This young man is called Powerful. He is 17, has two brothers and one sister, and lives in Haiti. Powerful is an intelligent boy, and was always good at school even when sick. He dreams of becoming a doctor in the future. Powerful has had two heart surgeries for valve replacement. Now he has developed endocarditis, an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, reports, "the patient came to the hospital with fast heart beating, shortness of breathe, fever and severe headaches. Powerful's health condition is very bad, he requires very specified and quick treatment to save his life." Powerful is from a poor family and his parents are unemployed, they depend on friends to help them. They cannot afford the treatment Powerful needs. $1200 will cover his hospital admission, labs, x-rays and a two week treatment of life-saving antibiotics. Your support could make the difference in saving Powerful's life. Let's make it happen.

Say hello to Manjese, a sweet five-year-old girl who lives with her aunt in Tanzania. She's shy, but eager to jump in and play silly games with other kids at school. Her aunt, a devoted nursery school teacher, supports Manjese on her own and treats her like her own daughter. “Even though Manjese has not come out of my womb, she is my daughter and I adore her,” her aunt says. Manjese has trouble walking because of a deformity called bilateral genu varus. Both of her legs show progressive bowing, making it difficult for her to walk correctly. Doctors say if untreated, she may develop early osteoarthritis, a form of arthritis usually found in elderly patients. The tibial osteotomy and serial casting Manjese needs will cost $555, and allow her to walk with ease and prevent early osteoarthritis
. Her aunt tells us that she hopes to see Manjese walk to school with strong, healthy strides: “I feel blessed to have [Manjese] around and I would like to see her able to walk properly and continue to go to school like other children.” Let's make sure little Manjese receives the treatment she needs!

Say hello to Paul, a 51-year-old husband and father of five from Kenya. Paul works as a teacher while his wife takes care of the children at home. Last year, Paul was in a car accident that led to several injuries, including a fractured femur and leg infection. He is in severe pain and cannot walk without help. Paul took out a loan to pay for the initial treatment he received after the accident, but does not have enough to afford the additional healthcare needed. Paul now needs $1,500 to treat the fracture and infection in his leg. Without it, his leg may need to be amputated. Paul says, “I thank God that I did not die in the car accident. My prayer is that I get well so that I can go back to work and take care of my family." Let's help answer Paul's prayers by getting him the care he needs!

When she was younger, in order to help her family, Me Maw dropped out of school and stayed home to look after her siblings while her mother was at work. Without a high level of education, Me Maw now relies on work to support herself. However, she recently had to stop working when she started experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Doctors diagnosed her with rheumatic heart disease, a serious condition that is can be fatal if left untreated. Without an income, Me Maw cannot afford healthcare on her own. But for $1,500, we can pay for her to receive a procedure called a cardiac-mitral valve repair. This procedure will repair the part of Me Maw’s heart which makes sure that blood keeps circulating. Doctors say that she will be able to move around much more easily, without shortness of breath, and hopefully return to work. Let's give her a chance to live a normal, healthy life!

"This case is just heartbreaking, and is crying out for urgent solidarity and collective action," Dr. Peter Rohloff, the medical director at our partner in Guatemala writes. "Wendy is 10 years old," Dr. Rohloff continues. "Since 2003, she has had severe joint pain and swelling, in almost all joints of her body. She can't move her hands, knees, or neck. She is in constant pain. She has a condition called juvenile idiopathic arthritis which is devastating her quality of life, keeping her from attending school, and causing an enormous financial strain on her family. She's received intermittent care, but she and her family can't always afford the care, and so she's started and stopped treatment many times. She needs an advocate who can intensively monitor and treat her symptoms." For $1,200, we can fund immunosuppressive therapy to improve Wendy's symptoms and allow her to resume school. "Wendy is a really delightful child who gave me a big smile today, despite being in severe pain. Her mother is at her wits end, and also economically exhausted. They are both looking for a permanent solution, and they are desperately in need of hope." Let's come together and make a happy, healthy life possible for Wendy!