Luz is a sweet baby from Bolivia, where she lives with her parents and two older brothers in a small mountain village. Her parents work as farmers to support their family. Luz, in addition to being diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was born with a ventricular septal defect, a heart condition where a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. As a result, blood leaks through the hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. Fortunately, our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance who is expanding their work in Bolivia, is helping Luz receive treatment. On January 19th, Luz will undergo surgery where doctors will sew a patch over the hole, allowing for blood to flow completely through her heart and reach her lungs, obtaining oxygen and, ultimately, allowing her to grow as a healthy baby girl. Luz's family needs help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. From Luz's mother: "Our family is all praying that after the surgery our daughter will be stronger and healthier."

Yan is a 66-year-old woman from Cambodia. She has five sons and one daughter. Her husband passed away many years ago, so she lives alone close to her children. She enjoys cooking for her family and visiting the local pagoda to hear the chanting of the monks. In June 2022, Yan fell and dislocated her left elbow. She visited a Khmer traditional healer, but her elbow has remained numb and swollen. She has limited movement, is not able to use her arm, and is in chronic pain. When Yan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On November 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction of her left elbow. Yan needs assistance with the $485 cost of the surgery. After surgery, her pain will be healed and she will be able to use her arm again. Yan shared: "After surgery, I hope my left elbow will have no pain or swelling and I can cook for my family again."

Mervi is an adventurous toddler from Venezuela who has recently moved with his parents to Colombia to seek better opportunities. Due to lack of work authorization, his mother stays home with her family while his father has informal employment in construction. Mervi has three siblings, but his little sister is his favorite. She is almost one year old and he loves playing with her and sharing their toys. Mervi has clubfoot in his right foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Mervi's family traveled to visit our medical partner, Clínica Noel, where surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on Mervi on April 30th. Clínica Noel is requesting $1,422 to fund this procedure. After treatment, Mervi will be able to wear shoes and walk normally without pain. His father said: "I would really appreciate if you could help me with this operation for my kid, I'm working to find someone else that can help me pay at least a part of the treatment but I would really appreciate you helping me pay the surgery."