Ruth lives in the mountains of Haiti with her mother, grandmother, and four siblings. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), tells us that eight-year-old Ruth "does not attend school, but likes helping her mother around the house, playing with her brothers and sisters, and singing." Ruth loses her breath and energy quickly, however, because she was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. "A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart," HCA says. "Ruth also has down syndrome." Ruth's heart condition makes it difficult for her body to circulate and process her blood efficiently. HCA explains that "because she has lived for so long with this condition, there is a chance it may no longer be repairable, but the only way to determine this is by inserting a catheter into the chambers of her heart. Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring her to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that she can have heart surgery soon." For $1500, Ruth will be taken to the Dominican Republic for the catheterization procedure that will determine whether she is a candidate for heart surgery. If she is operable, she will be prepared for surgery as soon as possible. "We are very happy that there is hope for Ruth, and hope that she will be able to have surgery," her mother says.

Thaw is an 18-year-old student from Burma. Thaw is in the 11th grade and hopes to one day become a building engineer. His favorite pastime is playing football. "In November 2010, Thaw and his mother noticed signs that he was not healthy," shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). His symptoms, often exacerbated by playing football, included shortness of breath and tiredness on exertion. After being diagnosed with a heart condition by a local clinic, he and his mother traveled to a specialist who told Thaw that he would require cardiac surgery for his condition. BBP tells us, "Thaw is suffering from lethargy, back pain, abdominal and chest pain, and sometimes has difficulty breathing. Sometimes when he is unwell with fever, his lips and fingertips turn a little blue." Due to Thaw's condition, he is no longer able to go to school. Thaw lives in Burma with his mother, aunt, and grandfather. Their combined income is just enough to cover the cost of food. $1,500 will cover the cost of complex cardiac surgery for Thaw's congenital heart valve defects. Burma Children Medical Fund has contributed $13,525 towards his treatment cost. "I hope I can get help with my problems so I can continue my studies in the future," says Thaw.