Roly, who is two years old, is a happy and loving child, who lives with his family in a small town, which is a nine hour drive from La Paz, Bolivia. Roly's parents are farmers. Roly was born with a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. Because of this condition, blood leaks through a hole that connects two major blood vessels next to the heart, leaving Roly sick and short of breath. He needs surgery in order to be able to live a full and healthy life. Fortunately our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is helping Roly access the care that he needs. On March 1st, surgeons at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uria will operate on Roly, sewing the hole in his heart closed, so that blood can no longer leak through it. Now Roly and his family need your help to raise the $1,500 necessary to fund this life saving procedure. His mother is hopeful that he will be better soon and said, "We are hoping that our son will have a better appetite and gain more weight after his surgery is finished."

Mary is a grade two pupil from Kenya and the fifth child in her family. Her mother is a single parent raising six kids on her own while also taking in work washing clothes. A little while ago, Mary broke her dominant arm while playing with her classmates at school. She was rushed to a health facility nearby, where an x-ray revealed a right supracondylar fracture that needs surgical attention. Her right arm is currently in a sling and she is unable to use it or attend school. Mary's mother pooled her resources with close relatives to bring Mary to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. On March 15th, surgeons with African Mission Healthcare will perform a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help to join the bone and enable Mary to use her arm again. Now, Mary and her family need $979 to fund this procedure. Mary’s mother said, “Mary is unable to go to school because of the fracture. She uses this hand that is broken and needs treatment.”

Anthony, who is 14 years old, lives with his parents and seven siblings in Kenya. His parents make charcoal to earn a living for the family, but their situation has been made more difficult by the inter-communal war in their area, which has forced the family to move on several occasions in order to find safety. Anthony was diagnosed with anorectal malformations at birth. He had surgery to correct the blockage and did well for a few months, but the blockage recurred. He could not pass stool as he had done before, but his parents could not afford to take him back to the hospital. His stomach started to increase in size and has grown over the years. Over time he completely lost the ability to move his bowels and stopped going to school. Late last year the county government social worker heard of Anthony's situation and contacted the family. She was able to finance their transport to the hospital for Anthony to be examined. As a result of the examination, it was determined that Anthony required surgery urgently. Anthony is now scheduled for a colostomy on February 15th at BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,152 to cover the costs of this life-saving procedure. Anthony’s Aunt said: “It pains us that Anthony has to go through this. We really hope that he will be treated and go back to school.”

Ciara is a 10-month-old infant from Haiti. Her family enjoys playing with her and watching her smile. Ciara has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain, and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Ciara has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Ciara will have severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Ciara that will treat her hydrocephalus at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on February 2nd. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from Ciara's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Ciara will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. The family is looking forward to having their baby girl grow up healthy and happy.

Rin is a 43-year-old mother of one. She is a construction worker and divorced from her husband. She has one son who lives with her. In her free time, she likes to listen to Khmer songs and do things around the house. Earlier this month, she was working on a roof near a high-voltage wire and suffered multiple electrical burns on her hands, feet, and head. She was taken to a referral hospital, but only received minimal dressing for her burns. The tissue damage is extensive, and she is in pain and unable to use her hands. When Rin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On September 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a skin graft surgery to to help regenerate the damaged skin. Now, she needs help to fund this $805 procedure. Rin is hopeful that after surgery her hands will be better and she will be able to work again.

Chadier is a 5-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother, a small-scale farmer and the sole breadwinner for the family, in South Sudan. She shared that he was abandoned by his mother, who had separated from her husband before Chadier's birth. Chadier was born with a congenital malformation, where his bladder formed outside the body (bladder exstrophy). His mother took him to a hospital at the age of 6 months for treatment of his condition. She was advised to wait 4 years for his surgery. The hospital that Chadier's mother visited approached an organization that supports needy patients and shared his case to them. Chadier and his grandmother reside in a rural village, and it was difficult for the organization to locate them. The village has inaccessible roads, no schools, and frequent outbreaks of war. Fortunately, the organization was finally able to locate Chadier and his grandmother in December of last year. He was referred to BethanyKids Hospital in Kenya for treatment after the organization coordinated with our medical partner African Mission Healthcare. Upon his arrival, Chadier was diagnosed and it was recommended that he undergo multiple surgeries to heal his condition. Chadier has underwent initial bladder exstrophy repair surgery. He still needs epispadias repair surgery to treat his condition. Chadier's grandmother cannot afford to pay for his medical treatments, so their family needs help to raise the $834 cost. Chadier's grandma says, "I have always wished for him to get treated, and I’m happy that it has started and is going well."

Kay is 43-year-old woman and garment factory worker. She lives alone on the border of Thailand and Burma. Kay supports her parents in Burma by sending them money every month. In her free time, she enjoys reading books about Buddhism. In the middle of 2021, Kay began experiencing pain and abnormal bleeding. By September of 2022, the pain and symptoms had worsened. Kay has been diagnosed with myoma, or a noncancerous growth in the uterus. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, which would surgically remove her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Kay's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Kay is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on September 19th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience pain or abnormal bleeding. She will be able to go back to work, and to continue supporting her family. “When I recover fully, I will continue to work in the garment factory. I will save my money and I will pay back my debt. I will try to continue supporting my parents,” said Kay.

Yves is a young man from Haiti. He lives with his parents and sister in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; they have been caring for him since he fell ill about five years ago. Prior to his illness, he worked as a clerk for a local business. Yves has a cardiac condition called severe rheumatic mitral insufficiency. One of the four valves of his heart was severely damaged by a rheumatic fever that he suffered a number of years ago, and cannot adequately pump blood through his heart and body. The care Yves is not available anywhere in Haiti, so Yves will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On September 12th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $9000 to pay for surgery. Yves's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It will also pay for the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Yves's family overseas, and the cost of obtaining Yves' passport. Says Yves: "I am hopeful that I can get back to a healthy and independent life once my heart problem is fixed!"