Luza is a toddler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and several older siblings and cousins in a rural, mountainous area of central Haiti. Her parents are both farmers. Luza has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Luza also has Down syndrome. Luza will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On January 24, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in her heart by sewing a patch across it. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $17,000 to pay for surgery. Luza's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Luza's family overseas. Her mother says, "We are excited for this surgery so that Luza can run and play with her brothers and sisters."

Shela is a student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and older brothers in a small rural community in southwest Haiti. Her parents are both farmers. She is in the third grade. Shela has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect. Two holes exist in her heart, one between the two upper chambers and another between the two lower chambers. Blood leaks through these holes, depriving her body of oxygen and leaving her weak and short of breath. Shela will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On January 22, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will first perform a diagnostic catheterization to determine if it is safe to close the holes in her heart. If the result is positive, they will then perform surgery to close both holes with patches. Another organization, Health CIty Cayman Islands, is contributing $17,000 to pay for surgery. Shela's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Shela's family overseas. Her mother says, "We are very thankful to everyone who is making it possible for Shela to travel to the hospital!"

Stanley is a student from Haiti. He lives in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince with his mother, father, and brothers. He is in the third grade and likes listening to soccer games on the radio and playing with his friends. Stanley has a cardiac condition called severe valvar pulmonic stenosis. One of the four valves in his heart is too narrow, preventing enough blood from passing through it and leading to heart failure. Stanley will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On January 10, he will undergo cardiac surgery. During surgery, the team will insert a catheter with a balloon at the end into his heart, and inflate the balloon to stretch his valve open. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $14,000 to pay for surgery. Stanley's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Stanley's family overseas. His mother says, "I am happy my son can have this surgery so that I don't have to be scared about his health."