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!"

Khin is a 65-year-old woman who lives with her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren in Tak Province, Thailand. Three years ago Khin, who is retired, moved to Thailand from Burma in order to live with her daughter. Currently, the vision in Khin’s right eye is blurred as a result of a cataract. Khin finds it difficult to help with household chores, as she has to rely on her left eye alone. She finds that if she tries to focus on something, she develops a headache. She worries she might lose the vision in her left eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Khin. On February 23rd, doctors at Mae Sot General Hospital will perform cataract surgery, implanting an intraocular lens in Khin's eye, restoring her vision. Khin said: “I feel like I am losing an eye since I cannot see with my right eye. I am also worried about losing vision in my other eye. I am afraid to undergo surgery, but I want my vision back so that I can see people’s faces again. I feel sorry for my children, and I pity them since they need to help me with everything. I felt really happy when I learned that a donor will support my treatment cost.”

Geninah is a hard working farmer and a mother of 10 children; five sons and five daughters. Two of her sons run a small-scale business while three sons and all her daughters are farmers. Education was not valued for her generation, so she didn't have the opportunity for school. Her wish was to be a nurse if she had the opportunity to study. She is married and she and her husband were small-scale farmers, but they no longer farm much these days. Currently, they depend on their banana and coffee plantation's seasonal yields for some irregular income. She loves singing and attending church service in her free time. For many years, Geninah has experienced troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling, constant cough like sensation, shortness of breath when lying down, pain during swallowing, and profuse sweating at night. She was diagnosed with a giant goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Geninah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 28th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Geninah says “I hope to get relieved from the pain I have been having and with your support, I hope my surgery will surely be possible.”