Alson is an eight-year-old student from Ethiopia. He lives with his parents and two brothers. His father works tirelessly for the government, staying at his job both day and night. His mother stays home to give all her love and care to her three boys. Six years ago, Alson started to experience snoring, high fever, and difficulty eating. Being sick all the time means he misses many days of school. He is falling behind in his classes and feels lonely because he can't be with his friends. Alson was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Alson, which is scheduled to take place on January 10th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Alson of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. Alson's family says, "We are all so excited for him to finally get healthy and feel like himself again. Our greatest wish is to see him happy and strong, running back to school and playing with his friends. We can’t wait for the day he can just be a kid again, without that constant, heavy throat pain holding him back."

Wisnaida is a 16-year-old student who lives in central Haiti with her parents and three younger siblings. Her father is a music teacher, and her mother is a merchant. In her free time, Wisnaida enjoys singing. When Wisnaida was younger, she developed an infection that damaged her heart and led to a cardiac condition known as rheumatic mitral regurgitation. Because of this condition, one of the valves of her heart does not open and close properly, causing backwards blood flow, poor circulation, and fatigue. Without treatment, Wisnaida is at risk of valve enlargement and early heart failure. Thankfully, Wisnaida will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On March 24th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will first attempt to repair the valve so that it functions more normally. If they are unable to do so, they will remove it and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Mitral Foundation, is contributing $10,000 to pay for surgery. Now, Wisnaida's family needs help to fund the costs of related care. 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 Wisnaida's family overseas. Wisnaida shares, "I am praying that this surgery goes well so that I feel stronger and healthier!"

Loudmia is a preschooler from Haiti. She lives in a small coastal village in northwest Haiti with her four siblings and her parents, who both fish and farm. She enjoys going to preschool and playing with the children in her neighborhood. Loudmia has a cardiac condition called a ventricular septal defect. 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. Loudmia will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On January 21st, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole so that blood no longer leaks through it. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing to pay for surgery. However, Loudmia's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. They need help raising $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. This also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Loudmia's family overseas. Loudmia's mother shared, "I am hopeful that after this surgery we can stop worrying about our daughter's health so much!"

Nicole is a beautiful six-year-old girl from Kenya. She lives with her single mother and three siblings. Her mother does casual work on other people's farms to support her children. She is in the first grade and loves to sing. Nicole dreams of becoming a gospel musician when she grows up. Nicole has clubfoot on her left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. “My heart is heavy. I feel like my daughter didn’t do anything wrong,” says Nicole’s mother. “I just hope she can walk like other kids,” she added. Nicole walks with difficulty, often tiptoeing and sometimes falling. She cannot play freely with her friends and feels sad when other kids laugh at her while she walks. Fortunately, Nicole traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 10th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Nicole's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to wear shoes, walk easily, and enjoy playing with her friends. Nicole's mother shared, "I have high hopes that at CURE Hospital, she will get better, be able to continue her education like other children, and achieve her dream of becoming a gospel musician."

SoPhorn is a 50-year-old man residing in Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia, with his wife and two children. Both of his children work in a garment factory, and his wife is a rice farmer. In his free time, Sophorn likes spending time with his family, chatting with his friends at a café, and doing home repair projects. About three years ago, Sophorn began experiencing pain in his right hip, which has caused difficulty walking and limited his ability to perform daily tasks independently. The condition developed naturally, without trauma or accident. He had previously undergone a total hip arthroplasty on his left hip in 2017 at our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Sophorn went back to CSC for treatment on his right hip. On November 13th, Sophorn will undergo a hip replacement procedure, which is expected to relieve pain and improve mobility, allowing him to move comfortably and return to work in his fields. His family can contribute $100, but needs help to raise $1,400 more to fund his procedure and post-operative care. Sophorn said, “I hope that I will be able to walk easily and no longer have hip pain, so I can go back to work and support my family.”

Thatt is a 24-year-old former construction driver from Cambodia. He is the youngest of five siblings. All his brothers and sisters are married and live separately. He lives with his widowed mother, a rice farmer, in Siem Reap province. In his free time, Thatt enjoys playing games on his phone and helping his mother with household tasks. Four months ago, Thatt was involved in a motorcycle accident after losing control while driving too fast around a corner. He suffered head trauma and a fracture in his left shoulder, and he was unconscious for several hours at a local hospital. After ten days, he was discharged and returned home. For ongoing rehabilitative care, he visited a Khmer traditional healer, but he is unable to use his left arm. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He is unable to move or lift his left hand and continues to experience pain. He has also developed Horner’s Syndrome, a condition affecting the sympathetic nervous system that causes symptoms such as a drooping eyelid and facial changes on one side. These disabilities prevent him from working and from helping to support his mother. Thatt traveled to our medical partner's care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. On October 14th, with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he hopes to use his left hand again, allowing him to find work and perform daily activities. Thatt's family can contribute $50 towards his medical care, but needs help raising the remaining $687 in funds. Thatt said: "After this operation, I hope to use my left hand again to return to work and support my family."

