Marites, who is 50 years old, is a dedicated wife and mother, living with her husband and two children in the Philippines. Currently, Marites is facing a challenging situation, as she deals with a painful mass in her left breast. While the mass was only mildly uncomfortable in the beginning, Marites did not seek medical attention because of her family's financial struggles. When she did finally meet with a doctor, she opted not to undergo the recommended surgery, because of the financial burden it would impose on her family. Over time, as Marites has lived with the breast mass, she has been left to endure sudden bouts of numbness, sleepless nights, and feelings of hopelessness. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer, it is imperative for Marites to undergo surgery, to prevent the cancer from spreading. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Marites receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a mastectomy on July 19th, at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP needs to raise $1,058 to cover the remaining cost. After treatment, Marites will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Marites said: "It's a tremendous help because we don't know where else to turn to for the operation. I also want to extend my life for the sake of my children and my husband, who is also ill and relies on me. He's already 62 years old. I hope the assistance for people like us who are truly in need continues, and I hope you can help many others too."

Sinath is a 25-year-old fisherman. He is married and lives in Kampong Thom province with his wife and their five-year-old son. His wife sells fish at the local market. When Sinath is not fishing, he likes to play volleyball with his friends in the village or spend time with his son. About three years ago, Sinath was on his motorbike, crashed into a tractor, and fractured his right tibia. At a local hospital, he underwent a procedure to repair the fracture by the installation of hardware in his leg. The fracture has healed, but the hardware remains and is now causing Sinath discomfort and pain, irritating the surrounding soft tissue and tendons. Sinath is worried because the hardware has been in his leg for three years. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On August 24th, Sinath will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. Sinath hopes to have no more pain in his leg. Sinath said: "I hope I will not worry about the hardware anymore and it will be easy for me to go fishing again."

Ashley is a 1-year-old baby girl that lives in Santa Cruz, a city in eastern Bolivia, with her mother. Ashley's mother is still in high school and does not have an income at the moment, so Ashley and her mother live with Ashley's parents. Ashley was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect (VSD). As a child with VSD, Ashley was born with a hole in the heart wall, called the septum, that separates the left and right lower chambers, called the ventricles. The hole allows blood to be pumped into the lungs, making the heart work harder than normal. Over time, this extra strain on the heart may lead to congestive heart failure. Ashley's current symptoms include feeling weak and constantly short of breath. Fortunately, Ashley's family was able to meet with our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA) at their care center, the Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría. A surgeon was able to diagnose Ashley's condition and scheduled her for surgery on May 31st to fix the hole in her heart. HCA is requesting $1,500 to help fund this procedure. Ashley's mother commented, "Our family is very happy to know we can have this opportunity to heal my daughter's heart!"