Aye is an 18-year-old woman from a village in Burma who was born with ventricular septal defect (VSD). VSD is a hole in the wall separating the two lower chambers of the heart. Aye currently lives with her 50-year-old mother and her three nieces and nephews. She also has four siblings who send money back to the family to support their sister, mother, and their own children. When Aye was two years old, she was diagnosed with her heart condition. Although surgery was recommended, Aye and her parents returned home as they knew they were unable to afford the cost of heart surgery. In 2016, Aye began coughing blood. Aye and her mother revisited a hospital, where they were again told that Aye required surgery. Fortunately, Aye is scheduled to undergo VSD closure surgery on June 23 at our medical partner's care center, Lampang Hospital. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help fund the hospital stay, blood tests, and the surgery itself. Aye hopes that after her surgery she can return to school. She would like to continue studying English and hopes to become a translator when she grows up.

Htwe is a 35-year-old wife and mother from Burma who works as an agricultural day laborer. She lives with her three-year-old daughter, husband, and extended family. Two years ago, Htwe began to feel a lump developing in her lower abdomen. As the lump progressed in size, she began to experience severe back pain, eventually finding it unbearable to work. After two and a half years of intense pain, Htwe and her husband decided to seek treatment in January 2017. They were referred to our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital (MSH), where an ultrasound and other tests revealed that Htwe has a myoma, a benign, non-cancerous tumor in her uterus. It was recommended that she undergo surgery to remove her entire uterus. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a total abdominal hysterectomy on February 2. Due to Htwe and her husband’s inconsistent sources of income, they are unable to pay for the surgery without support. This family-focused mother hopes to return to her job after her surgery and support her daughter’s future. “I want to work hard to save money for my daughter’s education. I want my daughter to become a teacher or a nurse when she grows up. I don’t want her to do hard work like me,” she shares.

Patricia is a maize and groundnut farmer from Malawi. Her three children and four grandchildren help her on the farm. In her free time, Patricia likes to relax and chat with her children, grandchildren, and village friends. In 2013, Patricia developed abdominal pain. She delayed getting care because she could not afford treatment. When she finally visited our medical partner's hospital, Nkhoma District Hospital, she was diagnosed with a hernia. On November 17, Patricia underwent a repair surgery. Now, Patricia needs help to fund this $327 procedure. She looks forward to recovering and taking care of her family.

David was born with a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which involves a hole between two chambers of the heart as well as a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Blood flows through the hole in his heart without first passing through the lungs to get oxygen, leaving him sickly and short of breath. Because of the severity of this condition, he first had to travel to Dominican Republic for a diagnostic catheterization to determine whether he was operable at all. Fortunately, the results of that procedure were positive, and he can now proceed to have his surgery. David lives in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince with his mother and father; he is their first child. He attends preschool and likes making drawings, especially of Mickey Mouse. $1,500 in Watsi funding, and an additional $10,000 subsidy from Have a Heart Cayman Islands will fund the life-saving heart surgery that David needs to grow up healthy. "We were so happy to learn that David would be able to have surgery," his mother shared. "We are praying that everything will go well for him."

Elizabeth is the only child to her mother who is a single parent. She was born on December 27, 2014. She is a cute little baby. Even though she is unable to sit or stand, she likes holding things with her hands while laying in bed and she also likes to mumble while clapping her hands. Elizabeth was born with an open lesion on her lower back which was closed when she was still a baby. She later on developed hydrocephalus and a shunt was inserted successfully. So far she has had four shunt revisions and each time relatives, friends and good Samaritans helped with the costs of operations. This time Elizabeth’s mother has no financial support and her daughter needs another shunt to be inserted on the other side of the head. Elizabeth’s mother is currently staying at her parents’. She used to live in town and was working at a kiosk and renting a room. After conceiving, she lost her job and eventually had to move out of the room because she could no longer afford to pay the rent. Elizabeth’s father abandoned them after seeing that his daughter had medical problems. Elizabeth’s mother has been struggling on her own to raise her baby. She has accepted the fact that she may never be able to walk, but she still hopes that one day she will be able to at least sit. The surgery will reduce the increased intracranial pressure and prevent Elizabeth from completely losing her eyesight.

Vorn is a 64-year-old woman from Cambodia who enjoys watching Khmer movies on TV. She also loves cooking for her seven children and two grandchildren. A farmer by trade, Vorn needs to walk and move around quite a bit for her job. However, walking has been very challenging for her lately. “Vorn fell down five months ago and fractured her left femoral neck,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). The femoral neck is located towards the top of the femur, or thigh bone, and is the weakest part of the bone. When it is damaged, it can cause problems for the hip joint that connects with the upper femur. As a result, “walking long distances outside is not possible,” explains CSC. Vorn is in pain, and she is no longer able to bring in as much income for her family as she used to. Fortunately, we can help Vorn get the treatment she needs to get back to work. $392 will provide her with a hemiarthroplasty, CSC says, “a surgical procedure that replaces one half (the ball portion) of the hip joint with a prosthesis.” After she undergoes this surgery, “Vorn will be able to regain the ability to walk without pain.” Vorn is excited about this prospect. “I hope I can walk again and work more to support my family,” she tells us.

Saruni is a one-month-old baby boy, born just this last January in Tanzania. His mother is a homemaker, and his father is a livestock keeper. Two of his siblings attend school, and his parents hope he will one day as well. At birth, Saruni was diagnosed with bilateral clubfoot. Without intervention, he will be forced to walk on the sides of his feet. His gait and ability to walk will be impacted long-term. However, with clubfoot surgery, which will cost $1,160, Saruni will be able to run, play, and walk pain-free. This cost includes all post-operative care and medication. Saruni's mother states: “I hope that my baby’s feet can be straightened so that when he starts to walk he can walk like other children."

Meet three-year-old Moise. Moise is a shy little boy who lives in Haiti with his mother, father, and two older brothers. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), shares: "Moise is very close to his family and likes to help them around the house and in the garden." His parents make a living for the family growing and selling fruit in a local market. "Moise was born with a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart,” shares HCA. “Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and sickly. If untreated, the condition could eventually become fatal.” For $1500, Moise will be transported overseas where he will receive heart surgery. Gift of Life International has contributed $5,000 toward his treatment cost. This surgery will restore normal blood flow to his heart, relieving him of all symptoms. "We are so very happy that Moise can get his heart fixed so that we no longer have to worry so much about his health," his mother adds.