Lydia finished high school last year and has dreams of attending university, but she started experiencing some pain in her abdomen last December. She experienced the pain for one month before going to the hospital for an examination. After an abdomen CT scan, Lydia was diagnosed with Cystic liver disease. She was booked for surgery after the family raised enough money through fundraising. During the surgery, Lydia experienced complications when anesthesia was being administered and the surgery had to be cancelled. She was admitted to the ICU for a few days, recovered, and was discharged, but all the money her family raised was used to pay the hospital bill, and the family had to get a loan to clear the bill. While at home, Lydia recovered well, and during the last clinic review, she was finally ready for liver surgery. Their family has completely exhausted their funds and is appealing for any financial help to facilitate their daughter's treatment, hoping that after her complete healing, she can pursue her dreams. Lydia shared, “I really want to be helpful at home and maybe get a job to help my family but I can’t. This condition is very painful. I hope I will be treated soon enough and recover well.”

Jhon lives in a city in the mountains of central Bolivia. His mother is a homemaker, and his father is a farmer. Shortly after Jhon was born, his parents noticed he was struggling to breathe. He was diagnoses with Tetralogy of Fallot, a condition involving a hole between the two lower chambers of his heart and a muscular blockage of one of his heart valves. Through surgery, doctors will patch the hole in his heart and remove the blockage so that blood can flow more normally through his heart and body. Jhon's mother states: "Our family is very hopeful that after this surgery our son will be able to breathe normally and have more energy."

Leonard is a 14-year-old boy from Mpanda, Tanzania. Leonard's parents manage a small farm that provides their family with food. They also take on various additional jobs during the day, including helping on other people's farms, washing clothes, and cleaning yards, to support their family. Despite their hard work, Leonard's parents have a hard time supporting their five children and Leonard's grandparents. Leonard was diagnosed with genu varus, a condition where his legs bow outwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Due to his condition, Leonard has difficulty walking and participating in daily activities. However, as a result of financial constraints, Leonard's family has been unable to seek treatment for him. An outreach team directed by our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), visited Leonard's village and spread the news about available treatment for genu varus. As a result, Leonard's parents were motivated to seek treatment for their son at AMH's care center. AMH is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Leonard. Leonard's procedure is scheduled for June 6th. This treatment will reduce the discomfort in his legs, restore his mobility, greatly decrease his risk of future complications, and allow him to resume his daily activities. Leonard says, "I am glad that after a long wait, I get to have treatment that will make my legs better. I can't wait to enjoy playing soccer with my friends and helping my parents at the farm."

Rabira is a 20-month-old toddler from Ethiopia, who loves playing with his toy cars and laughing with his parents. Rabira's mother and father have separated, and his father has taken it upon himself to raise Rabira and his one sibling. Rabira's father, who had to leave school when he was young, is starting to attend night classes, so that he can gain more education, and find work that will provide for his family. Soon after he was born, Rabira's father noticed that Rabira suffered from problems going to the bathroom. He brought Rabira to the nearby health center for evaluation, where it was determined that he had been born with hypospadias. If his condition is left untreated, Rabira would continue to experience urinary dysfunction, and might develop cancer or fertility issues later on. Due to financial constraints, Rabira's parents were unable to access care for him at the local hospital. Fortunately, the family was referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, and now Rabira is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 24th, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of Rabira's procedure and care. Rabira's mother said: “After the surgery, I hope he will be normal and pass urine normally as other children. And if he gets better I want him to go to school and graduate school. Become a person who earns well and supports himself. And when I get old I hope he will be able to support me.”

Axel, who is a five year old kindergartener, lives with his parents in La Paz, Bolivia. His mother is studying engineering, while his father works in construction. Axel was born with a coronary fistula, a rare condition in which a hole exists between one of the arteries on the outside of the heart, and one of the chambers of the heart. Because of this condition, blood leaks through the hole, weakening Axel, because his heart does not receive sufficient blood flow. Fortunately, our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is here to help Axel access the treatment that he needs. On September 12th, doctors at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría will sew the hole closed, so that blood can no longer leak through it. After surgery, Axel should be able to go on to live a strong and healthy life. Now Axel and his family need your help to fund this procedure, which will cost $1,500. Axel's mother said: "Our family is very happy to know that our son was chosen for surgery, and we are praying that everything will go well!"

