"Since Phedia started getting sicker, I have been very worried about her and I prayed a lot,” says Phedia’s mother. “I am glad that God has heard my prayers!" Say hello to Phedia, a four-year-old girl from Haiti! “Phedia is a sweet but very shy girl who likes to spend time with her mother and her older sister,” according to our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “She also likes braiding hair and coloring.” “Phedia was born with a congenital heart disease, tetralogy of fallot, which involves multiple heart defects that together prevent the body from getting the oxygen it needs,” explains HCA. “Phedia’s case is especially serious and she has been passing out frequently from lack of oxygen.” For $1,500, Phedia will receive the heart surgery required to correct this condition. Following surgery, Phedia will no longer have symptoms and she will be able to lead a normal life. Let’s help repair Phedia’s heart!

"A surgery will bring her back to life and will open so many doors for this young child," says Dora's schoolteacher. 14-year-old Dora is a stellar young woman and student from Ghana. "Dora loves to play sports and is passionate about becoming a doctor or nurse," says our medical partner, Ortho FOCOS. "She is a brilliant student and is always amongst the top of her class." For several years, Dora has lived with scoliosis- a sideways curvature of the spine that leads to pain and difficulty with walking. Dora is often teased by her peers when she cannot participate in activities such as sports. The FOCOS Patient A Fund has contributed $16,500 for Dora's surgery, which will correct her spine and eliminate all symptoms. However, an additional $1500 is needed to cover the full cost. Dora's family is not in the position to pay the additional funds. "Her father sells secondhand clothes and her mother is a petty trader," says Ortho FOCOS. "The whole family lives in a single room in a suburb of Ghana." Dora's teacher introduced her to our medical partner, and now there is hope for her full recovery. Let's help make it possible!

Meet Kadogo, an eight-year-old girl from Tanzania who has a clubfoot – a condition that prevents her from walking normally. “Kadogo is using the lateral aspect of her feet for walking, which is painful," reports our partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "If not treated, Kadogo will never have a normal gait and she will most likely have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age." Kadogo is the sixth of seven children in her family. AMHF tells us, “She is in kindergarten and enjoys singing the ABC’s and counting numbers. She also likes to play ball games. Kadogo’s father is a night guard at a private organization and her mother is a homemaker and also does a little bit of farming. Kadogo’s parents work hard to take care of their children. It has just been difficult to come up with enough money to pay for the treatment which Kadogo needs." For $1160, we can heal Kadogo’s clubfoot and allow her to walk normally. After treatment, AMHF explains, “Kadogo’s gait will improve. She will be able to walk on a plantigrade and have a reduced risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age."

Synthia is an outgoing and friendly five-year-old girl with a great sense of humor. She likes to make jokes, meet new friends, and draw. She lives with her parents and four siblings in Haiti. Synthia was born with a congenital heart disease that caused a hole in her heart to remain open, when it should have closed after birth. Her condition, called patent ductus arteriosus, allows blood to bypass her lungs and return to her body without receiving oxygen. As a result, Synthia is frequently out of breath and lethargic. Some days her condition even keeps her home from preschool. For $1,500, Synthia will receive the surgery she needs to correct her congenital defect. This surgery will allow Synthia's heart to pump blood normally so that she can hit all of her developmental milestones and finally have all of the energy she needs to be her bubbly self. Synthia says, "I am excited to have surgery so I don't have to keep visiting the doctors so much!"

Meet Von, a 68-year-old man from Cambodia who has seven children and 15 grandchildren. Von has mature cataracts in both eyes. Children's Surgical Centre tells us, "Von's vision started to blur a year ago. Von had to stop working as a rice farmer and has had a hard time supporting his family." With rice planting season again approaching, Von is "eager to return to work and hopes the surgery will be a success." With renewed eyesight, he will be able to return to work as well as his hobbies, which include walking to the pagoda to hear the monks speak. Let's raise $100 for a cataract surgery for Von!

Seven-year-old Dorcas is from Tanzania. She is the fifth born out of five children. Our medical partner tells us that she is shy with grown-ups but chatty with other kids, and that she likes to draw and color pictures. Dorcas’ parents are small scale farmers who also have two milking cows. Their milk is for home use and the farm produce gets split into two, with half for home use and half for selling. Six months ago, Dorcas developed a pimple on her foot. When she scratched it, it bled a bit and turned into a small wound which her mother thought would heal quickly. Instead, the wound continued to grow and is now gangrenous. Dorcas cannot walk at all. Our partners at the African Mission Healthcare Foundation have established that Dorcas' leg must be amputated below the knee to save the rest of it and prevent the infection from spreading. “My daughter has not been able to walk for a long time now. I just hope that she will be able to walk, even by using crutches,” says Dorcas’ mother. With three children going to school, Dorcas’ parents cannot afford to pay for the surgery their daughter needs. $800 will cover the full cost of surgery, medication, hospitalization, and a new prosthetic lower leg so Dorcas can walk again.

Meet Irene! She is a sweet one-year-old baby girl from Kenya where she lives with her two half sisters, mother, and stepfather. Irene’s parents do not have regular jobs and rely on any casual jobs they can get in order to take care of their family. Irene was born with hydrocephalus, causing enlarged head size, intra cranial pressure, and "sun-setting" eyes. If surgery is not performed, Irene is likely to develop brain damage and blindness. “I wish we had brought our daughter to the hospital earlier. I pray that she will get treatment soon and she will go home and live a healthier life,” says Irene’s mother. For $980, Irene will receive a shunt incision. We expect that the surgery will reduce the intra cranial pressure in Irene’s head and she will not suffer brain damage nor become blind,” write our medical partners.

Naw Sein is an entrepreneur who makes and sells mats along with working as a day laborer in order to make ends meet. Earlier this year, Naw Sein noticed a mass in her uterus so she paid a visit to the traditional healer in her village. The healer told her that a spell was cast on her which was meant to cause harm or death, so she was given traditional medication to send the spirit away and cure her. Now, Naw Sein is very upset because the cost of the service put her in debt as she spent all her money in hopes of being cured yet is still unwell. After visiting our medical partner, Naw Sein was diagnosed with myoma, which causes tumors in the uterus along with intense pain that prevents her from crafting her mats. Naw Sein needs surgery to remove the tumors, which costs $1,500. Naw Sein tells us, “as the mass continues to grow, my worry grows also." Our medical partner adds, “she wants to recover quickly so she can return to work and is looking forward to not living in pain. She is eager to pay off her debt accrued from the visit to the traditional healer and start putting money away for her future and the future of her family.” Naw Sein says she wants to be the best aunt she can be for her niece and nephew. With our support, Naw Sein will be able to pay for surgery to relieve her pain and get back to work!

Meet 19-year-old Samnang, whose name means "lucky" in Khmer. He is from Cambodia and is the only child to his parents. Samnang is in the 11th grade; his favorite subject is math. "Samnang has been suffering from scoliosis since the age of 10," our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. "The condition has become increasingly worse in the last four years, until a family member suggested he seek treatment at CSC. Samnang cannot sleep on his back, and is embarrassed by the way he looks." $900 will pay for Samnang to have corrective scoliosis treatment. Doctors are confident that this will help Samnang sleep better and prevent his condition from getting worse.