Malaika lives on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in Haiti with her parents and four siblings; she is in the third grade and likes her science and reading classes. She was both with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. The surgery she needs is not available in Haiti, but fortunately for Malaika, doctors at the Clinica Corominas in the Dominican Republic will be able to perform an interventional heart catherization procedure to fix her condition. During the procedure, doctors will insert a catheter into her heart to plug the hole with a device. Now, her family needs $1,500 to help pay the costs of the procedure and travel. Another organization Gift of Life International is also contributing to her life-saving care. Malaika's mother says: "Our family is very hopeful that our daughter will be healthier and happier after her heart is fixed."

Ay is a 65-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He is married and has one daughter, two sons, and six grandchildren. He lives with his wife, who is also a farmer. In his free time, Ay likes to listen to the news and the monks pray on the radio. One year ago, Ay developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him sensitivity to light, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he is not able to go places on his own. When Ay learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 16th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help raising $253 to fund his procedure and care. Ay shared, "I would be very happy to go outside by myself and see all the faces of my grandchildren again."

Budensiano is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She has six children who are all grown up with families of their own. Budensiano shared that her husband passed away twenty years ago and left her with their home, which is near our medical partner’s hospital. Currently, Budensiano cannot continue her work as a farmer due to aging and her medical condition. Over thirty years ago, Budensiano began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling. Although the swelling was initially small and painless, it increased over time. Recently, Budensiano began experiencing worrisome challenges, such as airway obstruction and difficulty eating. She can no longer work or easily climb the hill nearby. She visited our medical partner’s hospital, where the doctors conducted some tests. Upon review, Budensiano’s condition was diagnosed as a non-toxic nodular goiter. If left untreated, there is a risk it will become cancerous or completely inhibit her ability to eat. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Budensiano receive treatment. On October 15th, she will undergo a thyroidectomy, in which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMH is requesting $333 to fund this procedure. Budensiano shared, “I have hope again that I can live the remaining part of my life in a normal condition through surgery. I pray for a successful surgery so that I can once more be able to take good care of myself.”

San is a 54-year-old grocer. She is married and has three daughters and two sons. She enjoys cooking for her family. When she was ten, San had a bad ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. 44 years later, San still experiences pain, tinnitus, discharge, and hearing loss. She cannot communicate clearly with others and has spent her limited money on various ineffective treatments. San traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 7th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. San says, "I hope my ear will improve and the infection finally ends."

James is a beautiful newborn baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of three children. To support their family, his father practices small-scale farming, and his mother is a homemaker. His parents share that their income is only enough to meet their day-to-day needs. James has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, meaning both of James's legs are twisted downward and inward. Without treatment, he will grow up and have difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Fortunately, James's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund James's clubfoot repair. This procedure will allow him to grow in good health and walk with ease when he grows up. James's mother says, "It has been rough for the past two weeks, moving with my baby from one health centre to another without any success. I am glad that he will get the treatment required."

Zara is a bright and creative 3-year-old from Haiti. She lives with her parents and two older sisters, and she loves going to preschool. One of her favorite ways to spend her time is by exploring her creativity and doing arts and crafts projects. Zara was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which blood leaks through a hole between two major blood vessels next to her heart. This causes her to experience weakness and shortness of breath. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. During the procedure, doctors will use a catheter to plug the hole so blood can properly flow through her body. This will allow Zara to breath with ease. Zara's mother said, "Our family is very hopeful that after this surgery our daughter will become healthier and stronger."

Jonah is a 50-year-old farmer and a mother of three. She is a small-scale farmer along with her husband. Two years ago, Jonah began to experience neck swelling causing her fatigue and affecting her speech and breathing. She was diagnosed with Nodular Goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Jonah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 17th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Jonah says “I humbly appeal for your support for my surgery since I have tried all I could but in vain. I will be glad for your support and to be able to resume my activities after treatment.”

Soveat is a 37-year-old rice and vegetable farmer who is married and has two children. At the end of a long day, Soveat likes to listen to the news, to play football, and to spend time with his children. In March, Soveat was in an accident while riding his motorbike, which resulted in an injury to the nerves which control his right arm, shoulder and hand. He was admitted to a local hospital and stayed five days, but he is still unable to move his shoulder or his arm, and he is in a lot of pain. The local hospital advised him that he needs surgery, and referred him to our local medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, which is the only hospital in Cambodia offering the treatment that Soveat needs. Soveat will undergo surgery on May 2nd, after which he will be able to use his arm again to continue farming, and to do the other activities he enjoys. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Soveat said: "I hope after this surgery, I will be able to use my arm again to do things by myself and grow rice."

Samson is a quiet and reserved 16-year-old boy. Three months ago, he started experiencing severe headaches. His father gave him medication but the headache was persistent so they visited a nearby hospital. There he received mediation, but after some time he started to stagger while walking. This has made it difficult for him to go anywhere on his own. His father took him to a branch of Kijabe Hospital in their home area where they referred Samson for treatment at Bethanykids Hospital. His father went with him back home, gathered some funds and now brought him to our medical partner's care center BethanyKids Hospital. Scans have revealed that Samson has a mass growing in his head, which has affected his right eye and his balance. The doctor recommends a craniotomy surgery to heal his condition. Samson is the last born in a family of five children. His mother passed away four years ago due to illness. Now his father sells groceries to provide for their family. Without insurance coverage, they are not able to raise the amount needed for Samson's care so our medical partner is helping to raise $1,500. Samson told us, “I would like to regain my health back and go to school and after that help my father in his business.”

Khu is a two-year-old toddler from Burma who lives with her parents and younger sister. She and her sister are both too young to attend school yet. To support their family, her father is a subsistence farmer, and her mother is a homemaker. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the jungle. Two months ago, Khu's family noticed discharge in her right eye. Her right pupil eventually began to turn white, but she fortunately did not express that she was having trouble seeing. Worried about her, Khu’s father took her to the free clinic near their village. The medic at the clinic suspected that she was suffering from a congenital cataract and told Khu’s father that they could not treat her at their clinic. Instead, they recommended that she go to a hospital for further investigation. Doctors want Khu to undergo an MRI, an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Khu's MRI and care, which is scheduled to take place on August 4th. Her grandfather shares, “Khu is my beloved granddaughter. When I see her suffering from this condition, I feel very sad. I also worry about her future. I don’t want to see her in this condition. I want her to have good vision and have a beautiful life when she grows up. I want her to get treatment and have her vision restored.”

Hellen is a charming and playful 3-year-old girl, living with her mother. They live with Hellen's grandparents who are also helping to raise her. The grandparents are small scale farmers, who rely on the crops that they grow, and on any income their surplus crops generate. While Hellen was born a healthy child, her mother noticed that when she began to walk, her legs bent outwards. Ultimately, Hellen was diagnosed with bilateral varus, a condition which is typically caused by the accumulation of excess fluoride in the bones, which results from the drinking of contaminated water. Hellen now walks with a limp, and has pain in her knees when she walks. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Hellen. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 17th, at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. Treatment will hopefully restore Hellen's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of any future complications. Hellen’s mother says: “I have watched my daughter's legs move from bad to worse for two years, but I cannot afford to seek treatment for her. I am in dire need of your support.”