Johnsley is a preschooler from Haiti. He lives with his parents and siblings on a small family farm in the mountains of central Haiti. He likes playing with his neighbors and drawing. Johnsley has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This defect involves several related conditions including a hole between two chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects prevent blood from circulating through the lungs, leaving him weak and short of breath. If untreated, the condition would be fatal. On April 10, he will undergo cardiac surgery at St. Damien Hospital, our medical partner's care center. During surgery, surgeons will close the hole in his heart with a patch, and remove the muscular blockage. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Johnsley's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and medications. His father says, "We are very happy that our son can have this surgery, and will pray to God for a good outcome."

Martha is a young girl from Kenya. She lives with her aunt and two siblings. Martha completed her primary education in 2012 but could not attend high school as her aunt could not afford the school fees. Instead, she helps her aunt sell vegetables. Two years ago, Martha was in her house reading a book when a pressure lamp exploded. She suffered burns and later developed burn contractures. The burn contractures have significantly disfigured her abdomen and distorted her gait. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Martha receive treatment. On April 23, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help Martha regain her posture. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,176 procedure. Martha says, “I would want to be treated and trust God that a well-wisher will come and educate me. I want to help my aunt and siblings have a good life that past life has robbed us."

Japheth is a pre-schooler from Kenya. He loves attending church. Japheth is the second born in a family of three children. He aspires to be a pastor. His father works as a gardener, while his mother is a housewife. Japheth has clubfoot of his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Japheth traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on April 23. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Japheth's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. “I am appealing to Watsi to help my son get surgery. My joy would be to see my son walking and playing normally like other children," Japheth’s father says.

Lynemandy is a student from Haiti. She lives with her grandmother in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. She has been studying business at a local university, although has not attended for the past year due to her heart condition. Lynemandy has a cardiac condition called mitral and aortic regurgitation. Two of the four valves of her heart were damaged by a rheumatic fever that she suffered eight years ago, and they can no longer adequately circulate blood through her body. This leaves her weak and short of breath, and could eventually be fatal. Lynemandy will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On February 17, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will repair the damaged valves in her heart so that they open and close more normally. University of Virginia is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery. Lynemandy'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 Lynemandy's family overseas. She says, "I am excited about this surgery so that I can have more energy and live a more normal life when I go back home."

May is a seven-year-old girl from Thailand. She lives with her mother, older brother, and youngest sister. May’s mother is the only earner in the family. She works with a family member in Mae Sot, selling baked goods in the market. May was playing when she fell and broke her elbow in her left arm. Currently, May is in pain and she is taking painkillers to feel better. She cannot lift her hand or move her left arm. May’s mother has had to stop working because of May’s condition. She cannot earn income and she worries that she will be in debt if she is unable to work for much longer. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, May will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for December 14 and will cost $1,500. After receiving surgery, May will be no longer in pain and will be able to move her hand again. She will be able to play with her friends and her mother will be able to return to her work. May's mother says, “I plan to send May to school in the coming year. I would like her to become either a nurse or medic. I plan to work hard to support my child to able to go to school in the coming year."

Rael is a primary level student from Kenya. She is the fifth born in a family of eight children. Rael's parents are casual laborers, and the family lives in a rented two-room house. In early November, Rael was visiting her grandparents when she fell from a motorbike. The bike's chain tore her knee, resulting in a fracture and a degloving injury. She is not able to walk or move. Rael is at risk of infection and permanent disability. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Rael receive treatment. On November 21, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to heal her infected bone. Now, Rael needs help to fund this $1,129 procedure. Rael says, “I want the pain I am feeling to just end. I would like to walk with ease."

