Deborah is a two-year-old baby girl from Haiti. Deborah is very cheerful and outgoing. She likes to play with her neighbors and sing. She lives in a city in northern Haiti with her parents and older brother. Deborah 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 passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Deborah will fly to United States to receive treatment. On July 23rd, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, HeartGift Foundation, is contributing $18,000 to pay for surgery. Deborah's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $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 Deborah's family overseas. Deborah's mother says: "It's a miracle that our family has this chance for our daughter to have surgery. We are very thankful to everyone!"

Hadassa is a seven-year-old girl from Haiti. She is the middle child in her family, with an older sister and a younger brother. She does not currently attend school but enjoys helping her parents around the house and watching cartoons. Hadassa has a cardiac condition called a partial atrioventricular canal defect. A hole exists between the chambers of her heart, causing blood to leak between them instead of properly circulating through the lungs to receive oxygen. This leaves her weak and short of breath. Hadassa also has Down syndrome. Hadassa needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On June 24th, she will undergo heart surgery, during which doctors will repair the hole in her heart. Another organization is paying for the surgery, but her family also needs help with travel and surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $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 Hadassa's family overseas. Hadessa’s mother shares, “Our family is so happy to know that there is a way to fix our daughter’s heart, and we hope everything will go well!”

Susan is a six-year-old girl from Kenya. From an early age, Susan experienced delayed developmental milestones. She was only able to sit at eight months and did not begin walking until she was two years old. As she grew, her parents noticed that she had difficulty speaking and pronouncing words. They hoped that, with time, she would improve, but the challenges persisted. Her parents enrolled her in school, believing that interacting with other children would help her learn to communicate better. Unfortunately, Susan continued to struggle both academically and socially. While her peers progressed to the next grade, she had to repeat a class because she was unable to keep up with communication and learning activities. Seeking help, her family first took her to a nearby hospital, and later, through a friend’s recommendation, she was referred to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. After undergoing audiology assessments, Susan was diagnosed with severe hearing loss. The major reason she cannot speak clearly is that she is unable to hear properly. When her parents learned the cost of hearing aids, they were worried. Susan’s father depends on casual construction and farming jobs to provide for his wife and their three children, while her mother works as a waitress at a local food joint. Despite working tirelessly, the family cannot afford the support Susan urgently needs. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Susan receive treatment. On 21st May, she will be fitted with hearing aids that will improve her hearing. With consistent speech therapy, her communication skills will also improve, so she catch up with her peers. Now, Susan's parents are seeking support to raise $1,171, to aid in treatment for their daughter's hearing, help her find her voice, and continue her education with confidence alongside other children her age. Susan’s mother says, “Susan is a very active and bright child, but because she cannot hear properly, she struggles to keep up with other children her age. Being able to hear would help her speak more clearly, interact confidently, and progress well in her education.”

Dagem is a curious two-year-old boy from Ethiopia who loves to explore. He enjoys playing football and riding bicycles. He lives with his mother, who works as a daily laborer, selling vegetables and washing clothes for neighbors to support him. His brother lives with their grandparents. Dagem's mother first learned of his condition when Dagem was just four days old. He was born with hypospadias, a condition affecting the urinary tract that causes discomfort and dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and risk further complications as he grows. Fortunately, on April 23rd, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, will assist Dagem in undergoing corrective surgery. This procedure will cost $1,293, and Dagem needs your support to fund the surgery. Dagem’s mom said, “I’m so happy, and thank you so much for the support. I pray that my child will be healthy like other children.”

Ketmada is a 17-year-old student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three older siblings in a mountainous village in central Haiti. Her father is a school custodian, and her mother is a homemaker. She likes cosmetics and beauty care and would like to be a professional cosmetician one day. Ketmada has been diagnosed with a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the valves in her heart does not open and close properly due to an infection she suffered earlier in childhood, and as a result, her heart cannot adequately circulate blood through her body. Ketmada needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On March 24th, Ketmada will undergo surgery, during which surgeons will attempt to repair the valve so that it functions more normally. If her valve cannot be repaired, the surgeons will instead remove it and implant an artificial replacement. While another organization, Mitral Foundation, is funding Ketmada's surgery, her family will also need help to fund the costs of her surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. That amount will also support securing travel documents for her family and paying travel costs for the social workers who will accompany Ketmada's family overseas. Ketmada says joyfully, "I am very excited to have this surgery so that I can stop worrying so much about my heart!"

Dylan is a 19-month-old toddler from Bolivia. Dylan lives with his grandmother because his parents are working in Argentina in construction. When he was very young, Dylan's grandmother noticed he was not gaining weight, and he was smaller than other children of his age. She brought him to a pediatrician, where he was diagnosed with two heart conditions. He has a ventricular septal defect, where there is a hole between the lower chambers of the heart, and a patent ductus arteriosus, where there is a hole between two blood vessels near his heart. Doctors recommend a single surgery for both conditions, where they will sew a patch over the first hole and sew the second hole shut. Dylan will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría, on February 25th. Dylan'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. Dylan's grandmother shares, "I'm looking forward to my grandson having this surgery so he can have a healthy life."

Srey Nith is a 35-year-old woman from Cambodia. She lives with her husband, who works as a laborer. They have one son who is a kindergarten student and is cared for by her parents. She is the fourth of six siblings, and all of her siblings are married and live in nearby villages. In her free time, she cleans the yard and reads literature. Thirteen years ago, Srey Nith fell from a tree while picking fruit and injured her hip. She developed avascular necrosis of her right hip, a condition where the blood supply to the ball-shaped part of the thigh bone is disrupted, leading to bone death. She has undergone several surgeries, including a right hip replacement, but she continues to suffer from chronic infections in the hip prosthesis. She experiences pain and is unable to walk without support, and cannot sit comfortably for long periods. She now seeks further treatment to regain mobility and reduce pain. Srey Nith was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), by another hospital and traveled four hours to seek care. She will undergo surgery on January 23rd. She is able to contribute $12.50 toward the cost of treatment and needs help to raise $1,488 more. The costs include a special prosthesis, surgery, medications, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. Srey Nith said, “After the surgery, I want to be able to move and sit comfortably again so I can go back to my job and earn an income for my family.”

Modester is 49 years old and a farmer from Malawi. She is married with five children aged 30, 22, 20, 19, and 12. In 2012, Modester began to experience troubling symptoms, including a painless swelling on the left side of her neck. She did not seek medical care until 2020 when the swelling grew, causing symptoms like breathlessness, weakness, neck pain, and difficulty climbing steps. Despite visiting several hospitals, she could not afford surgery or transport to larger facilities. Modester was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with a goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Modester receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 17th, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. “The breathlessness has severely disrupted my daily activities. I look forward to your support so I can find relief and focus on farm work," Modester said.

Erlinda is a young student from Bolivia. She lives in central Bolivia with her parents, who both work in agriculture, and her five brothers. Erlinda stopped attending school last year because she felt too weak. Erlinda has a cardiac condition called aortic stenosis. One of the valves of the heart is too narrow; this causes blood to back up, leading to weakness and heart failure. On November 19th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will reconstruct the valve so that it opens to a more normal size. Erlinda'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. Erlinda's father shared, "I hope this surgery goes well so that my daughter can have a healthy heart and can go back to school!"