Coming from a village in Kenya, Jecinta is the youngest of 24 siblings. Her mother is the third of three wives, with six biological children of her own. Jecinta’s mother is a housewife who takes care of her children. His father is a pastoralist, who, unfortunately, lost the majority of his livestock to the drought that swept the region dry. The entire family depends on ten acres of land with is not producing well due to the drought. Jecinta was born in perfect health. Apart from a small bump that never seemed to disappear everything was well. She continued on in that state until she went in for her three months old clinical review. The doctor observed that the bump was abnormal and had grown to a big swelling. Over time, it began to impact her vision. Jecinta has a frontal encephalocele - a neural tube defect that causes visible, sac-like protrusions of the brain. Specialized treatment is now required, but Jecinta’s parents cannot afford the cost. Her father sold one of his cows but they are not able to raise the rest of the funds needed. If not treated, Jecinta may have mental and growth retardation, seizures, uncoordinated movement of voluntary muscles. Encephalocoele repair surgery will allow Jecinta to avoid these long-term consequences and grow up healthy. “I am now very aged and want to see my children to grow up with nothing affecting them whatsoever," Jecinta's father said. "I will appreciate if we can get help for her surgical care."

Guerline is 12 years old, and lives in central Haiti with her mother, father, and three brothers. She likes to go to school but she has not been able to attend for three years due to her heart condition. She likes going to church and helping her mother at home. Guerline has a condition called rheumatic mitral valve regurgitation, in which one of the valves of her heart does not adequately pump blood because it has been damaged by a fever. As a result, blood backs up into her heart, leading to heart failure. Because she has lived for so long with this condition, there is a chance it may no longer be repairable, but the only way to determine this is by inserting a catheter into the chambers of her heart. Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring her to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that she can have heart surgery later in the year. $1,500 will fund this diagnostic procedure, as well as all travel and transportation costs. “Following the catheterization procedure, Guerline and her family will know with certainty whether her condition is operable or not,” her doctor says. “If operable, plans will then be made to move forward with her surgery as soon as possible.” "I am hoping that the problem with my heart can be fixed so I can go back to school,” Guerline shares.