Edeau, who is 13 years old, lives in a farming community in southwest Haiti, with his godmother and his godmother's family. He is in the seventh grade. Earlier in his childhood, Edeau suffered from rheumatic fever, which severely damaged one of the four valves of his heart, making it difficult for his heart to pump blood through his body. Edeau requires surgery to correct his condition. On February 6th, surgeons at Welcare Hospital will replace Edeau's damaged valve with an artificial one, a $6,000 procedure, which is being subsidized by Gift of Life International. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs associated with the pre-operative and post-operative care that Edeau will need, and the travel expenses for Edeau and his family. From Edeau: "I would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping me to get this surgery."

James is 13 years old teenager. He hails from Loseit, Longido district. James belongs to a midsized family comprising of both parents and four siblings, all of whom are being raised by their parents. James’ parents are farmers who rely on small-scale agriculture and livestock for sustenance. The family’s financial stability is often supplemented by selling cattle, providing the necessary funds to cover home expenses. Despite the family’s modest means, James is a dedicated student pursuing his primary education. In addition to his studies, he actively assists his siblings in cattle grazing activities at home. However, he faces a unique challenge as he was born with a congenital condition called clubfoot – his left foot is twisted inward. This condition makes walking uncomfortable for him, occasionally leading to school absences due to the pain associated with walking. Unfortunately, seeking medical treatment for James has been a challenge for his parents. Limited access to quality healthcare and financial constraints have hindered their ability to take him to a well-equipped hospital for the necessary treatment. Recognizing the severity of James’ condition, his father engaged with their village leader to address the issue. Together, they sought a solution to facilitate the required treatment for James. With contributions from his family, James, accompanied by the village leader, travelled to Arusha City in search of treatment. Fortunately, James's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on December 29th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund James's clubfoot repair. After treatment, his mobility will improve significantly. James’s guardian says: “I hope this will make it easy for him to attend school and help his family. I also hope his parents will be at ease after he gets treatment.”

Samnang lives in Phnom Penh province and is the primary caregiver for his elderly father. His mother died when he was only one year old. He has six other siblings who are married and support the household. Additionally, he has a younger brother who lives with him and still attends school. When not caring for his father, he grows vegetables in a small garden to supplement their diet and occasionally enjoys playing soccer with his friends. For over 20 years, he has had chronic ear infections. This infection caused both ears' tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, to perforate. For this reason, Samnang experiences poor hearing, which is getting worse. He often has ear pain, fever, pruritus, dizziness, and ear ringing. He is embarrassed that he cannot communicate well with others and remains inside with his father for much of the day. Samnang traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On December 6th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in both ears. During this procedure, surgeons closed the perforations. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, requests $914 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Samnang shared: "I hope after this operation I can hear better and return to work to support my father and younger brother."

Lillian is a 63-year-old farmer from Kenya. She is a mother of three children. She has been a widow for more than 12 years now, and since the passing of her husband, she has found it hard to make ends meet to raise her children. A few years back, she raised some chickens that lay eggs for sale to provide for the family. She also farms and sells arrow roots to get some extra cash. Two of her children have now finished school, and one has moved out. She shared that they are not well off financially and thus Lillian cannot afford for her treatment costs. She is appealing for financial assistance. A recent CT scan revealed a swelling in her uterus. After a biopsy test was done, Lillian was diagnosed with malignant neoplasm of the uterus. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1260 to fund Lillian's surgery. In November, she will undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Lillian will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Lillian says, “It has not been easy for me because I have had to change how I live. Thank you for your support.”

Bunaidie is an 18-year-old student living with her parents and younger sister outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Bunaidie would like to become a doctor or nurse one day and was a junior in high school last year, but is taking this year off of school because of her health. Bunaidie has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of her four heart valves was severely damaged by a fever she suffered earlier in childhood. As a result, her heart cannot adequately pump blood through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. The surgery that Bunaidie needs is not available in her country, so Bunaidie will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 5th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove the damaged heart valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Haitian Hearts, is contributing $12,000 to pay for surgery; however, Bunaidie's family also needs $1,500 to help to fund the costs of surgery prep and follow up, including labs expenses, medicines, and checkup and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social worker from our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Bunaidie's family overseas. Bunaidie says, "I am hopeful that after my surgery my heart will be normal. I want to be able to focus on my school and be ready for the rest of my life."

