Jonathan and his mother are refugees from Southern Sudan. He is the 1st born in a family of three children. He is a special needs child after being diagnosed with autism when he was young. His mother says he developed jaundice as a neonate, which was not well controlled, which she believes led to brain damage. Hence, she cannot work because Jonathan requires constant support. It takes the help of relatives and friends to help her make ends meet. Since 2021, Jonathan has been experiencing frequent adenoid infections, accompanied by difficulty sleeping, breathing, as well as pain, making him cry a lot. He has been treated many times with not much change. They were introduced to our partner's care centre, Nazareth Hospital, by one of the doctors from South Sudan. After consultation, the surgeon advised to have an adenoidectomy, but the family is not able to raise the fee required. If not treated, Jonathan will have more problems. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting help raising the $565 to fund the surgery planned January 28th. Jonathon's mother shared: “It is not easy to bring up or care for a child with autism, but at least I try my best. It is worse when he has a painful or disturbing condition like this. I kindly seek help so that he may be treated and at least I can have one less problem to deal with. I would appreciate it.”

Alismendy is an adorable five-year-old preschooler from Haiti. He loves to play with toy cars and paint. Alismendy lives with his mother and father in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. His father works and his mother is the primary caregiver for the family. Alismendy has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, where a hole exists between two large blood vessels near his heart. This causes blood to leak through this hole, leaving him weak and short of breath. The surgery that Alismendy needs is not available within Haiti, so he will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On March 4th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will use a device attached to the tip of a catheter to plug the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, Gift of Life New York, is contributing $5,000 to support his surgery. Alismendy's family also needs help to fund the costs to prepare him for surgery and provide follow-up care. The $1,500 bill covers laboratory tests, medicines, check-ups, and follow-up visits. It also supports obtaining a passport for him and the social workers from our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Alismendy's family overseas. Alismendy's mother says, "Our family has been hoping for this surgery ever since our son was diagnosed three years ago. We are so glad that the time has finally arrived."

Victorino is a hardworking father from the Philippines who works as a motorcycle taxi driver. One year ago, Victorino began to experience troubling symptoms, including excruciating pain in the lower left part of his ribs making it difficult for him to breathe, stand, or walk. This directly affected his work and his income. Victorino was diagnosed with stones in his gallbladder and has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Victorino is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on April 5th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and WSFP is raising the remaining $1128 to cover the cost of Victorino's surgery and care. Victorino shared, "Thank you to Watsi and Our Lady of Peace Hospital for all the help they have extended to me. This surgery will not just help me but also my family. I am very grateful. I hope you will be able to help more people like me."