Floridalma is a mother from Guatemala. She lives in Guatemala's rural coastal region. She lives with her six children and her grandchildren. Floridalma works in her household, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her family's needs. Floridalma underwent a pap smear test with the nurses in our medical partner's women's health program, and the results of her pap came back positive. Though Floridalma does not currently have symptoms, she still needs to undergo a colposcopy, which is a guided biopsy procedure that removes affected areas of the cervix. A colposcopy is often curative for cancerous or precancerous lesions of the cervix, and it is therefore is the best way to prevent the spread of cervical cancer. With $218 in funding, Floridalma will consult with a specialist who will perform the colposcopy. Even if cancer or pre-cancer is found in her biopsy results, this procedure is often curative. Floridalma will be able to return to her home and work with better information on the state of her health. The procedure is scheduled for May 16. Floridalma says, "I have the will to do what I must to make sure that I am in good health. I wish to keep fighting for the sake of my children and grandchildren, for they are my reasons for living."

Ana Maria is a mother from Guatemala. Ana Maria lives in Guatemala's rural western highlands with her husband and three children. She works in her household, preparing food, cleaning, and taking care of her children. Ana Maria needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Ana Maria was experiencing pain and discomfort in her pelvic region, for which she sought medical advice with our doctors. After an evaluation, Ana Maria was diagnosed with uterine myomas, which must be cured surgically. Fortunately, Ana Maria is receiving help from our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq. She is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on May 16. Now, she needs help raising $817 to fund this procedure. After surgery Ana Maria will no longer experience pain, and she will be able to return to her family healthy again. Ana Maria says, "I am worried about my health, but more than anything I am grateful for this help, for no one has ever supported me with medical attention in this way before. I am ready to do anything necessary for the sake of my health."

Cesar is a young boy from Guatemala. He lives with his family in Guatemala's rural western highlands. He loves to play soccer with his siblings and eat his favorite foods, which are beans and greens. Cesar needs hernia surgery. Hernias occur when part of the intestines bulges through a weak area in the muscles of the stomach wall. Small hernias are often asymptomatic, though they tend to become larger over time, and then create bulges, discomfort, burning, and weakness. Cesar's hernia often makes him feel uncomfortable, and sometimes he has to sit out of a soccer game or miss a day of school because of it. Without treatment, his hernia will likely grow, the likelihood that he may develop complications will increase, and his pain will increasingly limit his daily activities. Fortunately, surgery for hernias is very effective and often accomplished without even an overnight stay in the hospital. With $773 in funding, Cesar will receive the case management, medication, surgery, and labs he needs to get his hernia repaired. Surgery is scheduled for April 30. Surgery will allow Cesar to feel much better again, and he will no longer have to miss a day or school or a soccer match. Cesar's mother says, "Since Cesar' hernia was detected we have not been able to get him surgery because we do not have the resources. But thankfully we found you all. We are very grateful for this support."

Edgar is a young boy from Guatemala. He lives with his family in Guatemala's rural western highlands. He loves to play with his toy car, which he carries with him everywhere he goes. Edgar also loves to eat his favorite foods, which are beans and greens. Edgar needs hernia surgery. Hernias occur when part of the intestines bulges through a weak area in the muscles of the stomach wall. Small hernias are often asymptomatic, though they tend to become larger over time, and then create bulges, discomfort, burning, and weakness. Egdar is often uncomfortable and complains of pain. Without treatment, his hernia will likely grow, the likelihood that he may develop complications will increase, and his pain will increasingly limit his daily activities. Fortunately, surgery for hernias is very effective and often accomplished without even an overnight stay in the hospital. With $773 in funding, Edgar will receive the case management, medication, surgery, and labs he needs to get his hernia repaired. Surgery is scheduled for April 30. Edgar will suffer from no discomfort, and will continue to live and grow as a healthy little boy. Edgar's mother says, "We are so grateful to this organization, for we have not been able to bring our son to a hospital because we lack the resources to do so."

Maria is a mother from Guatemala. She lives with her family in Guatemala's rural western highlands. She works at home maintaining the household, doing tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her grandchildren. Recently, Maria received an abnormal colposcopy result showing cell changes in her cervix that could indicate cancer. Now, she needs to undergo a procedure to further test and remove those cells. Cervical cancer, while uncommon due to screening in most developed countries, remains a top killer of women in Guatemala. Our medical partner's doctors want Maria to receive a cone biopsy, a procedure that will remove a cone-shaped section of tissue from her cervix. This test will reveal if she has cervical cancer and may remove all cancerous tissue, meaning that Maria would need no additional follow-up. If additional treatment is necessary, the cone biopsy will help Maria's medical team tailor her treatment and give her the best care possible. This exam is expensive and requires Maria to travel to the capital city. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, is requesting $418 to fund the procedure, scheduled for April 16. Maria says, "I am grateful to you all for helping me undergo these procedures. If it were not for this organization I would not know what illness I have."

