Ketmada is a 17-year-old student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three older siblings in a mountainous village in central Haiti. Her father is a school custodian, and her mother is a homemaker. She likes cosmetics and beauty care and would like to be a professional cosmetician one day. Ketmada has been diagnosed with a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the valves in her heart does not open and close properly due to an infection she suffered earlier in childhood, and as a result, her heart cannot adequately circulate blood through her body. Ketmada needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On March 24th, Ketmada will undergo surgery, during which surgeons will attempt to repair the valve so that it functions more normally. If her valve cannot be repaired, the surgeons will instead remove it and implant an artificial replacement. While another organization, Mitral Foundation, is funding Ketmada's surgery, her family will also need help to fund the costs of her surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. That amount will also support securing travel documents for her family and paying travel costs for the social workers who will accompany Ketmada's family overseas. Ketmada says joyfully, "I am very excited to have this surgery so that I can stop worrying so much about my heart!"

Char is a 55-year-old man from Burma who lives with his wife, two daughters, and two sons. His oldest two children work as small-scale farmers alongside Char and his wife, while his two youngest are students. Char's family also raises buffalo, pigs, and chickens for their consumption and to sell for income every four or five months. Char shared that the money they earn from selling their livestock, as well as the crops they grow for themselves, is just enough to cover their daily needs and to pay for basic health care. Char has a right inguinal hernia with bowel obstruction that is causing him to experience a lot of pain, difficulty walking and moving, and a reduced appetite. He needs to undergo surgery to heal from his condition. Fortunately, our medical partner can help him undergo hernia repair surgery on May 12th, which, once completed, will allow him to live more comfortably. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,468 to fund Char's surgery. Char shared about how upsetting this condition has been for him and his family, stating: "I cannot help my family take care of our rice fields, [vegetable] garden, or buffaloes," he said. "After I recover, I want to go home to take care of our rice fields and look after my buffalo. I will also go to the forest to forage for vegetables and hunt."

Amon is a 28-year-old man from Zambia. He lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his maternal grandmother. His father, a businessman in Malawi, later remarried, and Amon's stepmother works as a farmer. Amon dropped out of secondary school some years back due to illness. In 2015, Amon was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. At the time, Amon needed his guardian's consent to proceed with surgery. His primary caregiver, his grandmother, was hesitant about the treatment and believed that it should be Amon's father’s decision. Over time, Amon continued to experience increasing pain, and decided to travel to Malawi to look for his father, and a sister who was also married in the country. They finally got reunited a year later, and soon after, Amon was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) for treatment. Amon has been scheduled for hernia repair surgery on May 6th. He remains hopeful for a brighter future following surgery, now that he's reunited with his family, and has gained access to the care he needs. Amon's family is contributing to his surgery, but need help in raising $575 for the procedure. Amon says: "Your support will help me to resume school, and enjoy life with my father, with whom I have just been reunited."