Cristina lives with her mother, a food vendor; her father, a construction worker; and eight older brothers and sisters in a neighborhood of La Paz, Bolivia. As a small baby, she struggled to breathe normally, and so her mother took her to the children's hospital where she was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect, a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart. Cristina also has Down syndrome. During surgery, doctors will sew a patch over the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Christina needs your help to raise $1,500 to pay for her heart surgery. Her mother says, "Our family is so grateful to know that there is a way to fix our daughter's heart so that she can breathe normally."

Edwin is an outspoken and confident 38-year-old from Uganda. Edwin loved school when she was young, but she was unable to proceed further with her education because her parents couldn't afford to raise money for her to attend college. Since then, she has been engaged in farming for a living. However, due to limited land, she primarily grows crops to feed her family and sells the surplus to generate income. Her husband works as a farmer and often engages in casual labor in other people's gardens to earn an income. During her free time, she enjoys taking care of her family, performing domestic chores such as cooking, washing, and maintaining the household. Edwin has a poor obstetric history. She has been pregnant seven times, but she reports having experienced five miscarriages due to an unknown cause. Because of the stress from these miscarriages, she has developed hypertension in pregnancy, for which she has been on medication since her first trimester. She is currently expecting her second child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of gestational hypertension and the significance of her previous obstetric challenges. This way, doctors can better ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edwin undergo a ceasarean section on December 12th. This procedure will cost $252, and Edwin needs your support. Edwin says, “I pray that am given your support for then I can have a live baby and a successful delivery.”

Voeun is a retired rice farmer from Kompong Thom province in Cambodia. He is 73 years-old and married with two sons, three daughters, and five grandchildren. One of his daughters and her husband live nearby and help support Voeun and his wife by working in the rice fields. The other children help when they can. In his free time, Voeun likes listening to the news on the radio and going to the pagoda to pray. About one year ago, Voeun developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Voeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On February 7th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. He shared, "I hope after surgery I can recognize my grandchildren better and I would like to go to the pagoda on my own without my family worrying about me."