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!"

Ange Signoline is a 42-year-old woman from Burundi. She is currently at our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya, where she is seeking medical treatment for an internal ear infection affecting both ears. Ange Signoline's first visit to AIC Kijabe Hospital was in September 2023, when the hospital was recommended by a friend who lives in Nairobi, Kenya. She received treatment at the time, but the infection has recurred and she has recently been straining to pick voices. She came back to hospital where an otoscopy was done, and she was diagnosed with chronic sclerosing otitis externa - her ears are infected, there is a narrowing of the canal on the distal end, and there is also some pooling of fluid on the constricted segments. A surgical procedure has been scheduled for Ange Signoline, that will widen the ear canal and reconstruct the ear with a skin graft. The goal is a safe, ear infection-free state. However, Ange Signoline is unable to afford the surgery, having exhausted all the support she has received from friends. Her husband does not hold a stable job. She is worried about traveling back home to Burundi without receiving the care that she needs, and is requesting for treatment support. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ange Signoline receive treatment. On April 19th, surgeons at AIC Kijabe will perform an otologic surgery to treat her condition. Now, Ange Sogline needs help to fund this $621 procedure. Ange Signoline says, "I came all the way from Burundi to seek care for my blocked ear canal. Please help me receive treatment so I can prevent hearing loss.”

Elizabeth is a child from Kenya. Elizabeth is the youngest in a family of three children. Her parents separated a few weeks after she was born, and they returned to their ancestral home to stay with their grandparents. They are now living in Gataka town, where they have rented a single-roomed house. To earn a living, her mother sells watermelons to provide for them. Elizabeth injured herself while playing, waiting for her friends to go home after school. She was not in pain at the moment and went home. When she got home, the pain intensified suddenly, and her mother had to rush her to a nearby hospital. She was in excruciating pain and could not use her right hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 13th, Elizabeth will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. She will heal properly and continue with schooling. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Elizabeth’s grandmother says, “After all we have been through, it is very painful to see Elizabeth having an injured arm. We really want her to be treated and be well.”