Luz is a sweet baby from Bolivia, where she lives with her parents and two older brothers in a small mountain village. Her parents work as farmers to support their family. Luz, in addition to being diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was born with a ventricular septal defect, a heart condition where a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. As a result, blood leaks through the hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance who is expanding their work in Bolivia, is helping Luz receive treatment. On January 19th, Luz will undergo surgery where doctors will sew a patch over the hole, allowing for blood to flow completely through her heart and reach her lungs, obtaining oxygen and, ultimately, allowing her to grow as a healthy baby girl. Luz's family needs help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. From Luz's mother: "Our family is all praying that after the surgery our daughter will be stronger and healthier."

Siem is a 68-year-old retired rice farmer from Kandal province in Cambodia. She is married but has no children and lives with her husband, a vegetable farmer. She helps him sell their produce at the local market, and at home, she enjoys listening to the monks praying on the radio when she has free time. A year ago, Siem developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, photophobia and frequent hearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Siem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 1st, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Siem says, "I hope I can see things clearly again so I can travel easily on my own and help my husband with our vegetables."

Kyi is a 57-year-old woman from Burma. She is a health worker at a clinic in Karen State and is attending the emergency obstetric care (EmOC) training in Thailand. Her husband volunteers in the community, working closely with the Karen Forestry Department. He also helps with the household chores, grows rice and vegetables, and raises chickens for their consumption. In her free time, Kyi enjoys staying at the clinic, treating patients, and talking to her patients and colleagues. Currently, Kyi is experiencing back and abdominal pain, fatigue, and other worrisome symptoms. The doctors want Kyi to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Kyi's CT scan and care, which is scheduled for February 23rd. Kyi said: "I came here to attend the training for one month, but with this condition, I don't enjoy the training, and I have missed training many days so I cannot understand the lesson well."