Saing is a 47-year-old man who resides in a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. He serves as a volunteer teacher, dedicating his time to educating the children in the camp. He owns a small garden where he cultivates vegetables for his own consumption and generously shares the surplus with others. During his free time, Saing spends time reading books. Saing has suffered from a right inguinal hernia for the past 5 years. Initially, he could push the swelling back into his abdomen, but since August 2023, this has become increasingly difficult. He has also experienced severe pain in his groin since then. Saing has been diagnosed with a right irreducible inguinal hernia. Saing's doctor has scheduled him to undergo a right herniotomy with mesh repair on September 4th to repair the hernia. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) will be helping Saing access treatment and he needs help raising $1,486 to fund the procedure. Saing said, “I would like to receive surgery to recover from my condition because I feel uncomfortable and I cannot do what I want to do. After the operation, I hope my condition improves and I can continue teaching.”

Gift is a 5-year-old playful boy from the coastal region of Kenya. He is the youngest of three children, and they all live with their mother. Gift's mother is a casual labourer, often vending sweet potatoes, arrow roots and vegetables to earn a living for her children. Gift desires to be a doctor, and his mother says he loves reading. Gift sustained a fracture on his left humerus (upper arm) and was taken to a nearby hospital, where a cast was applied. However, the factured arm did not heal properly. Doctors determined that Gift needs a left derotational surgery osteotomy to heal his fracture, meaning that doctors will cut the bone and realign it properly. The corrective surgery will allow Gift to use his arm with ease, continue playing with other children, and grow up active and healthy. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) will perform this surgery on July 17th and is requesting $1,224 to fully fund the procedure. Gift’s mother shared, “I am looking forward to seeing him progress with life like other children.”

Etchna is a toddler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and several siblings in the mountains of southwest Haiti, where her parents are both farmers. Etchna has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This birth condition involves several related defects, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects prevent enough blood from passing through Etchna's lungs, depriving her of oxygen and leaving her weak and short of breath. The care that she needs is not available anywhere in Haiti, so Etchna will fly to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. There, on June 28th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in Etchna's heart with a patch and remove the blockage from her valve. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, will also contribute $18,000 for her surgery. However, Etchna's family needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep, travel, and follow-up. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, checkups, and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Etchna's family overseas. Her mother said: "Our family is praying that Etchna will be able to become healthy and normal after this surgery."

Christina is a 56-year-old mother of five children. She and her husband- both farmers- live in Malawi. In addition to farming, Christina also does some piecework to earn additional money. In 2015, Christina started to experience pains in her neck, where she also noted a small swelling. She didn't bother going to the hospital, as her discomfort was very mild. In 2020, however, she began to experience chest pains, neck heaviness, and a hoarse voice. She also found it difficult to carry heavy items on her head. She visited the hospital and was diagnosed with a goiter. She continued on, living with her various symptoms until March 2023, when she developed breathlessness. On April 17th, 2023, Christina met with the surgeon at Partners In Hope Medical Center, who told her that her condition requires surgical intervention. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,015 to cover the cost of the thyroidectomy that Christina needs. During this procedure- which is scheduled for May 19th at Partners in Hope Medical Center- surgeons will remove part or all of Christina's thyroid gland. Christina is hoping to get better after surgery, so she can continue supporting her family as a caring mother. Christina said: "Thank you sponsors, I have hope that I will be well after surgery."

Liza is a 4-year old girl who loves playing with her brother and eating fried eggs with rice. Her dad is a fisherman, and mother cares for her and her 1-year old brother at home. When she was an infant, Liza had an ear infection which caused a cholesteatoma - abnormal skin growth - to develop in the middle ear behind her ear drum. This has caused Liza to experience difficulty hearing and subsequently a speech delay. Liza's family traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, to receive treatment. On March 6th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her both ears, during which ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This support will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care for Liza. Liza's parents are constantly worried about her, and they hope that this treatment will allow her to communicate and hear when she starts school next year.