Marise is a 13-year-old student, living in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with her parents and four siblings. Marise has a cardiac condition called congenital aortic valve stenosis. As a result of this condition, one of the four valves in Marise's heart is much narrower than it should be, making her heart strain to push blood through the valve. This leaves Marise weak, and unable to participate in physical activities. The care she needs is not available in Haiti so Marise will fly to the Dominican Republic, where on February 9th, she will undergo surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT, during which her valve will be repaired. While another organization is helping to support the cost of Marise's surgery, our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to cover her care costs including pre and post operative medical care, and travel expenses for Marise's family, and the social worker who will accompany them for her surgery. Marise shared: "I am looking forward to being able to stop worrying about my heart after surgery."

Alice is the eldest sibling among six children. She has a passion for cooking and a fondness for rice. As a dedicated grade 6 pupil, she dreams of becoming a surgeon to aid patients in dire need. Alice's mother runs a small shop and her father sells milk. Alice's mother noticed an unusual bend in her back, which progressively worsened. Despite her inability to bend and persistent complaints of pain, visits to various hospitals and diagnostic tests offered no clear direction for treatment. Their hope was rekindled when they learned about AIC-CURE Hospital from a friend. At CURE, Alice was recommended for Posterior Instrumented Spine Fusion, a surgical procedure aimed at correcting her condition and preventing further progression. The treatment is scheduled for March 19th and is expected to significantly improve Alice's quality of life, allowing her to walk without pain and continue going to school. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 for the treatment. Alice shared, “I am looking forward to a complete healing and resuming back to my normal life.”

Robert is a confident, straight-to-the-point 60-year-old man from Uganda. He is Mukiga by tribe, residing in a three-roomed, mud and reeds, traditional home in Southwestern Uganda. He and his wife have one child, a son who works as a primary school teacher. Growing up, Robert's hope was to become a doctor. However, challenges such as school fees prevented him from studying extensively. He and his wife farm on a small banana and coffee farm to sustain their livelihood, and he weeds the farm in his free time. For two years ago, Robert has had left inguinal hernia. This condition causes him to experience pain and discomfort when he walks long distances, works in the fields for an extended period, coughs or laughs aloud, or lifts heavy objects. Due to limited finances, Robert had not attempted to seek medical attention before; however, when his symptoms became severe, he visited our medical partner's hospital. Fortunately, on December 28th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at their care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $230 to fund Robert's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Robert said, "I will get well and will be able to resume farming in good health if I get support to undergo my surgery."