Christopher, who is 12 years old, lives with his parents and three siblings in a small fishing village in southwest Haiti. As a young child, Christopher suffered from a bout of rheumatic fever, which severely damaged one of his heart valves. As a result, it is difficult for his heart to efficiently pump blood through his body. The Gift of Life International will be subsidizing Christopher's heart surgery, which is scheduled to take place on February 5th, at Welcare Hospital. During this procedure, surgeons will remove the damaged valve, and implant an artificial replacement. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund the preoperative testing that Christopher will need, his post-operative care, and the travel expenses for Christopher and his family. Christopher shared: "I am very excited to have a healthy heart after waiting for so long!"

Tha is a 63-year-old grandfather. He is a rice farmer and lives in Kampong Speu province with his wife and one daughter. They have two sons, five daughters, and six grandchildren. His wife watches most of the grandchildren and makes sure they get to school. His daughter works in a garment factory and helps with cooking. At home, Tha enjoys listening to radio news or monks' prayers. Five months ago, Tha developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision and difficulty seeing in bright or low light. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. 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 Tha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On January 24th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification 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. Tha said: "I feel bad and it is hard to even see the faces of my family clearly, I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go back to growing rice."

Kennedy is a 55-year-old married man who has three daughters, all of whom are still in school. Kennedy - who is a primary school teacher - lives with his family in Malawi. He is the sole breadwinner for his family. Kennedy started having pain in his neck in 2016. Because the pain kept recurring, Kennedy went to Kamuzu Central Hospital, where some tests were performed, after which Kennedy was sent home with pain medicine. This past year, the pain in Kennedy's neck increased, and began to affect his shoulders. In addition, a swelling in his neck developed. Kennedy returned to the hospital, and after additional testing was done, he was diagnosed with a goiter. Kennedy met a friend who helped to connect him with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare to help him get treatment. Kennedy's diagnosis was confirmed, and he is now scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 21st, at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Now he needs your help to raise the $1,015 to fund his surgery. Kennedy believes that the surgery will help him get back to his normal life, enabling him to be more effective and efficient in delivering his duties as a teacher.