Wilna is a 13-year-old student from Haiti. Her family lives in a rural area in northwest Haiti, as Wilna's parents both work as farmers. Wilna is in the sixth grade and enjoys her math and social studies classes. Wilna has a cardiac condition called severe mitral regurgitation, which means one of Wilna's heart valves was damaged due to an infection she experienced earlier in childhood. As a result, Wilna's heart is not adequately pumping blood through her body. The care that she needs is not available in Haiti, but fortunately, Wilna will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On July 26th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will either repair her damaged heart valve or implant an artificial replacement, so that her heart can pump blood normally. Wilna's family is requesting assistance to cover the costs of her surgery prep, as our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), is contributing the funds to cover the cost of surgery. HCA is requesting $1,500 to cover Wilna's surgery prep, which includes all labs, medication, check-up and follow-up appointments, and the passports needed for HCA's social workers to accompany Wilna and her family overseas. Wilna shared, "I am glad to be having this surgery so that I will be able to walk without feeling tired."

Sokcheat is a 50-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has one daughter and two sons. Her sons both work in construction and her daughter works in a clothing store. Sokcheat lives with her husband, who is also a farmer. During her free time, she likes to watch the news and movies on TV. Three years ago, Sokcheat developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her to experience redness, irritation and tearing in her eye. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. Because of her condition, she now has reduced vision and experiences difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Sokcheat learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. Sokcheat needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $225, which covers supplies, treatment, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for August 11th. Sokcheat says, "I hope after surgery my eye stops burning and I will feel better. I am afraid that if I do nothing, I will not be able to see to plant rice to feed my family."

Eight years ago, Juan lost his arm in an explosion. The incident severely impacted his productivity at work and around the house. As much as his family loves and supports him, 37-year-old Juan says he feels bad to have to rely on them so much to perform basic tasks. When Juan heard that our medical partner in Guatemala, Wuqu' Kawoq, provides fittings for prosthetic limbs, he jumped at the chance to receive one. Juan's doctors report that he has excellent residual limb anatomy and anticipate that he will have a great functional outcome from the prosthetic arm. They note that they love how proactive Juan is being with his care! By raising $940, we can help Juan overcome the previously insurmountable price barrier of getting a prosthetic arm. Let’s make this happen for him!

Ram is a curious second grader from Nepal who enjoys studying English and playing volleyball with his friends. Recently, Ram has had to stay home from school due to pain and swelling caused by his inguinal hernia, a condition he was born with that has become increasingly uncomfortable. If Ram's hernia goes untreated, it could cause further swelling of his intestines and could become fatal. Ram's parents are eager to see their son's health improve, but as day laborers caring for seven children, they cannot afford the cost of his medical bills. For $1390, Ram will have an operation to correct his inguinal hernia. In addition to the surgery, this fee will cover the cost of transportation to and from the hospital along with other necessary medications. Together, we can fund Ram's treatment so that he can return to school and comfortably play with his friends and siblings!