Minea is a 10-year-old student from Cambodia. She is a bright and ambitious 5th grader whose favorite subject is math. Her dream is to attend university to become an accountant. In her free time, she loves eating pork fried rice and reading books. At home, she lives with her grandparents while her parents work 2.5 hours away in a factory. When Minea was 2 years old, she got an electrical burn on her left hand, causing tightening of the skin on her fingers, making it difficult to use her left hand. She feels embarrassed and wants to be able to play sports and use both hands. When Minea and her family learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 22nd, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the function of her hand. Now, her family needs help funding this $487 procedure. After surgery, she and her family hope that she can move her fingers easily.

Wedstanley, who is 10 months old, lives in a small village in northern Haiti, with his parents and three older siblings. Both of his parents are farmers. Wedstanley was born with a condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which blood leaks between two major blood vessels next to his heart. As a result of this condition, Wedstanley is weak and short of breath. Surgical intervention is required in order to restore him to good health. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund Wedstanley's interventional heart catheterization. The procedure, during which surgeons will close the leak in his heart - allowing for normal blood flow - is scheduled for April 17th, at Clinica Corominas. Wedstanley's mother said: "Our family is praying that this surgery will go well and that our son will be normal and healthy!"

Medius is a 54-year-old woman from Uganda. She and her husband practice small-scale farming for their family's consumption and sell the surplus harvest for income. They have six children, all of whom are in school. Medius shared that she studied up to primary five before having to leave school due to the school fees. Ten years ago, Medius began to experience troubling symptoms, including swelling on her neck, difficulty breathing, persistent headaches, and constant fatigue. She was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Medius receive treatment. On February 28th, she will undergo a thyroidectomy, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMH is requesting $252 to fund Medius's procedure. Medius said: "I believe when I am given your support, my surgery will be possible, and I will be able to get well soon."