Hadassa is a seven-year-old girl from Haiti. She is the middle child in her family, with an older sister and a younger brother. She does not currently attend school but enjoys helping her parents around the house and watching cartoons. Hadassa has a cardiac condition called a partial atrioventricular canal defect. A hole exists between the chambers of her heart, causing blood to leak between them instead of properly circulating through the lungs to receive oxygen. This leaves her weak and short of breath. Hadassa also has Down syndrome. Hadassa needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On June 24th, she will undergo heart surgery, during which doctors will repair the hole in her heart. Another organization is paying for the surgery, but her family also needs help with travel and surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Hadassa's family overseas. Hadessa’s mother shares, “Our family is so happy to know that there is a way to fix our daughter’s heart, and we hope everything will go well!”

Felista is a cheerful five-year-old girl from Tanzania. She dreams of becoming a teacher to help other children learn and grow. She’s the only child in her family, raised by her devoted mother, who works tirelessly doing casual jobs to provide for her despite the many challenges they face. Felista was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, where the knee turns inward. Her mother, who also has right genu valgus, immediately recognized the signs when her daughter started showing the same symptoms. Having lived through the pain and limitations caused by this condition herself, she worries deeply about her daughter’s future, especially as the deformity has already begun to cause Felista discomfort while walking and playing with her friends. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. Despite the physical pain, Felista remains active and social. She enjoys school and lights up when talking about her favorite lessons and her dream of one day standing at the front of a classroom as a teacher. Her enthusiasm and spirit shine through, even as her leg condition threatens to hold her back. Her mother, with limited means, is hoping for support to make her daughter’s treatment possible, so Felista can continue walking toward her dreams, pain-free and full of confidence. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $777 to fund treatment for Felista. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 16th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Felista's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Felista's mother says, "I don't wish for my daughter to go through what I have experienced living with the same condition. I wish for her to have a better life."

Jacinta is a 16-year-old girl from Uganda and the second born in her family of five children. Jacinta studied up to primary five before having to leave school due to financial constraints. She now helps her parents with farming to support her family and younger siblings' schooling. Six years ago, Jacinta began to experience troubling symptoms, including an abnormal, painful swelling. She was diagnosed with a lipoma, and her physicians recommended she undergo a laparotomy, which is a surgery that opens up the abdominal cavity to treat her condition. On April 15th, she will undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once completed, this procedure will greatly improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Jacinta's surgery. Jacinta said, "I hope to be rid of the pain and to be able to walk long distances after recovery."

Nith is a 17-year-old high school senior from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Cham province with her mother and 14-year-old brother. Since her father passed away several years ago, her mother has become the main breadwinner working as a rice farmer. At school, she likes Khmer history class and dreams of becoming a shop owner in the future. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, and loves to eat a Cambodian specialty stew called samlar kako with fish and vegetables. Nith was diagnosed with a ranula, a mucus-filled cyst that occurs due to a blocked or damaged salivary gland in the floor of the mouth. This condition has been causing her pain, especially when swallowing food, for the past two months. Nith traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 4th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Nith's family can contribute $50 but needs $223 more to fund this procedure. Nith shared, "I want to swallow food more easily without pain and hope that the mass in my mouth will stop growing."

Caren is a nine-day-old baby girl from Kenya. She is the youngest of four children, and her arrival has brought joy to her family. Her father works as a small-scale vendor, doing his best to support the household in a city where the cost of living continues to rise. Despite his efforts, the family faces financial challenges in meeting daily needs. Soon after Caren was born, her parents noticed that both of her feet were turned inward. After a medical assessment, she was diagnosed with bilateral clubfoot, a congenital condition in which the feet are twisted out of shape due to shortened tendons. Without treatment, walking and wearing shoes can be difficult as a child grows. Caren’s parents were concerned, but hopeful. They brought her to Kafika House, our medical partner's care center, where she is now scheduled to begin treatment on May 9th. This early intervention will help straighten her feet and give her the chance to grow and develop with full mobility. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341 to fund Caren’s clubfoot treatment. “We hope our daughter will lead a happy and active life just like her older siblings,” Caren's father shares.

Bekele is a 35-year-old man from Ethiopia. He is one of ten siblings, and as one of the oldest feels a great sense of responsibility to provide for his family. Bekele now faces a disrupted life due to worsening vision that impedes his daily activities and aspirations. Two years ago, Bekele developed a cataract in his left eye. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye resulting in blurred vision. Persistent blurry vision, difficulty reading, and obscured details due to the cataract severely limits his ability to work, study, and maintain independence, leading to frustration and future uncertainty. Fortunately, Bekele is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery with the help of our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital. Surgeons will remove and replace the blurred lens. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to raise $150 to fund his procedure and care. Bekele shared, "I wish to see clearly again. I want to return to my daily tasks, work to support my family, and connect with my friends again."

