14-year-old Rosemary lives with her parents in a mining town high in the mountains of central Bolivia. Her father is a farmer, and her mother is a homemaker. Rosemary is in the ninth grade and especially enjoys studying chemistry; she hopes to become a scientist one day. Rosemary was born with a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect, in which a large hole exists between the two upper chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without circulating properly through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, can help. On November 8th, Rosemary will undergo heart surgery at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría, during which doctors will sew a patch over the hole, so that blood can no longer leak through it. Once she has recovered, Rosemary should be able to live the life of a healthy 14-year-old. Now her family needs your help to raise $1,500 for her procedure. Rosemary said: "I am very excited to go back to my school and my friends after surgery with a normal heart."

Luana is the only child of her mother and father. Her mother is a college student hoping to become a doctor, and her father is a market vendor. They live in the Amazon basin of northeastern Bolivia. Luana was born with a condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart; blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Luana also has Down syndrome. Our partner International Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1,500 to fund cardiac surgery which will help her to grow up healthy and active. Luana's mother shares, "We are so grateful that the hospital selected our daughter to have surgery, and we are praying everything will go well!"

Praise is a 9 years old girl from Kenya. She is the second-born in a family of three siblings. She is in grade four in a public primary school within the locality. Her mother is the third born in a family of five children. She said that she left school in class eight, didn’t proceed for secondary education due to financial instability in the family. Her dad also left primary school for the same reason. Her mother has a small kiosk within the outskirts of Maua town in Meru County where she sells all kinds of foodstuff. The income from the kiosk helps to pay school fees for her children. Her father is a bodaboda taxi operator within the town and he supports his family with whatever he gets. They live in a rented two-roomed timber house. The parents migrated from rural to urban areas for better living standards. They left a piece of land but still go to the farm where they plant maize and beans for home use. Priase's condition started months ago as a small mass on her head which kept increasing in size. She was taken to Nyambene sub-county hospital where she was referred to Maua Methodist hospital. In our partner facility, she presented with a midline scalp mass for the past four years. She was sent to a Imaging Centre in Meru Town for a scan which gave the surgeon a plan for the surgery. The treatment is curative, and failure to treat it will continue to be symptomatic and may indicate malignancy. During the interview, her mother said she has been frustrated by national health insurance fund, which she thought could help but will not cover the cost of this treatment. On November 30, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Praise and her family need help to raise $529 to fund this procedure. Praise mother says, "Kindly help my daughter to undergo the treatment."

Anthony lives with his parents and two younger siblings in a mining city in central Bolivia. He is in the fourth grade and loves computer science. His parents co-own a small tailoring shop together. Anthony was born with a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which involves several related heart defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects deprive his body of oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. During surgery, doctors will close the hole with a patch and remove the blockage from his valve. Heart surgery will allow Anthony to live a full, active life, and our medical partner International Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1500 to fund his life-saving procedure. Anthony can't wait to feel better soon and shared: "I am excited to be able to start running and keep up with my friends!"

Mekides is a 2-year-old toddler and the youngest of four who lives with her family in Ethiopia. Her father is a traditional farmer, while her mother is a homemaker. She loves milk, playing ball, and laughing with her mom and dad. She feels so happy when her dad brings home a new pair of shoes and a dress for her. Mekides was born with a birth defect called Hirschprung disease. She has an abnormally functioning segment of her bowel. This condition has been a struggle for the family to cope with. Mekides previously underwent a colostomy creation and now needs a colonic pull-through, where the diseased section of her intestine will be removed and the healthy portion will be pulled down. Doctors with our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) will perform this surgery on July 25th and are requesting $1,500 to fully fund the procedure. This surgery will help Mekides thrive with the other children in her village. Mekides' dad said “After her treatment, I believe she will heal. I will not give her the duty to do labour work as other girls have in my area. But I will educate her. I will work hard to upgrade her life and give her a quality life. I gave her to God, believing God will lead her to a better future.”

Alex is the 3rd born in a family of four children and hails from Longonot, Naivasha, in Nakuru county. His mother told us he likes playing with other kids at home. Alex came to Cure Hospital accompanied by his mother, Grace, a housewife, and his father, farmer. Alex was born with multiple disabilities - spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and bilateral foot deformity. He underwent treatment for spina bifida when he was five days old, and hydrocephalus treatment was done at the age of eight months. Currently, he tiptoes as he walks and often falls. He is scheduled to undergo bilateral serial casting and then foot reconstruction surgery. The treatment will be impactful to the young boy because he will be able to walk, run, and play like other children and continue with his education uninterrupted. Alex's mother said, "I believe the joy of a mother is to see her children growing well and not with challenges, and therefore, I would love to see Alex walking normally like other children if given assistance."

