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!"

Falesi is 43 years old and a mother of six children from Malawi. She lives with four of her children. As a single mother, she works as a domestic worker, doing all she can to provide for her children and keep them in school. In January 2026, Falesi began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small lump on the right side of her neck. At first, she did not think much of it, but over time it grew larger. As it increased in size, it began to affect her daily life. She started experiencing chest pains and frequent headaches. At times, she struggled to eat and swallow properly, making even simple meals difficult. Worried about her condition, she went to the hospital, where doctors examined her. She was diagnosed with a thyroid cystic mass. The thyroid is the gland located in front of the neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. Falesi needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $491 to fund Falesi's treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 16th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland to restore her health. Falesi said, “I believe this surgery will improve my life greatly. I want to be strong again so I can continue caring for my children. This support gives me hope that I will be well again.”

An is a 76-year-old man and a rice farmer from Cambodia. He and his wife both work on the farm. In his free time, An enjoys going to the pagoda and participating in religious ceremonies. About one year ago, An developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, similar to looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When An learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On July 7th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $263 procedure. An said, "I hope that after my cataract surgery, my eyesight will improve so that I can return to growing rice, travel to places that are farther away, and no longer worry about my vision."