Jersy is a hardworking 15-year-old student from Uganda. He has five siblings, and his mom works as a small-scale farmer, while his father works as a primary school teacher. Jersy goes to boarding school, where he is dedicated to his studies and enjoys playing football in his free time. Two weeks ago, Jersy developed a small swelling on his right big toe. He was initially unconcerned, but when it became painful, he decided to seek medical care at school. When his symptoms did not improve, his father brought him to our medical partner's hospital, where he was diagnosed with an infected mass on the right big toe. Currently, he experiences pain and cannot put on shoes. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On April 8th, surgeons will perform mass excision surgery. Jersy's family needs help to raise $145 to fund this procedure. Jersy's father said, "I request and seek financial support towards my son's surgery, and I hope and pray that it may be a successful surgery."

Motuma is a 12-year-old boy from Ethiopia. Six years ago, Motuma developed a cataract in the left eye, causing him cloudy and blurry vision - a rare condition for his young age. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, blurring vision. He has a gradual dimming of his vision and discomfort. He also has a fear of losing his sight, which fuels a lot of anxiety. Fortunately, Motuma is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery with the help of our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital on March 19th. Surgeons will remove and replace the blurred lens. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $150 procedure. Motuma shared, "After recovery, I look forward to returning to school."

Matin is a 1st grader from Cambodia who lives with her parents and two older brothers. Her mother is a housewife, and her father is a police officer. Matin enjoys studying Khmer and math at school. Her favorite meal is rice with soup, and in her free time, she enjoys doing homework and drawing. Since she was an infant, Matin has been experiencing recurrent fever and sore throat, difficulty breathing and swallowing, and snoring at night. This condition makes it hard for her to keep up with her studies, causing her to fall behind and miss school regularly. Matin was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Matin, which is scheduled to take place on March 12th. During these procedures, surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Matin of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Her mother said, "I hope she will no longer have any problems and be able to focus on her schoolwork."

Araphat is a five-year-old boy in Uganda. His parents separated when he was one, and he now lives with his aunt. Since birth, Araphat experienced recurrent swelling in his testicular area. It worsened after playing or walking long distances. His aunt took him to several clinics. They prescribed some pain medicine, but it did not provide lasting relief. Due to the persistent pain, Araphat struggles to play with his friends. His aunt persisted and sought additional medical advice; she was referred to Rwibaale Health Center. At Rwibaale, a doctor examined him and diagnosed him with a communicating congenital hydrocele. This is when the connection between the abdominal cavity and testicle does not fully close before birth and a fluid-filled sac builds up around the testicle. The recommended treatment is a hydrocelectomy (removal or repair of the fluid-filled sac), but his aunt cannot afford the surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On March 11th, he will undergo a hydrocelectomy, for which AMH is requesting $210 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Araphat's aunt says, "I hope my nephew will be able to play well and associate with friends."

Godlove is one year old and the youngest in a family of three children. His parents are small-scale farmers. His father also takes on casual jobs when possible so he can support his family. Godlove has clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual and this causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Godlove's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Doctors will begin clubfoot treatment on February 25th and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341 to fund Godlove's clubfoot treatment. After this, he should be able to walk easily and wear shoes when he grows up. Godlove's mother says, "Please help my son. I hope he gets the treatment he needs and grows older so he can walk comfortably."

Wai is a 30-year-old woman from Burma. She lives alone in Tak Province, Thailand. She previously worked in a fabric factory, but had to leave her job because of health issues. Currently unemployed, she relies on a neighbor who owns a rice shop to provide her with meals. She lives in a terraced house and the owner of the house has allowed her to delay rent payments until she has fully recovered and can earn a daily income. For basic health care, she usually visits the Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot, Thailand which provides free services. In her free time, Wai enjoys reciting prayers with prayer beads. She also loves helping with cleaning at the monastery and changing the flowers at the temple. In May 2023, Wai began experiencing swelling and pain on her head, which slowly worsened over time. Initially, she did not visit a clinic, thinking the swelling was simply acne. Two months later, the swelling had increased in size, and her friends advised her to visit MTC. The staff from clinic conducted blood tests and a physical examination, treating her with oral antibiotics, painkillers, and vitamins. She was then scheduled for a follow-up appointment a week later. Unfortunately, her symptoms did not improve. As a result, she was referred to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in February 2024 where she received follow up care. In January this year, Wai underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan of her head and incisional biopsy. The results indicated that the swelling was a malignant mass, which required surgery. Currently, Wai still experiences head swelling with discharge, loss of appetite, weight loss and evening fevers, which she medicates with paracetamol. Wai sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on April 21st, which will ease her symptoms and treat her condition. Wai now needs support to raise $1,500 which will cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Wai expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much to BCMF and the donors for the assistance with my treatment costs. I am deeply grateful beyond words. Once I fully recover, I want to help others as much as I can. I hope to repay my thankfulness when I have an income, to show my respect to all the doctors and donors.”