Meet Victor, a three-year-old boy from Kenya! Victor lives with his grandmother in a small two-room house and attends kindergarten nearby. He receives support from his father, but his mother left the family six months ago. Victor was born with hypospadias, a condition that prevents him from passing urine normally. Our medical partner, the African Mission Healthcare Foundation, says if left untreated, Victor will be unable to father children in the future. After treatment, Victor will be able to pass urine normally. “I am thankful I have finally found a hospital where my child can be treated," Victor's father says. "Victor is a very happy child and I do not want him to suffer low self esteem because of this condition." $655 will fund Victor’s treatment. Let's help Victor pay for this life changing surgery.

“Pan Thu first began showing cardiac disease symptoms when she was 3-years-old,” report our partners at Burma Border Projects. “Her mother noticed that Pan Thu became sweaty and experienced heart palpitations when she was playing. She is unable to pick up heavy objects and suffers from chest and joint pain.” Pan Thu is a gifted 15-year-old student who lives with her grandfather in Burma. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her grandfather takes care of Pan Thu while her mother travels for her work as a nurse. Her mother earns enough to pay for food and school expenses, but cannot afford surgery for Pan Thu’s heart condition. In spite of this, Pan Thu remains positive and dedicated to her studies. Doctors diagnosed Pan Thu with cardiac atrial septal defect, which means she has a hole in the wall between the upper chambers. Blood that doesn’t have enough oxygen can flow to her organs and tissues, which in turn don’t get the nutrients they need to function properly. For $1,500 we can fund complex cardiac surgery to repair the hole in Pan Thu’s heart. The Burma Border Projects team predicts that treatment will improve Pan Thu’s energy levels and that she will no longer experience heart palpitations and struggle to breathe. Pan Thu can then focus on her studies and pursue her dream of attending university to study foreign languages and eventually accomplish her dream of serving as a diplomat!

This is Rebecca, a one-year-old girl from Haiti! Rebecca is her father and mother’s first child, and her parents are both vendors at their local market. “Rebecca was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect,” our medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) tells us. “A large hole exists between the two lower chambers (ventricles) of her heart. As a result, blood flows through this hole and back to her body without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen. This leaves her very weak and sickly, and would be fatal if not treated.” “She has been very sickly since birth, and has spent much of her life so far in and out of the hospital for cardiac complications and malnutrition related to her heart problem,” HCA continues. “It has been such a struggle to get Rebecca to feed and gain weight ever since she was born,” Rebecca’s mother tells us. “I hope that after her surgery she will get an appetite and start to grow!” For $1,500, we can support Rebecca by funding the overseas prep and transportation she needs to get to a hospital that can provide her surgery. The surgery will close the hole in Rebecca’s heart and hopefully enable her to lead a normal life.

Meet Lyna, an adorable 3-year-old girl from Kenya. Lyna is currently living with a brain tumor, which causes her intense headaches, double vision, and problems with balance. Lyna is raised by a single mother and grandparents who cannot afford treatment, but love her dearly and pray for her return to health. "She is my only child, and I pray that she gets treatment as soon as possible," says her mother. In order to remove the tumor, doctors will need to perform a craniotomy on Lyna. The cost of the surgery is $1,260. Lyna's doctors are optimistic; our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, shares, “It is expected that Lyna’s vision will improve after the surgery, and she will live a happy and normal life.”

This is Melvin, a 15-year-old motivated student from a rural village in Kenya. Our medical partner, Lwala Community Alliance, shares “Melvin’s mother runs a small business selling vegetables, tomatoes, onions, and small fish while her father fully depends on farming to provide for the family.” Melvin is the sixth born child in her family of eight siblings, and will be sitting for her primary education final exam towards the end of next year. Recently, Melvin found out that she is pregnant, but her family cannot afford the full cost of treatment. With the pregnancy, she has been experiencing abdominal pain during the evening hours and back pain throughout the day. Melvin says, “I hope to be provided with a safe delivery at a health facility and to continue with my schooling so I can have a better future and give back to my community and parents.” We can help Melvin have a safe delivery for $290! Let’s give Melvin the healthcare access she needs to achieve her dreams for herself and her new baby.

Meet Nathalie, a two-year-old living in the Haitian countryside with her mom, dad, and three siblings. Her mother and father work in the field to grow food for the family, but cannot afford the cost of healthcare. Nathalie was born with a cleft lip and is living with the complications arising from this condition. Her mother says little Nathalie “has the flu very often and is uncomfortable when she is playing with other kids.” Our medical partner, Project Medishare, writes, “Her family is expecting to send her to school soon but they wish that she could have a successful surgery to fix her deformation.” $960 will pay for Project Medishare to provide the corrective surgeries necessary to repair Nathalie’s cleft lip.