a healthy, happy baby. Let’s make that happen.

Meet Mukesh, a lively six-year-old from Nepal. He lives with his parents, brother, and sister in Nepal. His favorite subject in school is his Nepalese language class. After class, Mukesh enjoys playing Kabaddi, a local contact sport, with his schoolmates. Our medical partner, Possible, tells us that, “Mukesh was coming down a wooden ladder at his home when he slipped and injured his arm. Since then he has not been able to move his hand properly. It is extremely painful when he accidentally moves his arm or if his hand hits something. He can not even sleep at night because of this.” With $205, Possible will be able to provide treatment for Mukesh’s fractured ulna. With this care, Possible writes, “He will be able to move his arm and hand without pain. He will be able to go back to the school and he will be able to play with his friends.” Let’s pitch in and get this active kid going again!

Gayatra is in danger of permanent disability because of an accident that happened 18 years ago. When she was just three years old, Gayatra fell off of a balcony and fractured her foot. Her family hoped she'd be able to travel to Kathmandu for surgery, but they couldn't afford the associated costs, and her injury went untreated. Today, Gayatra is living with a contracture deformity, a stiffening of the ligature, in her right foot. This has made it difficult for Gayatra to do basic things, like walk and perform household chores. Gayatra needs surgery even more now than she did 18 years ago. With our $1,415, she'll receive treatment that will improve her mobility and prevent permanent disability. Post-recovery, Gayatra will be able to stand, walk, and complete household work with increased ease.

Stephanie is a smart 12-year-old from Kenya who loves to write and wants to be an author when she grows up. Several years ago, Stephanie's parents passed away, leaving her and her two siblings to live with their aunt and uncle in Kenya. Because of this, family has been very important to Stephanie and she would like to be able to have a family of her own someday. Stephanie was born with internal female reproductive organs and ambiguous genitalia. In order for Stephanie to be able to conceive when she is of childbearing age, she will require a genital operation so that she can give birth. Stephanie's family is very supportive of her health needs and has raised what money they can for her medical care but they cannot afford the cost of this surgery. For $1500, Stephanie will receive a vaginoplasty. This operation will allow Stephanie to feel comfortable with herself and pursue her dreams of becoming an author and, someday, a mother.

Kelvin is a very shy 10-year-old boy, but he comes out of his shell when playing football. A recent injury to his leg caused a piece of his bone to break off and protrude through the skin. His body was unable to heal the wound and it turned into a bone infection. Kelvin had to stop playing football because the infection became so painful it was impossible for him to walk. Kelvin wants to be a small business owner when he grows up. In order to be able to walk to school and continue his studies, Kelvin will need to undergo surgery to remove the unhealthy bone and to implant antibiotic beads to fight the infection. When Kelvin was four, his father passed away and he went to live with his aunt and uncle. They are poor farmers with four other kids and can’t afford to get Kelvin the treatment he needs. For $700, we can give Kelvin a chance to get back on the field!