Cristina lives with her mother, a food vendor; her father, a construction worker; and eight older brothers and sisters in a neighborhood of La Paz, Bolivia. As a small baby, she struggled to breathe normally, and so her mother took her to the children's hospital where she was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect, a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart. Cristina also has Down syndrome. During surgery, doctors will sew a patch over the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Christina needs your help to raise $1,500 to pay for her heart surgery. Her mother says, "Our family is so grateful to know that there is a way to fix our daughter's heart so that she can breathe normally."

Soknov is a 25-year-old chicken farmer from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and a younger sister. His parents both work as rice farmers and his sister works in a shoe factory. In his free time, he likes checking his social media and resting at home. On August 2021, he was in a road traffic accident that resulted in a fracture of his right leg. He was taken to a nearby hospital where metalwork was placed on his femur and tibia. However, there are signs of infection, the fracture has not healed, and he is unable to walk without crutches. He is in chronic pain and unable to work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On May 1st, Soknov will undergo a fracture repair procedure. Soknov is able to contribute $100 but needs your help to raise $383 more to fund this procedure. After surgery, he hopes he won't be in pain anymore. He is hopeful that he will be able to find a new job with better income to support his family.

Shedrack is a 6-year-old boy from Tanzania who recently joined a kindergarten class. He enjoys going to school and playing with toy cars with his best friend. Shedrack is presently facing challenges due to an accident he had when he was just seven months old. While playing, he accidentally got too close to an open fire and crawled over it, resulting in burns to his right hand from pieces of firewood. His mother rushed him to the hospital, where he received a dressing for his wounds. It took two months for the burns to heal, but it was not until later that his mother realized his fingers were not fully functional due to the burn injury. The scar tissue that had developed made it difficult for Shedrack to use his right hand fingers, rendering him unable to hold a pencil at school. Despite this limitation, he still enjoys playtime with toys, using his left hand only. Shedrack’s mother desired to get treatment for her son, but financial constraints prevented them from seeking surgical intervention. Shedrack's family encountered a doctor affiliated with our medical partner's care center Kafika House, who directed them to seek assistance at the facility. Upon evaluation, Shedrack was diagnosed with burn scar contractures on his right hand, necessitating corrective surgery to address the defects caused by the fire accident. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Shedrack receive treatment at their care center Kafika House. On March 7th, surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve his hand’s functionality. Now, his family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Shedrack’s mother says: “I hope he starts his treatment and that his hand won’t be a barrier as he continues with school.”