Israel is young boy from Guatemala. He is a bright young boy, and is currently in fourth grade. Israel loves to go to school and learn new things. Outside of school Israel enjoys playing soccer with his siblings and eating his favorite food, which is fried chicken. Israel needs hernia surgery. Hernias occur when part of the intestines bulges through a weak area in the muscles of the stomach wall. Small hernias are often asymptomatic, though they tend to become larger over time, and then create bulges, discomfort, burning, and weakness. Israel is often uncomfortable, which sometimes causes him to miss school or sit out a soccer match. Without treatment, his hernia will likely grow, the likelihood that he may develop complications will increase, and his pain will increasingly limit his daily activities. Fortunately, surgery for hernias is very effective and often accomplished without even an overnight stay in the hospital. With $773 in funding, Israel will receive the case management, medication, surgery, and labs he needs to get his hernia repaired. Surgery is scheduled for March 14. Surgery will allow Israel to return to health and be without pain, so that he may go about living as the happy young boy he is. Israel says, "My family and I are so happy that I will get this surgery. Thank you so much for this help."

Petrona is a grandmother from Guatemala. She lives with her husband, children, and grandchildren in Guatemala's rural coastal area. She is no longer able to work due to her old age. Petrona's husband brings in the family's primary income, working each day in the local countryside cutting coffee. Petrona needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Petrona's daughter brought her mother to our medical partner's clinic because Petrona had been experiencing pelvic discomfort and pain. They diagnosed Petrona with a uterine prolapse, and to cure her prolapse, Petrona needs a hysterectomy. Fortunately, Petrona is receiving help from our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq. She is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on November 6. Now, she needs help raising $817 to fund this procedure. This surgery will aid Petrona in all aspects of her life. She will no longer experience discomfort or pain from her uterine prolapse, meaning she can continue life as usual with her family by her side. She says, "Despite my age I wish to keep living with my grandchildren and family who I love dearly. I ask for your help with my surgery. May God repay you."

Carmelina is a 41-year-old woman who lives with her husband and five children in Guatemala. Carmelina works in her household, cleaning, washing clothing, cooking, and caring for her children. In her free time, she weaves traditional Mayan textiles and belts and sells them to contribute to the family economy. Carmelina recently underwent a pap smear test, and the results came back positive for possible cervical cancer. Though she is not suffering from symptoms right now, Carmelina still needs to undergo a colposcopy, a type of biopsy procedure. On August 21, Carmelina will receive treatment through our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq. To help fund the treatment, Wuqu' Kawoq requests $218 to cover procedural fees, travel, and food. Carmelina says, “I want to be well so that I can see my children achieve their goals. I want to meet my future grandchildren. Thank you for this support.”

Gerson is a 14-month-old boy from Guatemala who has malnutrition, a dangerous condition which results from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. He is underweight and small for his age. In the short term, malnutrition means Gerson has little energy to grow and that his immune system is weak. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. On June 22, Gerson will begin treatment that includes growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation to help him recover. In addition, community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet with limited resources. Treatment will give Gerson’s family tools to maintain nutritious diets and will give Gerson a chance to grow healthily. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, requests $492 to support Gerson's treatment. Gerson’s mother says, “I am thankful to the program and the donors for the support we will get. With scarce resources we cannot provide all that our children need. I hope to see a change in my son's health.”

Sandra is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and four siblings in Gonaives, a city on the northwest coast of Haiti. She is in the third grade and like going to school and church. Sandra 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 first passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. To determine if Sandra's condition is operable, she must undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that is not available in Haiti. During the procedure, a catheter probe will be inserted into her heart to perform the necessary measurements and tests. On January 21, she will travel to the Dominican Republic to receive the scan at our medical partner's care center, Clinica Corominas. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Sandra's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. She says, "I want to say thank you to everyone who is helping me to get better!"

Jean Etienne is a student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and two siblings in a mountain village in northern Haiti; his parents are both farmers. He is in the fourth grade and enjoys going to school. Jean Etienne has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect and pulmonary hypertension. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. To determine if Jean Etienne's condition is operable, he must undergo a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that is not available in Haiti. During the procedure, a catheter probe will be inserted into his heart to perform the necessary measurements and tests. On January 17, he will travel to the Dominican Republic to receive the scan at our medical partner's care center, Clinica Corominas. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Jean Etienne's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. He says, "I am excited to visit a new country for the first time!"

Odam is a seventh grader from Cambodia. Odam loves soccer and playing with his friends. When Odam was one year old, he burned his hand badly in an open cooking fire at home. Burn scar contractures have developed,making it difficult for Odam to use his right hand. When Odam learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On September 5, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to restore function in his hand so he can play and write more easily. Now, he needs help to fund this $448 procedure. His mother says, "I hope my son feels better after surgery."