This is Punlouk, an 11-year-old boy from Cambodia. “Punlouk has one brother and six sisters, and is the youngest in the family of eight children. He enjoys eating all kinds of fish and meat, and likes to play football,” says our medical partner, the Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Punlouk has had congenital meningoencephalocele (MEC) — a neural tube defect — since birth. This means he has sacs of brain tissue and fluid protruding through a defect in his skull. Punlouk is shy to go outside because of his symptoms. For $390, we can fund surgery that will reposition the protrusions back in the skull and correct the deformities, which could otherwise delay normal brain development. After treatment, “Punlouk will be able to go outside and play with his friends without being shy,” says CSC.

A 10-month-old baby from Haiti, Kerby lives with his parents, two older sisters, and older brother. His father works as a retailer for a cell phone company and his mother stays home to take care of Kerby and his siblings. Kerby was born with a ventricular septal defect, reports our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). A ventricular septal defect is a congenital heart defect where a a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood then leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen. This can leave patients very weak, although even with this condition Kerby is still a very bustling baby who loves to explore. "He is a very active baby despite his heart condition, and he is very curious about the world around him," HCA adds. $1,500 will cover the cost of an operation to repair Kerby's heart. The operation is also subsidized with $5,000 from the International Children's Heart Foundation. In this procedure, doctors will use a mesh patch to close the hole between his ventricles so that heart tissue can grow around the mesh and permanently seal the hole. The procedure will allow Kerby to lead a normal life without any future cardiac complications. "We would like to thank everyone who is helping Kerby," his mother says. "We will never forget what you have done for our family."