Larah is a toddler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and older sister in a small village in the mountains of central Haiti. She likes dressing up and going to church. Larah has two cardiac conditions called ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart, and a second hole exists between two major blood vessels near her heart. Blood leaks through these holes, leaving her weak and short of breath. Larah will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On February 29th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the larger hole, and tie shut the smaller hole, so that blood can no longer leak through them. Another organization, HeartGift Foundation, is contributing $15,000 to pay for surgery, but Larah's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery preparation. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and preop and postop appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the help of social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Larah's family overseas. Larah's mother said: "Our family thinks it is a miracle that our daughter has this chance to travel for her surgery!"

Jasmin is an 11 year-old girl from Bolivia who needs heart surgery. Jasmin lives with her father, a police officer, and her mother, a nurse. She has one older brother and one younger sister in La Paz. Jasmin likes to paint, draw in coloring books, and help her family with errands. Jasmin was born with Down syndrome, and also a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving Jasmin weak and short of breath. Our medical partner International Cardiac Alliance is requesting $1,500 to fund surgery to repair Jasmin's heart. During surgery, doctors will sew the hole closed so that blood can no longer pass through it. Once her heart is repaired, Jasmin will be able to breathe easier and have more energy and ability to make the most of everyday. Jasmin's mother shares: "we're so happy that the time has finally arrived for her surgery, our family has been waiting a long time for this moment."

Racheal is a middle-aged small businesswoman from Uganda. She is the mother of one and shared that she separated from her husband due to domestic violence. She now lives with her twenty-five-year-old daughter and her grandchild. She works hard to provide for her family. Eleven years ago, Racheal began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling. It was small and painless initially but has increased in size over the years. The swelling now causes respiratory problems, worrying Racheal. A doctor examined Racheal and diagnosed a multi-nodular goiter - an enlarged thyroid gland with separate bumps (nodules) on it. Racheal needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Racheal receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 8th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and Racheal and her family need help raising money. Racheal says, “I believe with your support I will have a successful surgery with a positive outcome for my life.”