“I am not scared to get surgery,” Nandar shares. “I believe that it will help me, and that my body will heal fast.” Nandar is a 16-year-old girl who lives in Thailand with her mother. Currently, Nandar works in a textile factory. But Nandar says that she likes to read books and even writes her own stories. She dreams of writing a book someday or becoming a teacher. Earlier this year, Nandar began to experience multiple nose bleeds and heart palpitations. Concerned, her mother took her to the hospital. There, an echocardiogram revealed that Nandar has a condition known as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). This means that her arteries are not properly moving blood from her lungs to the rest of her body. Because Nandar tires so easily now, she has not been able to work as much as she would like to, which has put financial strain on her and her mother. If left untreated, PDA could also cause Nandar lung damage. Nandar has no choice but to undergo surgery if she hopes to avoid this outcome. However, she and her mother cannot afford the $1,500 needed to pay for her operation on December 11, as well as the associated lab tests and hospital stay. With your help, Nandar can receive her surgery and once more have a functioning heart and lungs. With her health intact, Nandar will be able to pursue the writing and teaching career she dreams of.

Rose is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and two sisters in Cap Haitien, a city on the north coast of Haiti. She is in the third grade and likes going to school and participating in church. Rose has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This diagnosis involves several related defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Rose will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On November 13, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in her heart with a patch and remove the muscular blockage in her valve. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $22,000 to pay for surgery. Rose's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Rose's family overseas. Rose says, :I am happy about getting my heart fixed so I won't be tired all the time!"