Sopheaktra is a 19-year-old man from Cambodia. He lives with his grandmother and younger sister in Kampong Cham province. He spends his time helping his grandmother around the house or drinking coffee with his friends. When he was five years old, his left foot was burned by a fire. His family did not seek any help for him at that time. Burn scar contractures have developed on his foot, tightening the skin around his burn. As a result, it is difficult for him to wear shoes or walk as he is in pain. When Sopheaktra learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On May 12th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him walk again comfortably. He would like to find a construction job to provide financial assistance to his grandmother. Now, he needs help to fund this $495 procedure. He shared: "After surgery, I hope that I have no pain and can wear shoes."

Jasibe, who is only four months old, lives with her mother, grandparents and three older siblings in the mountains above La Paz, Bolivia. Jasibe was born with a hole between the two lower chambers of her heart, and a leak between two of the major blood vessels near her heart. As a result, blood doesn't flow normally through her body, and she struggles to breathe and to gain weight. Fortunately, our medical partner is here to help. On April 5th, doctors at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría will perform surgery, and repair both of these defects, so that blood can flow normally through Jasibe's body. Now she and her family need your help to raise $1,500 for this life changing procedure. Jasibe's mother said: "Our family is praying that after this surgery our daughter will become healthy and will be able to gain weight!"

Samuel is a nine-year-old student who lives with his parents and three siblings in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince. He is currently in third grade and enjoys studying history and science. Samuel has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which is a combination of four different congenital heart defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Fortunately, Samuel is scheduled to travel to the United States where he will undergo cardiac surgery on September 14th at Akron Children's Hospital. During the procedure, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in his heart and remove the blockage from his valve. A portion of the cost of Samuel's treatment is being supported by Akron Children's Hospital. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is raising the remaining $1,500 to cover the costs of his surgery prep, which includes all labs, medication, check-up and follow-up appointments, and the passports needed for HCA’s social workers to accompany Samuel and his family overseas. Samuel's mother says, "I have been very worried about my son's health for many years. I am looking forward to being able to stop worrying so much after this surgery!"

Dawentz is a student from Haiti. He lives in a small town in the mountains of central Haiti with his parents and siblings. He is in his last year of high school, and would like to go on to university to study law or business. Dawentz has a cardiac condition called severe rheumatic aortic regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart was severely damaged by a rheumatic fever he suffered earlier in childhood. As a result, his heart can no longer adequately pump blood through his body, leaving him weak and short of breath. The surgery that Dawentz needs is not available within Haiti due to limited cardiac care. He is scheduled to fly to the United States to receive treatment. On November 18th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott & White Heart Hospital, is contributing $20,000 to help pay for surgery. Dawentz's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports the costs of obtaining his passport and the expenses of the social worker from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Dawentz's family overseas. Dawentz says: "I am very glad to know that so many people are helping me to get my health back."

Myo is a 14-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents in a village in Karen State. His mother is a homemaker who is currently eight months pregnant. His father is a subsistence farmer, but he also works as a day laborer to earn money. Myo is in grade six and he enjoys playing football in his free time. Two years ago, Myo developed a pain in his arm which he noticed while playing football with his friends. Right away he was in a lot of pain, but his arm did not look broken. At first, the pain lessened, but gradually the pain worsened and his upper left forearm became swollen. Myo could also feel a mass under the swollen area of his left forearm. Myo and his father went to Chiang Mai Hospital, where he received a MRI and other tests, as well as a biopsy which indicates that the tumor in his forearm may be cancerous. Now he needs surgery to remove the tumor, and he will likely need a chemo after surgery. The enlarged mass in Myo's left forearm has not increased in size, and only causes him pain when he lifts something heavy or when he does any physical activity with that arm such as washing his clothes or cleaning. Although he can take a shower by himself, using only his right arm makes it challenging. When he plays with his friends, he needs to protect his left forearm to prevent getting hurt. Myo's family sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. He is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on December 8th, and his family needs help funding the $1,500 cost to cover his procedure and care. He said, “I feel sorry for my mother and I pity her that she has to stay alone with the new baby. I also feel sad that I cannot go to school this year. I want to recover quickly and go back to see my brother and mother.”