“I have suffered enough,” says Mary, a 36-year-old woman from Kenya. “I hope be treated soon so that I can get back to helping my husband raise our children.” Mary and her husband have three children, aged between eight and 13 years old. Mary used to earn money for the family by picking tea as a day laborer. Lately, however, she has not been able to able to do this work. In December 2012, Mary—who is epileptic—had a seizure and fell into the kitchen fire. She sustained serious burns to her right hand and was hospitalized for two months. Despite this lengthy hospital stay, the burn did not heal correctly. Contractures, or tight, thickened patches of skin, formed where the burn had been. Three years later, Mary still experiences pain and numbness in the right hand, especially during the cold season. She is also unable to extend her fingers completely. Mary had a graft surgery in 2014 to begin to address this problem, but will need more operations to fully correct it. Her doctors have scheduled her for contracture release surgery on September 25. But because the contractures have decreased Mary’s ability to work, her family’s income has dropped. They need your help to pay for her surgery. $1,176 will sponsor Mary’s operation, as well as her lab tests, medications, and nine-day hospital stay. Let’s make sure this mother can return to good health so she can begin earning money again to support her children.

Nai is a 43-year-old woman who lives with her family in a village in Karen State, Burma. In February, Nai cut two of her toes while walking around her village. After she tried to clean the cuts, they got worse, and the tissue in and around them started to darken. A week later, Nai’s foot was in a lot of pain and her toes were swelling. She visited a medical clinic, and her left leg was amputated in March. Now, her left leg is fully recovered. However, she recently began noticing pain and itching in her right leg. The pain worsened and was replaced by numbness over the course of the summer, so she returned to the hospital for further treatment. On September 1, surgeons will operate on Nai's painful right leg. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, requests $1,500 for a below-knee amputation. Nai says, "My leg is very painful and I can't walk or sleep at all. I feel sad because I cannot work and have to spend time in the hospital. I just want to recover."

Danny is a five-month-old baby boy from the Dominican Republic. He lives with his mother and father, who are both farmers. Danny was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. This condition is characterized by a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart, which normally closes shortly after birth, staying open. Blood flows through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Although Gift of Life International is significantly subsidizing part of the treatment, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is still requesting $1,500 to help fund Danny’s exams, medications, and hospital costs. "We are looking forward to Danny's heart being healed, so that he can become a normal child,” says Danny’s mother.

Mu is a 19-year-old woman from Thailand who works as a babysitter. Both of her parents are farmers, and she has four siblings. She is originally from Burma, but she moved to Thailand to seek better work opportunities and support her family. Mu was born with a congenital cardiac condition that has caused her chest and back pain, difficulty breathing, and a rapid pulse. While she used to receive medications in her hometown in Burma, these did not help to completely alleviate her symptoms. She was eventually diagnosed with congenital aortic and mitral valve disorders that will require surgery to repair. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral and atrial valve repair and replacement. Mu's procedure is scheduled for May 2. Mu shares, “As we didn’t have money to visit the hospital and get treatment, there wasn’t a lot my mother could do to make me feel better.” With the proper treatment, Mu can resume living a normal, healthy life.

Samath is a 65-year-old farmer and village chief. He is married with three daughters and two sons. In his free time, Samath likes to read magazines, listen to the news on the radio, and visit people in his village in his free time. Samath has developed a growth on the right side of his back called a granuloma. It is difficult for him to lie down, and he experiences chronic pain. Samath traveled for two hours with his wife to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for treatment. On June 9, surgeons will remove the growth from Samath's back. With just $224 we can help Samath to feel comfortable again!

Pan is a nine-year-old young girl. She lives with her family in Kawkareik Township, Burma. Her parents work hard as agricultural day laborers to provide for their family. Two years ago, Pan started experiencing stomachaches and developed a solid mass in her abdominal area. Her mother brought her to our medical partner's care center, where Pan received an urgent blood transfusion. She has been diagnosed with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder in which the body does not make enough of a protein called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen around in the red blood cells, and individuals with thalassemia can have severe anemia. Pan's parents cannot afford to pay for regular blood transfusions, so Pan has been receiving blood transfusions every few months. Pan's spleen is growing larger as a result of having to filter all the abnormal and damaged red blood cells. Doctors have recommended Pan for a splenectomy to remove her spleen. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, has scheduled Pan's surgery for April 5. $1,500 will cover the costs of the surgery, hospital stay, and post-op care. Pan says, "I want to be a teacher someday." Let's help Pan achieve her goal!