Flor is a three-year-old girl from Bolivia. She lives with her mother, who helps her with physical therapy every day so that she will be able to learn to walk despite having cerebral palsy. Flor 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 instead of circulating normally, leaving her weak and short of breath. When she was a baby, she had heart surgery to stabilize her heart with a pulmonary artery band until the hole in her heart could more safely be closed. Now that she is older, she is ready for a second surgery to remove the band and completely repair her heart defect. On September 30th, Flor will undergo cardiac surgery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. During surgery, surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in Flor's heart, so that blood will no longer leak through it. Flor's family needs help to fund the costs of cardiac care and surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, requests $1,500 to help cover the cost of cardiac exams and diagnostics, surgical costs, follow-up care, and medications. Flor's mother said, "I'm glad my daughter can have her heart surgery now. We have been waiting a long time for her to be completely healthy, but I'm grateful, and I pray that all goes well!"

Tasmiya is a bright, curious five-year-old girl from India. Tasmiya's father works in the carpet industry; her mother is a homemaker. Her favourite fruit is mango, and like any child her age, she wants to run, play, and go to school with her friends. She is the second of four daughters, and her father describes her as a girl who loves to study. Her face lit up whenever school was mentioned, but her injury made it difficult for her to continue her education. About a year ago, Tasmiya was playing with a friend when she accidentally fell into hot water, causing severe scald burns. The burns covered a large area of her chest, affecting both sides, including tissue near her breasts and chest wall, as well as her right thigh. As the burns healed, they left thick, raised scarring across her chest and thigh, and most disabling of all, a scar contracture at her right elbow that has pulled the joint out of its normal position. The contracture in the right elbow has left her unable to fully extend or use her arm normally. Simple daily tasks like writing, dressing, and carrying a school bag are difficult for her right now. Tasmiya has not been able to go to school or continue her education, something her father says weighs on her, since she loves learning. As she grows, the scarring on her chest also carries the risk of restricting normal development if left untreated. Tasmiya's family learned about our medical partner, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center, and sought treatment. On September 2nd, specialty surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery. This will release the contracture and help restore use of her arm, allowing her to write and carry a school bag, dress herself, and do everyday things other five-year-olds do without a second thought. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,442 procedure. Tasmiya's father shared, "I am happy that she will have her surgery done, and I am confident because my neighbour, who had severe contractures, was treated here and is fully healed. I have full faith in Tasmiya's recovery."

Cristian is a six-month-old baby boy from Bolivia. He lives with his mother, who works selling propane canisters. As a newborn, she noticed he struggled to breathe and breastfeed, and he was later diagnosed with multiple heart conditions. Cristian has three openings in and near his heart — one between the two upper chambers, one between the two lower chambers, and one between two major blood vessels. These cause blood to leak through without passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Fortunately, on June 30th, our medical partner, Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría, will help Cristian undergo cardiac surgery to close the openings in his heart. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Cristian needs your support to fund his surgery and care. Cristian's mother shares, "I hope and pray my sweet boy can have his surgery and be a healthy boy!"

Michelsa is a young student from Haiti. She is in the first grade and likes art and music. Michelsa lives with her mother, grandmother, and two siblings in a city on the west coast of Haiti. Her mother sews school uniforms for a living. Michelsa has a cardiac condition called pulmonary stenosis. One of the four valves in Michelsa's heart is too narrow, making it difficult for blood to flow through it and leading to heart failure. Michelsa will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 11th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use a balloon on the end of a catheter to stretch the valve open to a more normal size. Another organization, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $4,000 to pay for surgery. Michelsa'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 Michelsa's family overseas. Michelsa's mother shares, "Our family is very hopeful that after this surgery, we can let my daughter run and play without worrying about her health."

Maligelita is a 42-year-old mother of six from Malawi who is married to a farmer. Before her illness, she worked as a tailor, using her skills to provide for her family and contribute to their daily needs. Six years ago, Maligelita noticed a small, painless swelling on her neck. Because it did not interfere with her daily life, she did not seek medical care at the time. As time passed, the swelling grew larger, and she began to experience pain when swallowing, tightness in her throat, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms gradually became so severe that she could no longer concentrate on her tailoring, causing her to step back from her business. In 2025, she was diagnosed with a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that support metabolism, growth, and other essential functions in the body. After experiencing episodes of choking at night, Maligelita returned to her local hospital and was recently referred to Partners in Hope Medical Center for urgent treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is facilitating support to help Maligelita receive the care that she needs. Maligelita is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 10, which will cost $1,015. The surgery will hopefully help prevent further medical complications and allow her to return to her daily activities without worry. "I am very afraid. Kindly support me." said Maligelita worriedly.

Thaw is a 22-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband, mother, two sisters, two brothers, and son in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Her husband works as a day laborer outside of the camp, while her mother works as a cook at a preschool in the camp. Thaw is a homemaker who also weaves traditional Karen clothing, which helps her to earn extra money for her family. Thaw is currently expecting her second child. While the family receives free basic health care in the refugee camp, Thaw needs help to fund her delivery. Doctors recommend that she deliver via a Caesarean section due to a high-risk pregnancy. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Thaw undergo a C-section on March 4th. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Thaw needs your support. Since she had a boy previously, she would like to have a girl this time. “But whether it is a boy or a girl, I will love my baby,” Thaw said.

Clamson is a young student from Haiti. He lives with his parents and younger sister in a city in northern Haiti. He likes going to kindergarten and to church. Clamson has a cardiac condition called a ventricular septal defect. 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. Clamson will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On January 22nd, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in his heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $5000.00 to pay for surgery. Clamson'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. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Clamson's family overseas. Clamson's mother shared, "Our family has been praying for this surgery ever since we found out about our son's heart problem. We are glad the time has finally arrived!"

Noel is a 55-year-old man from the Philippines who lives with his wife and children. His wife, Annabelle, works for the government, but most of her income contributes to supporting their relatives. They have three children: the oldest is already working and helps a little with household expenses, while the two younger children are still studying. After Noel's family learned that surgery would be the best option to treat his condition, they wanted it to be done as soon as possible, knowing that his health could affect how he cared for his family. Eleven months ago, Noel began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty swallowing, pressure in his neck, and shortness of breath. He was diagnosed with multinodular non-toxic goiter. He needs thyroid removal surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Noel receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 29th at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of his thyroid gland to reduce his pain and allow him to return to caring for his family. Some of the costs will be covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. However, Noel still needs help with the remaining $935 to cover the rest of his care. Noel says, "Knowing the cost of my surgery would be covered gave me comfort and motivated me to move forward with the operation. Now, I can concentrate on my recovery. Thank you to everyone who is making this happen."

Nan Lae is a 15-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, her two younger siblings in Karen State, Burma. Her father is a rice farmer, and her mother is a homemaker. She had to stop studying after the fourth grade due to her family’s financial difficulties. The family earns money from harvesting and selling rice, and their income is just enough to cover their daily expenses. In 2023, Lae noticed swelling in her gums. She visited the local clinic with her mother, where the medic removed a mass in her gums. The swelling disappeared, but after a year, the mass returned. Lae continues to experience swelling around her gums and difficulty opening her mouth. She can only chew on her left side because her right side is swollen. Nan Lae sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on November 12th, and needs help to raise $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Lae shared, “I cannot eat; sometimes I have to avoid chewing hard food.” Her mother added, “I want her to recover from this as soon as possible. She has already suffered for two years.”