Victoria is a 3-month-old baby from Bolivia. She lives with her mother in a neighborhood in La Paz. Her mother makes and sells handcrafted hats for a living. Victoria was born with a cardiac condition called Total anomalous pulmonary vein return. With this condition, the major blood vessels connect to Victoria's heart at abnormal locations, making it difficult for blood to flow through her lungs and leaving her weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, can help Victoria receive the treatment she needs. On July 12th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which the doctors will disconnect the blood vessels and reattach them at the anatomically correct locations. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund VIctoria's surgery costs. Victoria's mother said, "I am very hopeful that my daughter will be able to breathe normally and gain weight after this surgery!"

Elia is a two-year-old boy from a small village in the Simanjiro district of Tanzania. His parents are livestock keepers and farmers, relying on agriculture for food and sustenance. The drought has brought new problems to their residential area, with large animals such as elephants and buffaloes coming in search of food and damaging their crops. Despite the challenges in the past year, they remain hopeful that the situation will improve in the coming season. In October 2022, Elia had an accident and suffered burns from hot water, resulting in severe wounds on both his hands that required medical attention. His parents took him to a health center for care. Over the next four months, as his wounds healed, he developed skin contractures on both elbows. Recognizing the impact of the scars on Elia, his parents sought treatment at Monduli Hospital. However, they could not receive the appropriate care and were subsequently referred to our medical partner's facility. In September, Elia’s mother, accompanied by an escort from Monduli Hospital, approached with concerns about Elia’s well-being. Our medical partner facilitated a meeting with a visiting plastics surgeon. During the preparations for surgery, it was observed that Elia was not yet ready for the procedure, and it was decided that he needed to wait until he was in better health before undergoing surgery. In November, Elia had the opportunity to meet with a plastic surgeon and was deemed fit for surgery. Given the severity of his case, the plan is to start with a contracture release on one elbow as the start of Elia's healing journey. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Elia receive treatment. On November 16th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to enhance the extension of his arm. AMH is requesting $639 to fund this procedure. Elia’s mother says: “I hope this treatment will be a start for a better life for my son.”

Panha is a happy child from Kampong Chhnang province, approximately two hours away from the capital of Phnom Penh. She lives with her parents, an older sister, and her grandparents. Her father works in a local cloth weaving factory, her mother sells groceries, and her grandparents are rice farmers. At home, Panha likes to help her mother with the groceries and play with dolls. Her favorite meal is fried chicken and soup. Panha was born with macrodactyly of the toes on her left foot. Macrodactyly is a condition where toes or fingers are abnormally large due to the overgrowth of bone and soft tissue. Her parents are worried that as she grows, she may have difficulty walking, wearing shoes, and being teased by other kids when she starts school. Because her family could not afford care for her, a clinic referred her to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), where they hoped she could receive free or low-cost care. Doctors at CSC have determined that one of her toes needs to be amputated, and two other toes must be disarticulated (separated from the joint to avoid further disfigurement). Her parents need assistance with the cost of the $479 operation to cover the cost of surgery, medications, hospitalization, and physical therapy post-operation. Panha's mother said: "I hope my daughter's foot will look normal like her other foot. We want her to walk without problems as she grows and hope children will not make fun of her when she goes to school."