Valentina is a 3-year-old toddler who lives with her mother, father, and younger sister in a city in central Bolivia. Her father is a construction worker and her mother is a homemaker. Valentina is very outgoing and enjoys drawing and painting. When Valentina was younger, health workers came to her house for a vaccination campaign and noticed that she was very small for her age. They helped the family reach a pediatrician and then a cardiologist, who diagnosed her with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a condition in which a hole exists between two major blood vessels next to the heart. PDA can cause poor growth, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Valentina will be undergoing heart surgery on March 27th to treat her condition. During surgery, doctors will close the hole so that blood will no longer leak through it. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to fund this surgery. After surgery, Valentina is expected to grow stronger and healthier. Valentina's mother shares: "Our family would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping to fix our daughter's heart!"

Christine is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married and blessed with four children aged between 17 years and 1 year who are all in school except the last one. Her husband is a builder, and they live with her parents in a two-room mud house for shelter. They combine efforts to develop and support their family. Eleven years ago, Christine began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling associated with pain, difficulty in swallowing, and loss of voice. She is also unable to carry heavy items and experiences headaches. She visited Rushoroza Hospital for treatment. She was diagnosed with a goiter and surgery was recommended to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Christine receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 24th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Christine says, ‘‘I believe and pray to have a successful surgery. I hope to continue with farming after my recovery to be able to support my husband and our family. May God bless you.’’

Kunthea is a 35-year-old homemaker from Cambodia. She moved back home to a rural area in Kampong Thom province after being unable to find work in Phnom Penh City during the pandemic. She lives there with her parents and a younger brother. Her father is a fisherman and her mother is a homemaker. She has six sisters who are married and live nearby to help her care for her parents. At home, she spends her time cooking, cleaning the house, and occasionally babysitting the children of her sisters. One year ago, Kunthea had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Kunthea experiences pain, purulent ear discharge, and hearing loss. She often has headaches and cannot sleep well at night. She cannot communicate clearly with others and it is difficult to hear someone when they are talking to her, which she shared makes her embarrassed. Kunthea traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 13th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Kunthea shared: "I hope I will have a healthy ear drum, not worry about disease going into my brain and have improved hearing as well."