Thant is a four-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his aunt, younger sister, and two cousins in Tak Province, Thailand. He was born in Thailand, but his parents are from Burma. He and his younger sister were looked after by their aunt while both his parents had left to work in Bangkok a few months ago. They send money to support Thant and his sister, as well as his aunt's family. Since he was four months old, Thant has had an inguinal hernia. Currently, his right scrotum is swelling, and if he plays, he feels pain. This also affects his sleep. He cannot play much with friends and cannot be active because if he does, he feels more pain. Fortunately, on August 27th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children's Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Thant's hernia repair surgery. Once completed, it will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Thant's aunt said, "I am sad that I cannot help him. I have to look after him and his sister, as well as my own kids, which is very difficult for me sometimes, and also perform my household chores. After he recovers, I will send him to school, but for now, due to the pain, he can't go to school yet."

Luciana is a brave five-year-old girl from Colombia whose smile brightens the mood of those around her. Although she's still young, she understands the importance of caring for others and dreams of becoming a doctor in the future so she can help people. Luciana enjoys music and dancing, and she also hopes to be a dancer someday. Luciana has been facing severe tooth decay and has been undergoing dental treatment at our medical partner's care center, Clínica Noel. Recently, her doctor advised that she undergo a treatment procedure that will clear the infection that has affected multiple teeth. Our medical partner, Clínica Noel, is requesting $868 to fund Luciana's procedure and care on 18th July. Once completed, the treatment will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. With a heart full of gratitude, Luciana's mother says: "I wish to thank the donors supporting my daughter Luciana. Your generous gesture is much more than material help; it is a sign of selfless love, of faith in dreams, and of light at a time when we urgently needed it. Thanks to your noble heart, Luciana will be able to receive the treatment she needs so much, and with it, recover the smile and the quality of life that every child deserves. To see that someone who does not know her personally supporting her is the purest reflection of human kindness. May God continue to bless you in the work that you do."

Gay is a 13-month-old baby boy from Burma who lives with his parents in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province in Thailand. His parents fled from Burma due to the civil war. When Gay was about a month old, his parents noticed that his left scrotum was larger than the right and that his inguinal area appeared to bulge at times. Gay was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, a condition caused by abdominal tissue pushing through an opening in the lower abdominal wall. Fortunately, on June 23rd, Gay will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sariang Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,468 to fund Gay's hernia repair surgery. Once completed, he should live more comfortably. Gay's mother said, “My son is an active baby and plays well. I feel sorry for him because of his health condition. He is too young to tell us if he is in pain.”

Edith is a bright, determined high school student from Kenya who has faced challenges in her life with remarkable courage and an unyielding smile. Her parents are small-scale farmers who work hard to provide for their four children. As their income is limited, they also have received financial support from the community to help support their children's education. When Edith was five years old, she was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. Since then, she has been using a wheelchair, having lost sensation in the lower half of her body. The accident meant prolonged hospital stays, which kept her out of school and isolated from her peers, as well as coming to terms with being unable to walk again. Drawing on her strength and resilience, Edith returned to school at 18 to continue her educational journey. Her teachers recognized her intelligence and determination, so she was fast-tracked to Class 5. Three years later, she completed her exams and advanced to high school, where she is working hard to finish her schooling in the hopes of building a bright future. For the past five years, Edith's health journey had been relatively stable until January, when she developed a pressure sore on her left hip. The wound has since worsened, growing larger and more painful with time, causing Edith significant worry and discomfort. Due to financial constraints, her parents could not seek medical attention for Edith's condition. Concerned for her well-being, Edith's teachers advocated for her to receive medical care, and as a result, she was brought to our medical partner's hospital. Her doctors determined she urgently needs a debridement and skin graft surgery to treat the wound, prevent further complications, and avoid the infection reaching her bones. Our medical partner, African Mission (AMH), is helping Edith receive treatment. On May 28th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help her heal and return to school to continue her education. AMH is requesting $1,185 to fund this procedure. Edith shared, "I'm scared the wound might get worse and reach my bones, causing even more complications. All I want is to heal and finish high school."