Eh is a 58-year-old father of two from Burma. Eh became unemployed following a motorbike accident that left his leg weakened. He now relies on his wife, who sells betel nuts and noodles for support. During his free time, Eh enjoys weaving bamboo baskets. Eh has been diagnosed with multiple large gallstones. He has enduring intense right-sided abdominal pain, accompanied by back pain and a diminished appetite. Due to the pain, he also faces trouble sleeping at night. Eh has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Eh's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Eh is scheduled to undergo his cholecystectomy on September 4th. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Eh's procedure and care. Eh said, "I stopped working for a year, and I have no income, so I am stressed about my treatment. However, when I learned that BCMF would help me access treatment, I felt very happy. I want to express my gratitude and say thank you to the donors and BCMF for supporting my treatment."

Annizabelle is an 11-year-old fifth-grader who lives with her parents and three siblings in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Her father is a mechanic, and her mother is a vendor. Anizabelle has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the valves in her heart is severely damaged due to an infection she suffered earlier in her childhood. As a result, her heart is unable to adequately pump blood through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is helping Annizabelle receive treatment. Annizabelle and her family will fly to the Dominican Republic, where she will undergo cardiac surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT on August 8th. During the surgery, doctors will attempt to repair her existing valve. If they cannot repair the valve, they will remove it, and implant an artificial replacement. HCA is contributing $9,000 to pay for the surgery. Now Annizabelle and her family need help to cover the $1,500 for the pre-surgical prep, lab tests, medicines and post operative follow up visits. In addition, this sum will pay for the passports for the social workers who will accompany the family overseas. Annizabelle's mother said: "Our family is praying that this surgery will be a success so that our daughter can get back to focusing on school and the rest of her life."

Woodyson is a young student from Haiti. Woodyson lives with his mother and older siblings in central Haiti's rural, mountainous area. He is in the tenth grade and would like to become a teacher. Woodyson has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. Woodyson underwent surgery six years ago to replace his aortic valve and repair his mitral valve due to a rheumatic fever that severely damaged his heart. Although his repaired mitral valve served him well for six years, he now needs to have his mitral valve replaced with an artificial implant. The surgery he needs is not possible in Haiti, so Woodyson will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On July 7th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove Woodyson's damaged valve and implant an artificial mechanical valve. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital is contributing $20,000 to pay for his surgery. Woodyson's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep, travel, and followup. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, checkups, and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Woodyson overseas. Woodyson shared: "I am excited to be able to have this surgery so that I can feel completely normal and healthy again."

Sephora, a 4-year-old girl with Down syndrome from Haiti, loves listening to music and drawing with crayons. She lives with her parents and three older siblings in a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince. Sephora has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. Because of this condition, a hole exists between two blood vessels near her heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. Sephora needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive cardiac treatment on May 29th. First, the doctors will perform tests to determine if the hole near her heart can be safely closed or whether it is better to manage the condition with medication. If the tests show a good result, the surgeons will close the hole using a device attached to the end of a catheter. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $6,000 to pay for Sephora's surgery. Sephora's family also needs help with her $1,500 surgery prep costs. This cost covers all her labs, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up appointments. It also covers the cost of passports and social workers accompanying Sephora's family overseas. Sephora's mother said, "I am very happy to know that my daughter finally has the chance to have her heart fixed!"

Ruthmeeah is a one-year-old baby girl living with her parents near the northern coast of Haiti. Ruthmeeah was born with a rare, congenital heart condition, known as Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition is characterized by four separate defects of the heart, including a hole between the heart's two lower chambers, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Ruthmeeah will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On April 25th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole to prevent blood from leaking through it; they will also remove the blockage from the valve. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $6,000 to pay for Ruthmeeah's surgery. Ruthmeeah's family needs your help to raise an additional $1,500 to cover the costs of her pre-surgical prep, labs, medicines, and follow-up appointments. This money will also be used to pay for passports and for the social workers who will accompany Ruthmeeah and her family to the Dominican Republic. Ruthmeeah's mother said: "Our family has been praying very hard that our daughter would survive long enough to have this surgery, and we are so glad that our prayers are being answered."