Chrestin is a baby from Ethiopia. His father is a civil servant, and his mother takes care of him. Chrestin was born with a congenital anomaly called bladder extrophy. This means his urinary system does not function normally and he is exposed to infections. He underwent corrective surgery three days after he was born, but the procedure was not successful. Chrestin is now scheduled to undergo another corrective bladder surgery on February 5. His family needs help raising $1,500 to fund the procedure. His mother says, "Our income is now only from my husband's salary and this is very limited on our basic need. We are living in a rented house. Our baby had surgery before but we were informed that it failed. Now we can’t afford this medical bill for these reasons."

Lemi is a baby from Ethiopia. He is the third child in his family. He loves to play and laugh with people. Lemi was born with an abnormal bowel condition. He underwent a surgery that offered a temporary solution, but he needs to undergo another surgery to fully repair the condition. This procedure is scheduled for January 15 and will cost $1,500. His mother says, "We are financially struggling to pay for medication and to provide him treatment." Let's help Lemi's family raise money for surgery!

Ranny is a woman from Cambodia. She has been married for eight years. She likes to cook, watch TV, and spend time at home. For the past three years, Ranny has had back pain. One of the nerves on her spine is being compressed due to herniation of one of the discs. This causes immense pain. She is unable to walk and move, and thus is unable to work and support her family. Ranny needs to undergo a laminectomy and discectomy procedure to relieve the pressure and pain in her back. Surgery is scheduled for December 4 and will cost $930.

Santiago is a child from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of four children. For one year, Santiago has been experiencing difficulty breathing, especially at night. This has caused him to have problems sleeping. Santiago was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $633 to fund a tonsillectomy for Santiago, which is scheduled to take place on October 19. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Santiago of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. Santiago’s mother says, “Santiago’s father abandoned us due to his condition. I am left to provide for them. Please help my son get the surgery. I can’t afford it.”

Shama is a toddler from Haiti. She lives with her mother and father in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, and is their first child. She is getting ready to start preschool once her surgery is behind her. Shama has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her short of breath and causing heart failure. On October 7, she will undergo cardiac surgery at St. Damien Hospital, our medical partner's care center. During surgery, surgeons will tie off the hole so that blood can no longer flow through it. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Shama's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and medications. Her mother says, "I am very excited that my daughter can have this surgery and become normal!"

Rashid is a farmer with a large family from Malawi. He lives with his wife, and together they have eight children and more than 20 grandchildren. Since last month, Rashid has been experiencing pain and coughing. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Rashid's surgery. On September 6, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. He says, "I am accepting this help with both hands open; I am ready to have the operation and return to good health! Thank you!"

Daw Win is a 45-year-old widow from Burma. She lives with her daughter and she works as a vendor selling newspapers. Daw Win was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, she experiences chest pain, difficulty breathing, and heart palpitations. She cannot walk long distances and feels more tired when she is active. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Daw Win. The treatment is scheduled to take place on August 8 and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Daw Win says, "I want to go back and work after my treatment."

Henry is a fifth grade student from Kenya. When Henry was eight years old, his mother went to Saudi Arabia and did not return. He has been living with his grandmother, who operates a small pub. He aspires to be an engineer. Henry was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, Henry is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on July 6. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $700 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I want to be an engineer when I grow up,” he says.

Biziki is a farmer from Malawi. He lives with his wife and together with their eight grown children, they run their small farm. Biziki spends his days tending his goats, and he likes to play with his grandchildren in his free time. Since April 2018, Biziki has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Biziki's surgery. On June 5, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Biziki and his family were thrilled to find out his surgery would be funded. He is looking forward to returning home. He says, "Thank you for this support."

Sandar is a 35-year-old woman from Thailand. Sandar was born with Down syndrome. She never went to school, but since moving in with her sister, she enjoys looking at pictures in books in her free time. Without her vision and unable to communicate with those around her, Sandar was bound to a wheelchair until her first lens replacement surgery on her right eye in April 2018. Since then, she no longer has to rely on a wheelchair, and is looking forward to regaining her vision in her left eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Sandar. On May 10, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Sandar's natural left lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure.

Thoung is a 36-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and parents-in-law. Her husband, a day laborer, is the only family member who is working and supporting the family. In her free time, Thoung likes to clean her house and look after her parents-in-law. Last month, Thoung started to experience chest pain and vomiting. As her symptoms became more severe, she developed pain in her lower abdomen. She may have a tumor in her abdomen. Doctors want Thoung to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Thoung's CT scan and care, scheduled for March 6. Thoung says,“I really need to recover soon to be able to take care of my family again.”

Moo Htay is a 55-year-old farmer from Burma. She lives with her seven children in Karen State, Burma. Since her husband passed away, the rest of the family works on the farm. They rent land from their neighbor, and sometimes Moo Htay’s children work as day laborers to earn some income. In her free time, she enjoys planting vegetable beside her house. Moo Htay has been diagnosed with a uterine prolapse. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Moo Htay's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Moo Htay is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on March 15. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will be able to walk and work normally again. Moo Htay said, “I will return to do farming after I recover from my condition. I plan to plant vegetables beside my house and look after my granddaughter."