Mesa is 10 years old and a Grade 4 student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and younger brother in Kompong Spue Province. His parents run a small shop where they take photos for students and print documents. He enjoys math at school, looks after his younger brother, and plays football with friends in his village. His favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup with eggs. When Mesa was one year old, he was burned by hot water, causing an injury to his left hand. He received a skin graft to the back of his hand at a governmental hospital, followed by a release of the fourth web space about a year later. He has since developed burn scar contractures between the second, third, and fourth fingers. The scars between his fingers restrict the spaces between them and make it difficult for him to fully straighten his left-hand fingers. He sometimes struggles to hold objects, and the appearance of his hand makes him feel shy around other people. Mesa's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought treatment. On September 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help open the tight spaces between his fingers and improve the movement of his left hand, making it easier for him to straighten his fingers and hold things. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Mesa's father said, “I hope this surgery will help my son straighten his fingers and use his left hand more easily when holding things. I also hope that as his hand improves, he will feel less shy and more confident around other people.”

Feyisa is a 74-year-old farmer from Ethiopia who has spent his whole life working the land with his wife, who farms alongside him. Together they raised three children, one son and two daughters. His children are grown now and have built their lives elsewhere, but he remains close to his family and shares his home with his wife and his grandson. One year ago, doctors found cataracts in both of his eyes. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, blurring vision. At the time, his eyes were not ready for surgery, so he had to wait. Through those long months, his sight kept fading. He can no longer judge distances or see clearly where he is going. Walking around his own home has become risky, and he can barely make out the faces of the people he loves. He depends on his wife and his grandson to guide him through each day and care for him. Fortunately, Feyisa is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery on October 28th. Surgeons will remove and replace the blurred lens in both eyes. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is asking for help to raise $300 to fund this procedure. Feyisa's wife shared, "After a long year of waiting in the blur, we look forward to the day he sees clearly again, moves around safely, and lives on his own terms."

Rosalinda is a 14-year-old student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three siblings in a suburb of Port-au-Prince; she is in the eighth grade and likes her math and science classes. Rosalinda has a cardiac condition called severe mitral insufficiency. One of the four valves of her heart was severely damaged by a fever she suffered earlier in childhood, and as a result, it cannot pump blood properly through her body. This leads to heart failure and leaves her weak and short of breath. Rosalinda needs to fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 19th, she will undergo heart surgery, during which surgeons will repair the damaged valve so that it opens and closes more normally. Another organization, Haitian Hearts Foundation, is contributing $10,000 to pay for surgery. Rosalinda's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Rosalinda's family overseas. Rosalinda says, "I am excited to have this surgery so I can feel better and have more energy."